Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Your Least Favorite Reg

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

Way2Broke

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Posts
2,882
What is your least favorite regulation, how would you change it, and why?

All parts are fair game (61, 91, 119, 121, 135 etc.)
 
peeve

I'd change that one from the original list of 25 FARs from the stone age. It's #21, the one about "pilots will not use spurs while flying" rule. It's a shame because my black leather Tony Lama boots that I wear to work look great with a set of black steel rowel spurs. It would be nice to be able to go from the cockpit to the corral direct. Oh well.

The "no hedge-hopping" rule bothers me too....grrrrr! ;)

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/rules.htm
 
Pilot duty and rest requirements. I would like to see it changed to 13 hours scheduled on/ 11 hours off. Max. 8 hours in the air. No reduced rest, no compensatory rest garbage. Keep it simple.
 
Up to 16 hours duty time. You can't possibly comprehend how unsafe it is until you're in the seat after 15 hours.
 
121 subpart S
121.521 No duty time limitation at all.
 
Whiskey Tango said:

Yeah, me too. Not because I favor operating carelessly or recklessly, but because the FAA uses it as a catchall for anything they don't like but can't find a regulation against. It's like handing them a blank check.
 
labbats said:
Up to 16 hours duty time. You can't possibly comprehend how unsafe it is until you're in the seat after 15 hours.

Yet, research has shown that 17 hours of wakefulness (being awake, not 17 hours of flying or duty, just being out of bed with your eyes open) results in a degradation of reactions, judgement and motor skills equivelent to a BAC of 0.8%. It's that elephant in the middle of the room that the FAA and the ATA is pretending isn't there.
 
FAA Aircraft registration and ownership

47.3 link

I'd like to see it changed so that people on student or work visa, who are TSA approved and hold FAA license(s), could own aircrafts and register them with the FAA.
Currently one has to have citizenship or be a legal resident to be an owner of a US registered aircraft. That effectivly eliminates the option for foreign people who conduct professional flight training in the US of buying an aircraft for themself or with friends, to build hours or go on cross country expeditions.

Legal resident pilots must have TSA approval just like pilots on student visa, so in terms of terrorist risk assessment and comprehensiv background checks, legal residents and student/work visas are at the same security level.
Therefore, I dont see why pilots on student visa or work visa shouldn't be allowed to waste money on buying an aircraft. It supports the american economy and it can make the typical two year visit to america even more fun and pleasurable. And once any pilot, regardless of immigration/visa status, holds an FAA license, he is sort of by definition equally qualified to fly in the US national airspace as any equally licensed american FAA pilot. We were all born equal, Jefferson once said...
And for those who might intervene and say that foreigners shouldnt be in the sky above America at all...well, TSA-approved pilots on student visa allready fly completely unrestricted in rental and flight training airplanes, and can do pretty much anything they desire! Not allowing people on a student-visa to purchase an airplane is just plain unfair, and leaves them hanging as easy prey for the likely more expensive rental market. Especially since most students on J1 visas only have two years to do 500-1000h of hour building.

Just a quick estimate to give you an idea of the possible savings for a student building hours:
Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$74K=$11K) + (500h * 12GPH * $2.70 Per Gallon (pre-paid fuel card)= $16K) + 12months insurance $2000 + Registration $2000 + Maintenance $6000 = $37K

Maintenance would probably be half what I've accounted for, and insurance is also alot cheaper. I dont know the price of registration, but it cant be all that expensive. So the savings are likely even greater than what I managed to illustrate. Most significant difference between rental and ownership however, is the added convenience and comfort of having the airplane all to oneself, without minimum daily block hours or time restrictions.
 
Last edited:
Just a quick estimate to give you an idea of the possible savings for a student building hours:
Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$74K=$11K) + (500h * 12GPH * $2.70 Per Gallon (pre-paid fuel card)= $16K) + 12months insurance $2000 + Registration $2000 + Maintenance $6000 = $37K

I think you are a little low on fuel expense, even pre-paid, by at least 1 dollar per gallon. You also did not include property taxes, tie-down, etc. And, I think 6K for maintenance is low given 500 hours annually. Also, would it really cost 150 per hour for a 182 block time? I agree that at 500 hours, maybe even as low as 150 hours, owning might be less expensive, just not that much less expensive.

The FAR I would like to change is the one regarding the sharing of cost among passengers on Part 91 flights. If I rent a Duchess I can split the cost among three other friends or relatives for a flight at the full rental rate, say 200 an hour or about 50 per seat. Flying my Duchess I can share fuel cost only or about 80 per hour and 20 per seat. Just has never seemed fair.
 
CalifDan said:
The FAR I would like to change is the one regarding the sharing of cost among passengers on Part 91 flights. If I rent a Duchess I can split the cost among three other friends or relatives for a flight at the full rental rate, say 200 an hour or about 50 per seat. Flying my Duchess I can share fuel cost only or about 80 per hour and 20 per seat. Just has never seemed fair.

