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Coming out: bought an Arrow!

After a few years of flying club and rented aircraft, I finally managed to get hold of enough money to buy me my own flying machine. Enter Fox Oscar!

Yes, it has a T-tail! I have been told it is much different to fly than other Arrows, but fortunately this is the very first PA-28 I am flying in. So maybe it won’t matter that much for me :-) Anyway, more information on the example: manufactured 1980, formerly PH-SYD, then HA-TNX (see here!) and then S5-DXA. In total it logged just slightly more cycles than hours (~6100h, ~7400 landings).

The last owners did a big interior rebuild along with nice avionics upgrade in 2019. It is equipped with: 3x G5, GTN650 nav/com, GNS430 nav/com, GTX330 mode S transponder, GMA350c audio panel and EDM900 digital engine monitor/totalizer. There is also a legacy ADF and a KN64 DME. The only thing I might sometimes be missing is an autopilot.


I confess I actually got it in July, but didn’t want to do any celebrations before I flew it for the first time. Which happened only on Mar 1st, even though the aircraft was bought with current ARC and was flown from Slovenia to Poland without any issues. Why 8 months? Here is a small flowchart I prepared after all the experience. The orange items took especially long!

I didn’t draw a timeline, but for a rough summary:

  • de-registration: 2 months (!! – forgetting to leave the old CofA by the seller on the day of signing the contract caused alone a delay of 2 weeks)
  • drafting of AMP, formalities for legally doing maintenance work: 1 month
  • work and inspections on aircraft: 2 months (… including a 100h/1 year inspection and ARC inspection)
  • CAA inspector issuing the new CofA on sick leave: 1 month (… to be fair, he offered to pass the case to someone else – but I was advised to refuse it and wait, as this guy, owning a glider himself, is reportedly the most pilot-friendly CAA inspector in Poland)
  • scheduling conflicts and other business in my life getting in way: 1 month
  • other: 1 month

Part of it was in that I wanted the Piper in our club’s CAMO and being serviced by my trusted engineer, who first had to get proper papers to be able to work on the type. Actually these most popular Pipers are not that popular in Poland and it also took me some time to find an experienced FI to teach me how to fly it. Sure a lot of folks got a few hours on PA-28R during their CPL training, but not many here have a detailed knowledge of the type’s quirks and tricks.

Me and Greg the engineer both like to be on the safe side. We did a lot more than was needed by looking directly at the maintenance records. This included a structural inspection and a few items done on general principle that I intend to fly the Fox long term.



The plan now? Familiarize myself! This month I only managed to fly 5 hours / 24 landings.


… and then of course I hope do more trips like Sweden or Corsica

Comparing to the Bonanza, I am missing a few kilograms of useful load (much more than the autopilot!). But on the other hand, most of my long distance flying is with three slim girls on board. And I bet in a few years, when the little girls get bigger, they won’t be so eager to fly with us; that’s how life is, anyway.

By the way, the registration markings and their personification were wholly invented and designed by the family. I thought it is only appropriate to get them involved from the very beginning.

Well, how to sum it up? I still need to mention I am grateful for all advice I was able to get from EuroGA community on the famous “Family 4-seater” problem… And other than that, keep your fingers crossed I don’t break the Fox before the first trip (… or on that trip!) :-)

EPKM, Poland

Congrats for your Arrow !

I recognise Fox Oscar (he works in Orly LFPO airport)

Last Edited by Ibra at 31 Mar 23:00
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Congratulations!

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Congratulations

Can you change the E to U ?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Congratulations! Happy Flying.

LFMD, France

Enjoy!

But yet again, another story of an almost 1-year ordeal for an intra-EASA reg change. Whether partly self-inflicted or not.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Congrats, looks like a neat example to me.
Also well done on the family design, I love it

Many happy hours and enjoyment!

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

almost 1-year ordeal for an intra-EASA reg change

What happened?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

What happened?

It’s in the original post. It took a very long time for the OP to get his plane changed from the previous register to all I’s dotted and ready to fly under the new registration.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Enjoy your new airplane, a nice advantage is that your leading edge on the stabilator will not pick up stones :)

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom
106 Posts
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