Well here's some soggy weather for ya. Gross.
Some things that I know in maintenanceland:
Cessna 630 is happy.
Cessna 68U may or may not rejoin the fleet.
Cessna 20U has been officially retired. Doh!
Cessna 739 Rocks
Cessna 25R is being worked on still.
Cessna 1ES is humming.
Cessna 17J has a new standby battery to correct a PFD issue.
Many of you know that it was our intention in 2008/2009 to retire our old tried-and-true 172s. It's tough when you have planes that are running great, inexpensively clicking off the hours -- we were planning to mothball 68U and retire 20U in fall of 2010. Of course, it only takes a little carburetor ice and some bad luck to change that plan. (doh!)
So... the question is... now what?
Here's what I know:
I love Cessna 630 and will not be planning to replace her for the foreseeable future.
Cessnas 739, 1ES, and 17J the same -- I think we need each in its own way.
Cessna 25R we are planning to keep around for a while, just because she's a good "fast and easy to fly" plane with some punch.
Now that we have Bonanza 11N on the line, we are scratching our heads, as it complicates things. We love this plane too, and have no plane to replace her. We like the club format, and I think any "faster than 172" planes belong in the club, not the FBO.
...so!
I am considering the following:
Another C150, retire the Uniforms.
Bring 68U back, maybe with new paint and interior.
Sell 68U off, get another 739-class plane.
Sell 68U off, get something for the club like a 195hp 172XP or 180hp light 172. Something with some punch. :) Maybe that 150 Aerobat I was considering awhile ago.
...Hmmm...
Usually our choices are easy, but this one is hard, because now we have the infrastructure to run planes at either high or low utilizations, and it opens up some options. I'd love to hear what you guys would rather be flying around in.
In other news -- I'll be hosting an FAA Safety Team Seminar on February 27, on the topic of Preventative Maintenance. We will be discussing rules, regs, and practical aspects of changing an aircraft's oil yourself! Then, we'll actually do it on one of our planes!
Everyone is invited, there is no fee for the seminar, and we will likely hold it in our hangar. You can learn about safety-wire, oil contaminant checks, and get to see/touch/feel one of our engines up close! It's a worthwhile time, and we enjoy doing them. Come heckle if you like. :)
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More as I know it...
Blue Skies, (soon I hope!)
- Mike
