REFLECTOR: Reflector Digest, Vol 94, Issue 18

[Jeff Barnes]

Seconds on getting AOPA legal. Ya never know. Afterall, the FAA isn't happy until you're not happy.  And  I don't think you are obligated to render opinions to the FAA on behalf of the USA fleet of Velocity Aircraft.

Good Luck ! --Jeff Barnes

--- On Sat, 1/12/13, Brooke Wolf <bwolf1 at tds.net> wrote:

From: Brooke Wolf <bwolf1 at tds.net>
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Reflector Digest, Vol 94, Issue 18
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013, 3:12 PM

Man, that is scary stuff Bob!  Might I suggest AOPA legal insurance?  Thankfully, I haven't had to use it so I can't tell you how good it is.  I have used their medical services and it was quite good.  In the medical case it was just a case of AOPA medical knowing which hoops to jump through and how high to jump.  Not a big deal, but it sure saved me a lot of headaches.  I suspect AOPA legal is similar. Both seem quite reasonably priced.  My mantra:  I just fly airplanes….I don't know nothin about no law and medicine!
Brooke
 


From: "Bob Jackson \(Jax Tech\)" <bobj at JaxTechLLC.com>
Subject: REFLECTOR: Velocity MEL (Minimum Equipment List)
Date: January 12, 2013 2:42:59 PM EST
To: "'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Cc: Bob & Ann Jackson <bobj at computer.org>, "Ron Marini \(L3 Comm\)" <Ron.Marini at L-3com.com>
Reply-To: bobj at JaxTechLLC.com, Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>





 
 








I lost an alternator on takeoff returning from KCHS at night,
so I cancelled my IFR clearance and returned to KCHS for the night.  As
the Repairman certificate holder, I inspected and determined on the ground that
the plane was safe for flight (since we have two buses that can be cross-fed, two
batteries and two alternators, each with adequate capacity for all electrical
equipment operation) and flew home from KCHS the next morning on an IFR flight
plan.  A week later I got a call from the FAA in South Carolina
asking if we had a minimum equipment list, and if not, how I got the plane back
from Charleston to Florida without first obtaining ferry permission from the
local FSDO.  He also asked that I send him a statement explaining what
happened along with my license and Repairman’s certificate numbers, which
I did (a two sentence statement).  Apparently, the KCHS tower (or ATC) ‘turned
me in’ when I cancelled my IFR clearance.  Two weeks later I just received a new voicemail from the Charlotte
FAA office – which I haven’t been able to return yet, but that I
suspect is over the same issue.  My questions are: 


 Do any other small planes, Velocity’s,
     or Experimental planes in general ever have MELs?  Do MELs apply to Experimentals? 
 If not, wouldn’t the equipment
     list included in FAR 91.205(d) (‘Instrument and Equipment
     Requirements’) serve essentially as a MEL – which says for IFR
     flight you are required to have ‘a generator or alternator of
     adequate capacity’? 
 Since we included considerable
     redundancy (including dual alternators) in our build, should we have
     created, or should we create now, a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) for our
     plane to cover this type of situation? 
  The Velocity POH that we carry in our plane includes a top
level electrical schematic showing a single alternator.  The original Weight
& Balance sheet we also carry lists oxygen system, two batteries, two
alternators, IFR panel, etc as included in the empty weight for the W&B
calculation.  Does the fact that we originally listed two imply to the FAA
that we must always have TWO alternators now to safely fly (since we don’t
have a MEL)?  We included two alternators in our design just for this
situation -- to give us the redundancy to fly safely with only one
alternator.  But now it seems like we can’t legally utilize it
without asking for a ferry permit!  Does anyone have any suggestions for: 


 Short term – how to
     handle Charlotte FSDO discussion? 
 Long term – should we create
     (and get approved) our own MEL to allow us to fly with less than all the
     equipment we originally designed in? 
  Bob JacksonN2XF  Velocity XL/RG750 hrs 











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