Fair warning: very long post. TLDR (more lessons learned rather than true TLDR) at the bottom.
So it was during the summer, I had finished my PPL a year earlier and after a year of renting and getting my IR(R), I was ready to buy an aircraft or a share in one. Initially after looking to purchase outright and finding it tricky to find a nice aircraft that was on G-reg , a share came up in a 182. Even though the avionics were ancient, it had a new engine and I managed to get a decent price for 1/5 of the aircraft. I also thought five people would not be too large a group, and the availability was excellent. The only thing was the aircraft was involved in a minor accident (where one pilot touched the wheels on top of a truck). After talking to one of the members about this, let’s call him Mike, he said it was one of the other members of the group and that the truck came out of nowhere. I thought well anybody can make a mistake glad it ended well and decided to buy the share. I also thought I can learn something from a bunch of more experienced pilots (I only had about 110 hours).
After joining the group, I discovered from two separate sources that Mike was the one who touched the wheels, he declared mayday during the flight but, even though he was worried that the gear might be damaged (which was evident from the AAIB report from the fact that he had the gear inspected by the tower before landing), he didn’t inform anybody in the group of it having happened. The first the group heard of it was when the AAIB got in touch to tell them to ground the aircraft. The group then decided to inspect the gear thoroughly after the AAIB investigation was complete (the inspection didn’t turn up any damage). This really worried me, not because a mistake was made during flight, but because of the apparent willingness to cover up that there could be an issue with the aircraft.
But anyway I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to cause trouble. I got my old PPL instructor to check me out (I needed differences training for variable pitch prop and five hours with a FI for insurance). Other than a few snags like CHT gauge not working, it otherwise flew well. The group was also thinking of doing a panel upgrade so I suggested an engine monitor (which is great to have on an older carbureted 182 as CHTs can vary significantly between the cylinders and would remove the problem with not having a working CHT gauge which in any event only monitors a single cyllinder).
After my checkout I booked myself in for another flight over the weekend. As I was doing my pre flight the prop looked like it was newly chipped (about half a centimetre or so). Still feeling like a green pilot, I decided to ask my instructor what he thought and he said best to get an engineer to look at it and not to fly it, because the impact of the chip can depend on where exactly it is not just the size, plus it didn’t look super small. I also texted Mike and another group member the picture (as he was the previous person to be flying it). Mike replied telling me the chip has been there for a long time and it’s nothing to worry about.
At this point I knew this was a lie because the chip hadn’t been there last time I flew (I would have noticed). And it looked fresh. So 15-20 minutes later he changed his mind and texted again saying that actually it is new and that he noticed it before his last flight (which was immediately after my checkout flight). So I thought OK so it’s possible either we did it with my instructor or it was Mike. Anyway, I wasn’t looking to pass any blame one way or the other so I didn’t say anything further and decided to go home and stay on the ground.
When I got home I informed the whole group (through an electronic system we employed for this) that there was a chip on the prop and that we should get an engineer to file it out before flying. Unfortunately this infuriated Mike. He rang me and stared literally shouting at me how dare I inform the whole group of the chip. I said I felt it was my duty to let everybody know so they don’t waste their time going to the airport and/or fly with a potentially damaged prop. He said this was not my job and that only he can ground the aircraft. I disagreed and said that I will always inform the group of any potential airworthiness issues because I don’t want to have anybody else’s safety on my conscience. At this point he dropped the phone on me. So I was like fine. I didn’t ring back and went about my usual business. Half an hour later he rings back, initially seemingly in a better mood, but continues pressing me that I should not in the future inform the group of any such issues but instead to inform him exclusively and he will decide what is the right way to proceed. He said I effectively grounded the aircraft by posting it on our official notice board and I had no right to do so. I again said no, I said everybody is their own PIC and can make decisions for themselves but I feel obligated to report it and do not intend to follow this procedure. At this point he started shouting and yelling. I also realized I don’t want to be a part of this group with this kind of an attitude and feeling very angry, I told him that he is a liar and that I know about the fact he was responsible for the aircraft when wheels touched down and that he lied about it, and also that I will not lie or hide facts because he asked me to. Needless to say this made him even more angry and he demanded I apologize etc etc. Anyway, he decided not to speak to me after that (which was a relief). But he did decide to just fly an aircraft to another airfield to have an engineer look at the prop (even though we could have driven the engineer over, I even offered to do so).
