(Or: How to part with a bank account’s assets with great ease)
This article was totally researched and written without the use of AI.
After all the reflection and research, the dream finally becomes a reality. You take possession of your first airplane.
In these pages, I previously covered the pre-purchase phase in a 4-part series: “The Aircraft Buying Guide.” I believe I thoroughly combed through the main items, including the budget allocated to this “discretionary expense.” Personally, I prefer to view these expenses as an investment in my mental health. My family’s opinions on the matter range from scattered to fragmented…
We can conceive that there are two types of aircraft owners. Those who couldn’t care less about maintenance beyond the annual inspection and flying when the weather permits. The other is someone deeply engaged in the maintenance of the “machine” and its pilot.
I will attempt to establish certain facts that only become clear to many after receiving the Certificate of Registration.
Although at first glance, airplanes are inert, lifeless entities, the reality seems quite different. It is obvious to a flight instructor that each different serial number for the same type has its own personality and idiosyncrasies.
Furthermore, from the very first flight hours aboard the new “gem,” you get to know this apparently inert object. You discover plenty of surprises. Some small, others not so small. It all depends on the maintenance and attention provided by the previous owner.
The Paperwork
Renting a plane, you only have to check that the 6 documents required by the CARs (Canadian Aviation Regulations). They must be on board. You also check if the regular maintenance is up to date. That’s it.
Owners, however, are held responsible for keeping these flight documents current. As a preventive measure, it is better to confirm before the purchase that everything is in order.
In Canada, what does this represent?
1. The Certificate of Registration
- The transfer of ownership (valid for 90 days) must have been completed and proven by a “Bill of Sale.”
- The new certificate must be received within those 90 days.
- A photo of the fireproof identification plate must be transmitted to Transport Canada.
2. The Certificate of Airworthiness
- Must be updated every year with the electronic “AAIR” form (Annual Airworthiness Information Report). You must ensure the previous owner was actually filling this out!
- On-board equipment must be certified and revised every year during the annual inspection; otherwise, the certificate is automatically invalidated.
- The minimum required for this equipment is found in CAR 605.14.
3. Weight and Balance Certificate
This one, alas, is often mistreated.
- It must be updated with every change of equipment, avionics, modifications or major repairs.
- It must be accompanied by the Equipment List. This list contains all instruments, equipment, modifications (STC: Supplemental Type Certificate), radios, etc. This list must perfectly reflect what is installed on the aircraft.
- Example: You remove an old nav/com and replace it with a brand-new Garmin GTN 650xi. The Weight and Balance certificate must be redone. On the equipment list, the “dinosaur” must be removed. The GTN 650xi wil be added with its specific mass and arm (station).
4. The POH (Pilot Operating Handbook) or AFM (Airplane Flight Manual)
This poor, poor manual is in great need of respect! Often during instructional flights, we find it incomplete and just as neglected as the Weight and Balance certificate.
For every aircraft type, many models come out of the factory. Each model holds its own serial number. “Modern” POHs (post-1960) are conventionally divided into 9 and sometimes 10 sections:
- Description
- Limitations
- Emergency Procedures
- Normal Procedures
- Performance
- Weight and Balance
- Systems Description
- Service and Maintenance
- Supplements
- Safety and Operational Tips
Each model is issued an individual POH by the manufacturer’s chief engineer. it represents exactly that serial number at the time of delivery. Over the years, a specific serial number will likely be modified. Suppose a STOL kit is installed. Details of the STC (divided into 10 sections like the POH) must be added to Section 9.
Too often, Section 9 of the POH is missing. It is the owner’s responsibility to keep the POH up to date—particularly Section 9. Often, this POH is nothing more than a generic photocopy from the Internet without specific details.
5. The Journey Log (and Technical Logs: Airframe, Engines, Propellers, Modifications)
An aircraft will have a higher value if all journey logs since it left the factory are available. It is fundamental to find a safe storage place for these precious documents. You must ensure that all work performed on the aircraft is recorded in the logs.
