SonexBuilders.net

SonexFlight Episode 74 "Second Owner Survival Tips" is available for download!

Non-builder owners of experimental aircraft show a disturbing trend in the accident data, sometimes running into problems within the first few hours or even the flight home with their new airplane. Experience has highlighted many of the common problem areas a second owner may encounter, and we cover some key advice to keep you out of the NTSB database.

http://sonexflight.com/74

Jeff

Thanks Guys,

That was a great podcast!

Having sold a Sonex that I built I could relate to this topic. When it was time to sell, an older gentleman (82 years old) came to look at the airplane. Two of his buddies flew him to Texas from Missouri to look at my AeroVee powered Sonex. I told him all I could think to tell him about the plane. Then I pulled the cowl and discussed FWF. Then he told me that his intent was to fly with his wife off of his private short (I don't remember just how short) grass strip. I told him that I didn't think an AeroVee powered Sonex wasn't a good choice for the mission. He ignored me. I told his buddy I didn't think the Sonex was a good choice for his mission. No effect.

The buyer sent his friends home. I made sure the buyer was set up in a motel and flew with him several times over the next three days explaining the instruments and flight procedures as best I could. I'm not an instructor and so was unwilling to yield the left seat or allow the buyer to land my airplane but did my best to demonstrate pattern work. I also let him "land" the airplane at altitude, complete with flaps. When he declared he was ready to fly back home I helped him with a flight plan that provided a good midpoint fuel stop in Oklahoma and I set up the GPS for him.

I was nervous the day he planed to fly home (I was at work). I called him periodically and finally got an answer. He was at his midpoint fuel stop. Over the phone I heard a guy yelling at him telling him he was leaking fuel. He had shut the engine down with ignition and failed to pull mixture. I reminded him over the phone to pull the red knob.

Commentary: A point about experimental aircraft. I built the airplane with cold air induction. The design left the air filter enclosed by a metal box. Had I not had the foresight to leave a couple of #30 weep holes at the lower aft corners of the air box I don't know what would have happened in the above situation. Even small builder modifications can have unintended consequences. An argument for a thorough inspection and Q and A.

I kept calling, wanting to know he made it home OK. He said that he made it fine but got quite a scare halfway between his fuel stop and home when the Fuel Quantity warning went off. He had forgotten to reset it at his fuel stop. He also said that he flew right past his home strip saying that he was not used to flying that fast. He also wanted to know the size of the snap plugs in the axle hole of the wheel pants. Seems he lost them at the fuel stop. I had never lost them before.

That was the last I heard from the buyer. I heard from the current owner a couple of years latter. He said that when he arrived to inspect the airplane prior to purchase both tires were flat and that it looked like it hadn't flown in a long time. He trailered the plane home to the east coast.

To this day I feel some guilt over selling the airplane to this particular buyer. But... he was insistent and assured me he knew what he was doing.

It's hard to know where the sellers obligation ends and the buyers obligation begins.

Wes

Great podcast guys!

I've talked to or emailed a few Sonex second owners. One thing that always surprises me is that most aren't on the SonexBuilders.net site or in the Facebook group. I think both are a good way to learn more about their new airplane. The two reasons I hear most often: I'm not good at computers and/or I don't have the time.

Hey - I resemble that podcast title..........! :-)

Well I HOPE I came at it a little differently (per my story in the newsletter this spring).

I think they covered the bases.

Now - how do we get the podcast into the hands of potential owners?

--

Wes - you can't feel guilty - except that it must be sad that your hard work didn't fly for a long time. Seller and buyer obligation switcheroo? - technically when the EAA Purchase and Sale Agreement gets signed. Though I have to say my builder was SO forthcoming during the inspection and handover and has been absolutely prepared to answer any questions I have asked down the road. And I was prepared to ask.

I can't wait to listen to the podcast. I fall into that category, and am having Aerovee growing pains. I bought my Waiex in Galveston Tx in '18 and flew it back to southeast Indiana. Somewhere in Missouri one of the secondary coils died, saw some hanger doors open and was hoping I would find help lol. I parked and the only soul there was an old guy mowing the grounds that looked uncle Jessie from Dukes of Hazard. Turns out he was an absolute legend ran me to town for plugs ( I guessed wrong), helped me diagnose the actual problem, the coil, gave me access to his hanger with every tool imaginable, and had an airplane with an identical looking coil that he insisted I could by but could borrow until I got it replaced. Needless to say I returned it promptly with a small gift. The first issue I found was the nose gear steering limit bolt was contacting the turbo compressor, that took some time to solve but in the meantime the turbo core seized. Luckily Sonex released the cooling system design around that time so I installed that along with a new turbo core. Then had an A&P come by to check my work and do the condition inspection. He found #3 exhaust valve wouldn't pass compression (I'm aware that test has flaws) so I pulled the heads and to them to the best VW guy I could find, he said the valves and seats were shot and some of the other were on their way. The cost of the new heads were about $100 more than the repair so I replaced the heads, finished the condition inspection. Last winter I decided to raise the seat 1/2 inch because the trim spring was rubbing the pan.
Just finished the 25 hour re-torque on the heads. Currently trying to make sure the rocker geometry is right. And getting ready for this year's condition inspection.
I did a lot of reading on this site over several months trying to learn as much as possible but compared to someone who spends years building I'm light years behind. I spent almost two days with the builder going over everything but I'm sure I forgot a lot. I try to do my research before I bug him with questions lol. Thanks Jeff for putting out this podcast and for all the other builders and pilots who contribute to this knowledge base.