Shorrick_Mk2 wrote:
There is a constant circular argument generated by people insisting for “need for field maintainability”.
I think it is more that the improvement of a diesel (whatever that is), in most circumstances does not warrant the extra cost or hazzle. A Lycoming/Continental works well enough, and is simple and straight forward, so that the overall improvement has to be rather substantial for a diesel to be an altogether better solution.
Exactly what extra hassle are we talking about?
@mh – what’s the MTBF of a fadec controller?
It isn’t field maintainability (literally) that anybody wants. This isn’t a WW2 combine harvester.
What the market attaches value to is the ability to avoid being bent over a barrel and shafted. The Lyco engines can be overhauled by a large number of engine shops. OK; many of them aren’t much good but that’s another story. There is a lot of security in this facility.
Whereas if you buy an engine without this facility then – at best – you have to send it back to the manufacturer and pay whatever price he wants. This is the Diamond scenario, and while they are making good progress now, a lot of people remain somewhat concerned, and this will take years to work itself out of the market.
And the worst case scenario is that the mfg has gone bust…
But everybody knows this… surely?
So this market is difficult to enter, because any newcomer is not going to have the huge support which the old engines have.
Europe as always is unique, rigid, and expensive. In the US, the GA scene has evolved over the years to a situation where most single engine piston powered aircraft are maintained in their hangar, by their owners rich and poor alike, with professional help and oversight brought in as required. In the case of flight school owners they employ their own mechanic.
I operate from an airport that bases 700 aircraft, and I think there are two maintenance shops that do work on other people’s aircraft. Obviously that’s not a large fraction of the local planes. One is the Beech dealer and he seems pretty successful, in his own way. Not a huge number of customers but the planes are all new and expensive. The other is lower key and does projects. At another adjacent airport with 450 planes there’s an FBO that sells Diamonds, well known for charging ridiculous amounts for an annual. My DA-40 owning friend took about 10 years to figure out he could hire one of their ex-employees to work in his hangar. Nobody wanted to say anything because he was quite proud of his new plane and having ‘professional’ work done. I have no idea where the Cirrus owners go, there must be a car style dealer somewhere with a service writer and an expensive facility who takes credit cards with high limits 
My A&P IA shares a huge hangar with a friend, filled up with his Pitts, Citabria, and Stinson… With just enough room for one more plane. He’s got a real job so the extra spot in the hangar is reserved for friend’s airplanes. Not a lot of money changes hands. He’s a CFI too and helps people out with training when they need it, mostly for new Yak owners because the insurance companies like him.
Another guy is the local IFR training expert for the Beech dealer and a hot shot pilot. He’s an IA too so when he’s not training the Beech guys he’s fixing their planes. If an engine overhaul is needed he’s got his preferred sources and he doesn’t talk a lot about them. Occasionally I’ve heard him grumbling “I’m not using that guy again” For maintenance work, he gets the Beech FBO customers that have figured out there’s a better way…
Routine engine work is supported by overnight Fed-Ex with parts from many sources. Major overhauls are done by some people in their hangars, others pull the engine and carry it in their truck to one of several overhaul shops within 100 miles or so. Parts are very often PMA, cheaper than they used to be. The whole situation has evolved over years to drive the costs down.
Now come along with a throw away engine that can’t be overhauled, parts may or may not be available from a single source, and which requires occasional total replacement from a factory across the world that has been in and out of business over the last 10 years. The manufacturer has a overdeveloped sense of his own value. The price will be $50K (or whatever, I picked a number). Good luck with that 
Silvaire, ca 1989:
“The Yoooo Essss of Aye is different sonny. Come along with a driverless car that has no choke and doesn’t need to be started with a hand crank and all y’all can’t fix it inna shed? Good luck with that”.
Yes, the US is different. One can choose how to maintain ones plane, not be told how to do so. It’s better that way.
I think the biggest innovation in aircraft maintenance has been internet parts ordering and overnight shipment
Silvaire,
you keep reminding me why my behind occasionally hurts when I remember the one time in my life when I had the chance to emigrate and didn’t….
MD, Switzerland is wonderful… In June I’ll do Bernina Pass on my way from Savona to Imst or Landeck to stay that night. I go there almost every year because it’s wonderful. You could likewise come and visit here – transatlantic tickets are 30% cheaper when they originate in Europe
I’ve been lucky to become involved in an almost ideal aircraft ownership situation, at least from my POV. I gues initiative was a part of it, like anything but also luck and considerable help from others. The same factors apply elsewhere: my friend who has a plane at Jesenwang (near Munich) does things in a way not unlike me… It does cost him a lot more, that is true.
Silvaire wrote:
most single engine piston powered aircraft are maintained in their hangar, by their owners
Not entirely true. To work on your own certified or SLSA aircraft an owner must get the same training and rating as the A&P (dependent on level of maint being done, heavy versus an oil change or an annual). Experimental owners are also able to work on their aircraft if they built them from a kit and get training on engine maint. They are also not allowed to perform annuals even on an experimental without the proper certification and training.
USFlyer wrote:
To work on your own certified or SLSA aircraft an owner must get the same training and rating as the A&P
Anybody can work under a N-registered certified plane under supervision of an A&P. The FAA does not have authority to prevent you from touching your own property, only authority to make sure an appropriately certificated person is directly involved, available on site within reasonable notice (he does not have to be in the same room!), and that he takes responsibility for the work and the logbook entry when appropriate.
Also, the supervising A&P mechanic does not have to be associated with any organization, does not have to record compensation or lack of compensation for his work, nor maintain any paperwork in relation to the work other than appropriate logbook entries.
