Cockpit Placards

[Vector4fun]

Does anyone know if it's permissible to replace old, faded or missing cockpit placards and limitations cards by recreating them on a PC and some labels? For instance, I want to replace the plastic trim on the baggage door of my Cessna. On the old trim, there's a placard with the maximum weights allowed. May I duplicate this on a self adhesive label with my PC, making sure the wording is exact of course, or do I need to order a set from Cessna or another company that manufactures same?

 

[migio]

Dont mess with that shiit

 

[GravityHater]

Does anyone know if it's permissible to replace old, faded or missing cockpit placards and limitations cards by recreating them on a PC and some labels?

Based upon seeing this done thousands of times I would say Yes.

I would encourage you to check the TCDS and or the POH to ensure the wording is accurate... don't rely on what someone else has put on them with mom's labelmaker. Also check to make sure you have all of them.

 

[bigD]

Vector4Fun - for what it's worth, I've personally dealt with the SAT FSDO on this very issue, and they're 100% fine with it.

 

[Vector4fun]

Thanks D. I have all the originals, but I'm slowly refurbing the interior, so I need to replace a placard now and again, not many. I can dupe them on my PC for a buck, vs $60+ Moody charges, and God only knows what Cessna gets. I picked up window and baggage door seal today from AIM and had #1 com tweaked a bit while I was up there. Annual's complete, so a few more odds and ends, and I hope to be caught up on my airplane "chores"

Will call soon.

 

[pilotmiketx]

Chief and Spruce etc. all sell various placards from different vendors, so they don't need to be a $500 TSO'd PMA'd part.

Also heard a story of a guy getting his King Air ramp checked and the inspector noticed part of the CLOSE--> sign on the door was rubbed off so he told the guy his plane wasn't airworthy. So the guy goes in the plane and comes out with a roll of duct tape and a sharpie and makes himself a placard. The tool from the fuzzdo couldn't argue and he was free to go.

 

[migio]

Chief and Spruce etc. all sell various placards from different vendors, so they don't need to be a $500 TSO'd PMA'd part.

Also heard a story of a guy getting his King Air ramp checked and the inspector noticed part of the CLOSE--> sign on the door was rubbed off so he told the guy his plane wasn't airworthy. So the guy goes in the plane and comes out with a roll of duct tape and a sharpie and makes himself a placard. The tool from the fuzzdo couldn't argue and he was free to go.

Interesting,but im pretty sure not every FSDO person is so forgiving.Why chance it?

 

[ackattacker]

I once had a student with his own C150. The dad was an aircraft mechanic of some sort. Anyway, I show up to fly with him for his first lesson and the aircraft is pieced together from the bones of other aircraft. Wings are different colors! Scary looking, but otherwise mechanically sound. Anyway, first thing I notice is that it most of the instruments are from aircraft other than Cessna, so the required markings are missing or wrong (i.e. color coding on airspeed, red line on tachometer, etc).

So I told him those were required placards and I couldn't fly with him. He says OK he'll take care of it. The next lesson he shows up and he's got different color nail polish on the face of the instrument glass showing all the required stuff. I figured it was legal. The kid got his PPL in it, so I guess the examiner thought so too.

 

[migio]

I once had a student with his own C150. The dad was an aircraft mechanic of some sort. Anyway, I show up to fly with him for his first lesson and the aircraft is pieced together from the bones of other aircraft. Wings are different colors! Scary looking, but otherwise mechanically sound. Anyway, first thing I notice is that it most of the instruments are from aircraft other than Cessna, so the required markings are missing or wrong (i.e. color coding on airspeed, red line on tachometer, etc).

So I told him those were required placards and I couldn't fly with him. He says OK he'll take care of it. The next lesson he shows up and he's got different color nail polish on the face of the instrument glass showing all the required stuff. I figured it was legal. The kid got his PPL in it, so I guess the examiner thought so too.

Cool.

 

[4fanman]

Interesting,but im pretty sure not every FSDO person is so forgiving.Why chance it?

Go look in a beat-up freight plane someday. You won't find any factory original placards in there.

A simple label maker is all you need, unless you want it to look real pretty.

 

[pilotmiketx]

Interesting,but im pretty sure not every FSDO person is so forgiving.Why chance it?

Uh, maybe because it's been established ad nauseum that it's legal...

 

[TrafficInSight]

Chief and Spruce etc. all sell various placards from different vendors, so they don't need to be a $500 TSO'd PMA'd part.

Also heard a story of a guy getting his King Air ramp checked and the inspector noticed part of the CLOSE--> sign on the door was rubbed off so he told the guy his plane wasn't airworthy. So the guy goes in the plane and comes out with a roll of duct tape and a sharpie and makes himself a placard. The tool from the fuzzdo couldn't argue and he was free to go.

Part 91? because I've read an ASRS report about a guy being violated on a 135 ramp check for tightening a nav light screw that the inspector pointed out as being loose.... unauthorized maintenance.

 

[A Squared]

I've seen AD which called for the installation of a placard with a specific part number. If you installed a homemade placard with the same information, from a strict point of view, you are not in compliance with the AD. It called for a installation specific p/n, and that has not been installed.

 

[erj-145mech]

At the bottom of the AD, there is usually a name and phone number. You can contact this person and request an alternate means of compliance or AMOC, to use a placard that says the same thing, and that matches the other placards in your particular aircraft.

I've done this several times on numerous aircraft.

 

[Vector4fun]

Well, fwiw, I replaced that panel on the inside of the baggage door yesterday evening after putting some new seal on the door. My wife, bless her, managed to carefully peel the old placard off the old panel in one piece and stick it on the new. Before she started, I'd have bet $100 that no 30 yr old placard was going to peel off in one, useable piece, but it looks like a new one on the new panel.....

 

[A Squared]

At the bottom of the AD, there is usually a name and phone number. You can contact this person and request an alternate means of compliance or AMOC, to use a placard that says the same thing, and that matches the other placards in your particular aircraft.

I've done this several times on numerous aircraft.

Good point about the AMOC

 

[atrdriver]

Also heard a story of a guy getting his King Air ramp checked and the inspector noticed part of the CLOSE--> sign on the door was rubbed off so he told the guy his plane wasn't airworthy. So the guy goes in the plane and comes out with a roll of duct tape and a sharpie and makes himself a placard. The tool from the fuzzdo couldn't argue and he was free to go.

Happened to me once on an ATR. FAA Maint Inspector said we were not airworthy cause once of our exterior placards had torn off. After talk to our maint and deciding it would take something like 5 hours to get a new one to us, the inspector said it didn't "have" to be a placard, the words just had to be there. I borrowed a magic marker and wrote it on the side of the plane, and she was happy with it.