In the meantime I decided that I would look into selling the share after summer was over. A few weeks later, another group member, let’s call him John, texts me if I want to go do some flying together. I thought this was a great idea and that I could probably learn something from a more experienced pilot who probably is also familiar with various quirks of the aircraft. So we meet at the airfield at which point we discussed avionics upgrades and I told him the above story. He didn’t take it very well and told me that I was rude and how dare I call Mike a liar, and to get lost (quite literally). I said we are equal members and I have as much right to the aircraft as he does. I also offered to sell my share back to the group (at this point I would be very happy to be rid of it). He didn’t like that, told me it’s down to me to sell it, and walked off.
Anyway I went to have lunch to cool myself down then I decided to go do some flying on my own to get a better feel for the aircraft. I also intended to put the share up for sale end of September. But my main worry was how I could, in good faith, sell my share in a group such as this on to another person. So I knew this was going to be tricky. I thought it would be great if the group was somehow willing to buy me out.
The group had this procedure that people refueled the aircraft after every trip they did. I did about an hour of flying that day and after coming back, and still feeling p*ssed off, I decided not to refuel it. There was about 4.5-5 hours of fuel left in the tanks. The next day John wanted to do some flying (based on flightaware he did about 2 hours). He texted me angrily telling me that he had to wait 2.5 hours in the morning to refuel the aircraft (even though by the looks of it he would have had about a 2-3 hour reserve if he hadn’t refuelled). Anyway he was properly angry and texted that it’s untenable for me to be the member and that they’d like to buy me out. If I don’t agree to be bought out, he said, life would be made difficult for me.
Since I wanted out and knew that I would struggle to sell the share in open market with a straight face, especially if somebody asked me about other members, I was very glad to have received this text and decided to immediately sell the share before they change their mind.
Lessons learned:
PS: Keep in mind this is purely my side of the story. I tried to tell it as neutrally as I am able to, but it is coloured by my perceptions and experiences, particularly in regards to intentions of other group members. I’ve also decided not to disclose personally identifying information about the members of the group, so if you somehow figure out/happen to know which group this is, please try not to disclose. Thanks.
To be honest, it sounds like you did everything wrong. I guess they have a rulebook, be it in written form or not, about how reporting defects should work. Not entirely unlikely that their rules say that all defects must be reported (only) to Mike. Many groups have such rule. If that’s the group rules, you should follow them. Of course, if they are not written down, somebody should have told you when joining.
On the fuel: you are making far too many assumptions here. If the rules say the aircraft shall be returned full, then you should do so.
On why these people so quickly start yelling at a new member, I have no idea. Probably because they are old grumpy farts, as typical for GA.
@Parthurnax I would suggest you have made a very fair account and would agree this is not a friendly group with a good sense of camaraderie and airmanship. Would suggest it is not the standard and most groups are well run.
Presumably the aircraft had a tech log and therefore the propeller damage might have been treated as an A defect?
boscomantico wrote:
Not entirely unlikely that their rules say that all defects must be reported (only) to Mike. Many groups have such rule.
There’s no way I’d have anything to do with a group which had rules like that. Full transparency is the only way, and is expected / insisted upon in both the groups I am part of. Both groups have a designated maintenance / engineering member (in one of them it is me) but that person simply makes the necessary arrangements and does the necessary comms – they don’t exercise any power. If a co-owner has a problem with the aircraft, I want to hear about it and I want it from the horse’s mouth. I don’t want it to be filtered via another member who may decide to keep it to themselves. Who on earth are they to decide whether I am allowed to hear about it or not?
