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View Full Version : FSDOs, What a Wonderful Group of Guys!



ceweaver
02-26-2010, 07:01 PM
Of course I'm saying that tongue-in-cheek...

I gave my local FSDO a call today about looking over one of the already approved 337's for the Denso Alt. I wanted to see if they would consider approving it for me. To my surprise, they aren't "allowed" to use prior field approvals as a basis of approval anymore because it was getting out of control.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Now my relatively inexpensive and straight-forward alternator upgrade just got more complicated and expensive. No wonder GA is dying a slow painful death!

Oh wait, we can do all the calculations, then submit and they might approve it. Just out of curiousity, what calculations would be required? Of course he told me an STCed alternator was another option...

I'm not a Sparky and pretty much hated my EE class in school so I'll admit that I don't know enough about electricity. Are the STCed installations similar to the Denso installation? Do you need to change any wiring? I was looking forward to a $300 alternator upgrade verses $700 for an STCed version.

Maybe after I've had a little time to think about things and look at my options it'll get better... Oh well, thanks for reading my rant!

Chad

PS - Passed my instrument checkride on the 18th which just happened to be the 14th anniversary of my kidney transplant!

crazyivan
02-26-2010, 07:11 PM
What's getting out of control? Same planes, same modification, same "calculations," and same government agency should provide the same approval. Sometimes bureaucrats forget that they work for us.

I'm sure some of the smart guys on this list will know how to go around this stupidity.

Let us know how this turns out.

Steve Pierce
02-26-2010, 07:38 PM
Chad, Get intimate with these documents and then call them back.
http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=E748AA8119D00C248525734F00766 63A
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/31BED1C77A32C64886256E43006DA997?OpenDocument&Highlight=ac%2043-210
Print these off and have them in your lap when they tell you they can't use a previously approved 337 form as a basis.

b) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Form 337, Major Repair and Alteration, when the specified data has been previously approved as a one-time alteration or repair, is acceptable data that may be used as a basis for developing approved data for subsequent alterations.
When they say "They" won't let us field approve that ask them who "They" are and tell them that 8900.1 CHG 71 Fig. 4-68 doesn't say an STC or engineering is required for this modification. There will be a long silence on the other end of the line. :cool: They will start figuring out real quick that you have done your homework and they better start doing theirs. :eek:

Bob Mac
02-26-2010, 10:12 PM
Some years ago when i tried to do something similar (use a previous 337 for the basis) I was told by an older fellow at the FAA that he would personally have no problem with it but at his office there will be NOBODY willing to do it because tha FAA lawyers have got them all "spooked".

nicka
02-27-2010, 12:11 AM
I'm not sure who you spoke with at the FSDO, a lot of times when you call the local FSDO with a question you may end up speaking with whatever ASI(safety inspector) is available. I don't know if you are an A/P but if you ask a local IA who their PMI(Primary Maintenance Inspector) is they should be able to get this field approval done.

Jeff J
02-28-2010, 06:06 PM
I couldn't get the second link to come up on Steve's post. As stated in Steve's quote, the original 337 would only be allowed as a starting point to develop approved data for a new installation on a different aircraft. Hence the need for calculations and possibly other supporting documents (wiring diagrams?).

The calculations they want is so "they" can see the alternator, regulator and wiring can handle any electrical load changes to the system and any change in the weight and balance as a result of the alteration. Many times just gathering information for a field approval can be much harder and time consuming than the actual work to be performed once approved.
That is the nice thing about STC's, someone else already did the hard work and all you have to do is install it. Of course, people do expect to get paid for their time and effort.

Jeff

Steve Pierce
03-01-2010, 10:16 AM
Jeff, It is working for me now. It was down all weekend but up now. If you can't get it let me know and I will email you a copy.

Jeff J
03-01-2010, 10:54 AM
It's still not working for me. I can't tell what it is from the link so I may already have it though it may or may not be current. It's been a few years since I worked a good field approval but I made a checklist of the things the AC required and when I had it all together I emailed it to the FSDO. Six months later, after several emails, phone calls and writing a flight manual supplement, I was approved to put a 74 inch Sensenich metal prop on my PA-20. :eek:

Just gotta play their game using their rules,
Jeff

Jeff J
03-01-2010, 08:09 PM
The link is working for me now. I already have and it's even the most current version.

51-pa22
03-15-2010, 10:16 AM
I Must watch this one.
getting ready to do it myself.
Steve, would you go internal regulator and external Over Volt or both external regulator with Over Volt
just re-reading the install paperwork for Homer's install on N3506Z in 2005

Again many thanks to all that made this possible
and to Andy for posting
Andy's Classic Aircraft Information
http://home.earthlink.net/~andy2220/id4.html

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