6. Insurance Certificate
Nowadays, for a general aviation aircraft, third-party liability of at least $2 million is a minimum. Given the purchase or replacement price of your favorite plane and all its onboard equipment, a good hull coverage is worth serious thought. Depending on the owner’s experience, premiums will vary—and they will never look like those of a car.
Reading all these lines, one might think we’d need a new Weight and Balance certificate just for the paperwork!
Maintenance
An airplane needs maintenance—a lot of maintenance. This is the reality, or the “normality,” that owners must deal with. Aircraft undergo impressive mechanical, environmental, and operational stresses. Engineers design them with these details in mind while ensuring reliability.
The Stresses: You want ’em? You got ’em:
- Vibrations from piston engines.
- Propeller vibrations (often never dynamically balanced).
- Frequent strong turbulence (everyone has a story to tell…).
- Temperatures ranging from very low to very high, often within a 30 minute span.
- Sub-zero cold starts.
- Abandonment—excuse me, “storage”—for prolonged periods.
- Landing cycles that could drive the oleo struts through the wings, like an F-18 landing on a carrier.
Our machines are solid and reliable, but they must be maintained. It’s at the annual inspection that things get tough for many. Mechanics are required (and I thank them regularly for this) to detect and repair defects (snags).
We pilots do the same to maintain our proficiency: flight reviews and instruction. It should be understood that the “cute” questionnaire published at the end of Transport Canada’s Aviation Safety Letter—while legal under (CAR 421.05 (2) d) is largely insufficient. It should be deleted and replaced with authentic inflight reviews.
Buying Pitfalls
A newly acquired aircraft will, most of the time, cause many surprises. Yet the ad claimed “Maintained to commercial standards” or (one of my favorite comments) a “Cream Puff.” The first annual is often surprising, especially if no pre-purchase (ouch) inspection was performed.
Maintenance Categories
- Amateur-Built: This path can bring some respite because maintenance can be performed by the owner. You can find aircraft with advantageous performance while saving on the expense of a certified mechanic. However, maintenance must still be imperatively performed. A good dose of honest work is expected.
- Owner Maintenance Category: In Canada, this allows you to move a certified aircraft to a non-certified status. Again, maintenance responsibility falls on the owner. Generally, these planes lose significant market value for several reasons.
Remember that certified mechanics sign their names on the annual inspection, meaning a professional is held accountable for your safety. A team is formed. It consists of the aircraft manufacturer, the mechanic and the owner. its goal is reducing the risk of a mechanical incident / accident. There is a price to pay for this level of expertise.
Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
By law, the owner of a certified aircraft is responsible for knowing and ensuring that Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are carried out by a certified mechanic.
One must also distinguish between ADs and SBs (Service Bulletins). SBs are often optional but recommended; they sometimes become ADs if Transport Canada deems them relevant enough. You can find the list of ADs associated with your specific model and serial number here: TC AD Search.
If a new AD is issued, Transport Canada alerts the owner by mail or email—not the mechanic.
Elementary Tasks
Of the two types of owners mentioned earlier: those who want to strictly follow their aircraft are divided into two groups. Those with no mechanical skills or time (and mechanics are there for that). And those with some mechanical ability who can devote a few hours (or more) to maintenance.
For a private owner, CAR 625 Appendix A allows for basic tasks like oil and filter changes or removing spark plugs.
Warning: This is not like fixing a lawnmower. Discuss torque specs with your mechanic. You don’t tighten a spark plug as if the wings were attached to it!
A great advantage of owner-performed maintenance is that it is non-intrusive. This allows for very sophisticated preventive maintenance. While your mechanic can do this, it takes time—and since you have the time, it’s worth a fortune!
The Oil Change Example: The oil filter must be cut open. then the paper element extracted for a visual analysis to detect metal. A deteriorating cylinder will produce clearly visible metal particles. (Note: A newly replaced cylinder will produce a little metal during break-in as the rings seat. This is normal.)
The second part of this article will be presented next Saturday.