Incorporate and rent it to yourself.
 
definatly 91.13. Not only a catchall if they can't find anyother way to pin you to the wall. BUT...if you do violate a different reg, you can bet they are gonna hit you with not one, but two violations since breaking the regs is, inherently, careless and wreckless.
 
CalifDan said:
just not that much less expensive.

Thanks for your input, I wasnt really sure about my estimate. But do you think a C182 will depricate as much as $11000 in 500 hours or one year? I got the price from aircraftealer.com and it appears that a couple of years difference doesnt make such huge difference in price.

Block price of $150 is what I got from googling 'C182 rental', so yes, at least 150. The prices are really more like 165-170 around where I live.

But let me try again:

Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$75K=$10K) + (500h * 12GPH * $3.70 Per Gallon = $22K) + (12months parking&tie-down * $100 = $1200) + 12months insurance $1200 + Registration $200 + Maintenance $8000 = approx $42K

Its still a 40% saving over rental.
Sorry for 'hijacking' the thread with this stuff.
 
Along these same lines, what would the most often violated FAR be? My hunch is that it is probably the ones that deal with supplimental O2. Wait, that can't be - everyone wears the masks when the regs call for it.

'Sled
 
Lead Sled said:
Along these same lines, what would the most often violated FAR be? My hunch is that it is probably the ones that deal with supplimental O2. Wait, that can't be - everyone wears the masks when the regs call for it.

'Sled

Well, since 91.13 is cited on every violation handed out, I'd say that's the one most often violated. Aside from that, I'd say airspace violations, runway incursions, possibly heading or altitude busts.
 
Thanks for your input, I wasnt really sure about my estimate. But do you think a C182 will depricate as much as $11000 in 500 hours or one year? I got the price from aircraftealer.com and it appears that a couple of years difference doesnt make such huge difference in price.

Block price of $150 is what I got from googling 'C182 rental', so yes, at least 150. The prices are really more like 165-170 around where I live.

But let me try again:

Rental: 500h C182 * $150 wet lease = $72K.
Owner: C182 (Buy-Sell=Expense): ($85K-$75K=$10K) + (500h * 12GPH * $3.70 Per Gallon = $22K) + (12months parking&tie-down * $100 = $1200) + 12months insurance $1200 + Registration $200 + Maintenance $8000 = approx $42K

Its still a 40% saving over rental.
Sorry for 'hijacking' the thread with this stuff.

At 500 hours in a year it will be cheaper to own than rent unless you get very unlucky (like needing a top or complete overhaul before TBO, or other unforeseen problem). I can tell you that at 150 hours the first year for the Duchess we are way behind renting. That said, the aircraft is better maintained than it has been in many prior years.

I still think you are off in your numbers. I do think that adding 500 hours to an engine time can produce a substantial reduction in value unless it was extremely low time to start with. You will also probably have to pay a commission on the sale which might be 8-10 percent. You did not factor in sales tax on the purchase, which in my state would be about 8 percent, let alone annual property tax (1% of value).

I don;t know if you can insure a 182 for 1200 per year flying those kind of hours and perhaps as a low time pilot starting out. My Duchess is not a fair comparison but it runs three times that amount and I've got plenty of multi time.

Maintenance will be more than you are anticipating. At 500 hours you are going to have ten 50 hour oil changes, inspections. Mine run 300 per side including the inspections they do at the same time. That has the potential to be 3000 dollars in oil changes alone. Unless the aircraft is in absolutely perfect condition you will have surprises, perhaps many of them. Some of those surprises can be very difficult to fund.

I'll give you a couple of examples....slight play shows up in main landing gear ($2,100 to replace bushings), landing gear up warning system failure ($1900 in troubleshooting, corrections and replancement of parts), 500 hour inspection due on bendix mags ($1800 to remove, overhaul and replace). My first annual was $15,000 (and the landing gear issue related above was not part of the annual). Now that is a twin and it was pretty evident that prior owners did not have the same attitude about maintenance that I have.

If you do "just get by" maintenance you might get out for 8K if you are very lucky. By the same token, a prudent Buyer will crucify you at the sale for the deferred maintenance. I would double your figure or more if you want to keep things in excellent condition.

I think you are going to save about $30-40 per hour against renting. So 500 hours gives you a savings of about $15,000 - $20,000. That's the difference between commercial insurance and the mark up a typical 182 can probably realize in a leaseback situation, which is what you will save if nothing serious breaks. And if you think that a typical rented aircraft is receiving excellent maintenance, you are dreaming.....most of it is "get by".

Most violated FAR....from an FAA standpoint the careless and reckless issue, from a non professional pilots perspective, something related to currency such as logged VOR checks, night landings, expired database, etc.
 
O2 is probably violated much more in 135, 91 regs seem to be much more reasonable, heck, the only time I've run into a problem with part 91 O2 req. under VFR was trying to clear the Front range in Colorado in a slow plane.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top