Bi-annual pitot static, cor. Check

[DGuy]

Where to go in Southern Ontario for a reasonably priced bi-annual pitot static check ?

[NeverBlue]

"reasonably priced" means $400 - $500 without any leaks or errors on a single system at their location. Travel time is extra in most cases unless they can bundle a few together.

Kitchener Aero or Brant Aero...but there'll probably be a wait time so make arrangements soon.

It's getting harder to find places. There used to be a place in London - Trek - but I'm not sure if they still do them or even if they're still open.

Good luck!

[Colonel Sanders]

TC has succeeded in shutting down most
of the AMO's around here. Typical total
cost is around $2000 to fly to someplace
to get it done.

When you figure that most private aircraft
probably fly around 25 hours per year (that
may be optimistic these days), TC thinks
that people should be paying:

$2000 / 2 x 25 = $40 per hour just for the
cost of their 2 year pitot/static test.

Sometimes, you have to wonder precisely
what they are smoking in Tower C.

[azimuthaviation]

Triple post

[azimuthaviation]

TC has succeeded in shutting down most
of the AMO's around here.

Maybe I should set up a shop in Ottawa. Any lots opening up in Smith Falls neighbour?

[azimuthaviation]

Double Post

[iflyforpie]

You mean..... you guys don't just call up Terminal or Centre and ask them to read back the altitudes displayed on the screen?

[NeverBlue]

...there used to be a guy at Boundary Bay that used to do just that...and charge the customer for a 2 year re-cert.

[NeverBlue]

Azimuth,
Southwestern Ontario is in need of an Avionics AMO badly.

I've heard of a maintenance shop that turns literally hundreds of pitot-static recerts away and thousands of ELT recerts away each year because they are not qualified.

Brant and Kitchener Aero just can't handle them all.

[Colonel Sanders]

Southwestern Ontario is in need of an Avionics AMO badly

Same in Eastern Ontario. TC has shut down
all the avionics AMO's. Everyone here spends
the $2000 to go to Quebec for the pitot/static.

Sometimes you have to wonder if TC is even
aware of the existence of private certified
aircraft. I get the impression from TC that
there are commercial ops (which are crippled
with an overdose of regulations) and homebuilts
(which are the wild west where anything goes)
and nothing else.

[kamikaze]

It would be nice to have an Avionics shop in eastern ON ... dunno why the last one didn't survive ...

I'm headed to Lachute for my 24-month tomorrow if the weather is OK ...

I got my last 2 done at Kitchener Aero, and was completely satisfied ... I used the excuse to go for a trip from Ottawa visit some friends/family in that region, but this year I wanted to stick close by ... so Lachute it is.

I don't expect it'll be 2000$ by the time I'm done ... 1000$ at most, including the flying.

[Colonel Sanders]

I didn't know there was a surviving avionics
AMO at Lachute. Everyone here goes to Dorval
which includes NavCan fee, airport fee, etc
which adds up to $2000 when you include transit
costs and HST on all of the above.

[azimuthaviation]

Southwestern Ontario is in need of an Avionics AMO badly.

Didnt two open up in London just a couple years ago?

[photofly]

what about Brant Aero?

[NeverBlue]

It can be a month wait I've heard.

... the Field's are great guys...very knowledgable and trustworthy.
It would be my first choice.

Davwire in London tried it for a while but they've shut down I think.
Trek used to do it but the new owner is not qualified I hear and doesn't have an E on staff.
XU aviation doesn't do avionics

[azimuthaviation]

yeah those were the two I was thinking of Davwire and Trek. I thought I saw Davwires equipment in someone elses shop, I guess they did sell them. Trek didnt seem like it was off to a great start, Im not surprised they didnt last.

[AllanCox]

Trek Aviation in London is still open and doing very well both in the maintenace side as well as the avionics side, we probably do anywhere from 8-10 24 month recertifications a week, we are booking a week in advance right now. The base cost is $400 for the whole package, $150 for an extra altimeter or ADC, of course if there's leaks then there will be extra diagnostic charges. Feel free to give us a call at 519-636-9380 or email us at info@trekaviation.com

[kamikaze]

The shop in Lachute:

http://www.avion-tech.ca/

There's also a couple of AME's and a paint shop.

Here's one of them:

http://aero-fax.com/nos-services/

[cgartly]

What about flying south and having it done in the USA?

TC accepted a FAA bi-annual on an import for me a couple years ago. You just have to be specify you wish to have the "IFR" check done not the "VFR" check irregardless of whether you fly VFR or IFR. TC's requirements match the IFR check in the US as far as I understand it.

Another option is to have your AME pull your Transponder, Encoder & Altimeter and send them away to be certified. You then only need to re-install them and do a static leak check (could be done with surgical tubing).

[azimuthaviation]

You then only need to re-install them and do a static leak check

And pitot leak check and correlation and inspect the entire system

[Colonel Sanders]

If everything has a green tag why would
you need to do a correlation check?

Surely you're not suggesting that the AME's
who signed off the tags are incompetent?

[GyvAir]

You then only need to re-install them and do a static leak check (could be done with surgical tubing).

I'm with AA on this one.
I think you'd find it a little tricky doing the system integration test with nothing but a chunk of surgical tubing. (Or the static leak test for that matter... that would require lifting a slightly higher dollar item from the Dr.'s office during your medical)

[azimuthaviation]

If everything has a green tag why would
you need to do a correlation check?

Because you have to test the aircrafts altitude reporting system. If the components test fine on the bench theyre not very useful if they arent getting power or ground, Gray code lines are broken or air lines are blocked or otherwise malfunctioning.

Plus you have to test them together. The pressure altitude readings from the encoder should match the pressure altitude of the altimeter. I guess thats why they call it a correlation test.

[azimuthaviation]

Now granted if you fly unpressurized aircraft out of uncontrolled airspace in VFR conditions, that probably has little value to you. But if you fly in congested airspace where your TCAS and ATC are getting their data from that system or in a pressurized aircraft where a leak in your static system can cause wild readings as the aircraft climbs and the cabin pressurizes it becomes a little more serious.

[GyvAir]

Speaking of Appendix B, here's a question for the instrument specialists:

A while back there were two AMOs on the same field, both offering altimeter system re-certification.
One would do it in 4 business days and charge $700.
The other would do it same day for only $400.
The difference being, for $700, the altimeters were removed, sent to an instrument shop for re-cert and reinstalled prior to static leak check; at the other shop, for $400, the altimeters never came out of the panel.
(all numbers rough approximations)
Was the $400 shop able to somehow legally meet the requirements of Appendix B with the altimeters never leaving the aircraft?