Sounds like there’s some egos, some politics, some personal agendas and perhaps arrogance that exceeds competence in that group. I’d say you’re best out of it.
boscomantico wrote:
If the rules say the aircraft shall be returned full, then you should do so.
Hard to argue with that. The OP wasn’t helping himself on that one.
I learned through harsh experience in my 20s, outside of marriage do not share property with other people. Ownership and the associated responsibilities are otherwise for me an individual endeavor for me, without exception.
I’d say this is standard stuff 
See also “Threads possibly related to this one” below.
Syndicates deliver better affordability, plus somebody else looks after the plane (you hope), and the plane is probably less wrecked than the usual rental stuff, but you are exposed to this kind of stuff because you don’t have 100% control. The main issue is that most syndicate members are looking primarily at what they can get out of the deal.
where one pilot touched the wheels on top of a truck
Anybody who can do that and survives deserves a knighthood; you should consider yourself privileged to be a member of such an elite group
When I got home I informed the whole group (through an electronic system we employed for this) that there was a chip on the prop and that we should get an engineer to file it out before flying. Unfortunately this infuriated Mike. He rang me and stared literally shouting at me how dare I inform the whole group of the chip
I never studied psychology but probably this personality defect would be covered by Class 101 Mike better not go for a full diagnosis; even the PMD option would be excluded under that.
I had something like that once, from a sysadmin of a small but well known forum (one behind a paywall) who was really p1ssed off that I posted that their entire membership database had been indexed by google, because somebody left a public URL to it which google obviously followed…
Silvaire wrote:
I learned through harsh experience in my 20s, outside of marriage do not share property with other people.
Funny. I learned that inside a marriage do not share property (I bought my old house twice for instance )
Graham wrote:
Hard to argue with that. The OP wasn’t helping himself on that one.
Indeed. Although we didn’t have a written rule, it is something other members of the group told me is generally done if possible (sometimes the fuel pump is closed or has run out of fuel in the evenings and there’s little you can do in those cases but otherwise members have generally refueled at the end of each flight), and I agreed to do it. Partially I didn’t do it because I was annoyed and partially because I thought that perhaps they would chuck me out. Thankfully they did. At this point I just wanted out and didn’t think my relationship with the members was salvageable anymore.
Funny. I learned that inside a marriage do not share property (I bought my old house twice for instance)
I also married for the first time in my late 40s, thereby skipping my first marriage and going straight to what for many people would be successful marriage number 2. In the meantime, before marriage, I acquired all the individually owned property I needed then or now. The only thing I own as a shared asset is our house – which I bought after marriage and paid for 100%. That process eliminated a lot of the painful compromises and cash strapped negotiations, while recognizing that marriage is intrinsically a partnership, under contract if you want to look at it that way. Its the only partnership contract I’ll even enter into.
My experience in buying and owning property in a partnership years ago was a nightmare from which it took me eight years to extricate myself. In the end after enduring all kinds of nonsense with my first major investment I got out of it on terms favorable to me, which was somehow poetic justice. I’ve never done it again and never will, and aircraft ownership that requires skill and knowledge to establish trade offs between availability, time and money is the last place I would consider it.
boscomantico wrote:
I guess they have a rulebook, be it in written form or not, about how reporting defects should work. Not entirely unlikely that their rules say that all defects must be reported (only) to Mike
If they do I was never made aware of it. Fwiw, that person (Mike) claimed that they were aware of the defect being there before their previous flight (although he initially claimed it was an old defect). He chose not to inform anybody about it (at least I know for a fact that I was the next person to have a booking and I didn’t wasn’t informed about the defect before my flight, I only discovered it during preflight), and until I brought it up there was seemingly no intention to get it filed out or looked at. In my view I would want to know before I drive myself to the airport and at best, if I am doing my preflight properly, waste my time going there and back and at worst, go flying with a defect.
