Inspections

We offer about any inspection you would like performed on your aircraft. There are a few that we contract out, such as crankshaft inspections after a prop strike, due to the fact that we cannot compete financially or technically with the engine specialty shops The most common inspections we perform for our customers are Annual and Pre-purchase inspections. Barron Aviation has developed one of the most comprehensive inspection checklists (required by CFR’s) for the Cessna 190/195 airplanes. Unfortunately we cannot post it for liability reasons. What we do need to post is our guidelines pertaining to each of these inspections. The following documents are essentially statements of the policies and procedures we set for ourselves, posted here for you to view.

An annual or 100 hour inspection is not just a costly inconvenience imposed on aircraft owners. These inspections have detected and avoided several hazardous situations in our shop alone. We take our job and safety very seriously. With this in mind, we feel our annual inspections are second to none. We have developed a very complete inspection checklist that is specifically for the Cessna 190/195 series of airplanes. With this checklist we also comply with every Airworthiness Directive and Service Bulletin regardless of the aircraft serial number. This is very important! These airplanes have had so many components exchanged from plane to plane through the last 50 plus years that the serial number separations are no longer reliable. We have found many Cessna 195’s flying around with AD’s not complied with. One of these had not had the rudder pulleys upgraded or the cables inspected – ever. That AD was issued in 1950!

Some things we need to say right up front. We have to operate absolutely within the FAA rules and regulations. Two areas specifically need to be addressed. The first is that whatever equipment is installed in an aircraft must be operational. If it is not, it must be repaired, removed, or placarded, as appropriate. The second issue is that of previously installed equipment or modifications not being approved (legal). It is the responsibility of the Authorized Inspector to account for the entire aircraft to not only be in an airworthy condition but also in compliance with all CFR’s.

As an added service we can do a complete aircraft records inspection as well as retrieve the necessary documents from the FAA to make sure you are not flying in FAA violation. Aircraft maintenance records are one of the things we have received much praise for, both from our customers as well as the FAA.

Any propeller strike or sudden stopage requires an inspection of the engine’s “bottom end” (a teardown inspection involving the crankshaft, case and connecting rods). With the Jacobs engines the main concern is that the two piece crankshaft may have shifted and is no longer properly aligned. The secondary concerns are damage to the case or link rods. A couple of considerations with this inspection are whether the engine may be nearing time for a top overhaul or major overhaul. If either is needed, this would be the time to do either of these.

For aircraft that have never been issued a United States Civilian Airworthiness Certificate, or need this inspection for any reason, we can prepare the necessary support data and documentation. With this we can coordinate with the FAA or Designee to complete this process easily.

BARRON AVIATION LLC PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION GUIDELINES

Performing pre-purchase inspections is a very good investment based on what we have seen in the past. There are some very costly discrepancies that can exist with 50+-year-old airplanes. There is nothing that cannot be fixed, however, it is always good to know what an aircraft is and is not prior to paying the purchase price.

Being the one who performs the inspection is a very good way to end up with someone un-happy with your service. To help avoid this situation we have elected to describe what we will and will not do as well as what we can and cannot do in this guide.

What we will do:

A pre-purchase inspection as brief or thorough (up to annual inspection criteria and beyond) as you would like.
All inspections conducted and their results will be documented in a report for whoever has hired us to do the inspection.
We will start with the most common and expensive problem areas first so if a problem is discovered that precludes the purchase of the aircraft, you will not have to pay for other inspections you do not need.
If you do elect to purchase the aircraft, and would like the inspections applied to an “Annual” inspection, we will do this provided the aircraft has not left our shop.

What we will not do:

No written inspection report will be supplied to anyone other than the person hiring us to do the inspection.
We will not be influenced by either party (the seller or prospective buyer) as to the outcome of the pre-purchase inspection or any part thereof. The inspection will be conducted in accordance with Barron Aviation’s inspection criteria and reported in accordance with our standards.

What we can do:

We can report on the general condition of the aircraft pertaining to such things as corrosion, hoses, fuel bladders, wiring, etc.
We can perform many additional specific and detailed inspections and checks, however most of these are not worth the costs unless the item or area is suspect for some reason.

What we cannot do:

We cannot forecast the condition of any component of the aircraft. For example, if the aircraft has been recently stripped and painted without all of the stripper being removed and neutralized between the lapped metal structures of the airframe, the resulting corrosion may not become externally visible for some time.
The following listed items are either not covered in a standard inspection or are nearly impossible to determine:
- Internal engine, prop and accessory component condition including #4 link rod
- Fresh residual paint stripper not removed and/or neutralized from skin seams (not yet producing visible corrosion salts).
- Any forms of corrosion that are hidden with no visible signs such as early development of intergranular corrosion.
- Fuel bay corrosion and bladder condition
- Internal gear leg flaws and inclusions.
- Avionics and equipment condition and function.

All of the above areas can be determined with the proper inspections and are available at an hourly charge.

Throughout this process our goal is to have all parties involved and informed every step of the way. We have found that, when needed, there are usually good solutions found that are fair to both parties when everyone is involved. We work very hard at keeping everyone informed and involved with any work we do. We think you have made a wise choice in having pre-purchase inspection performed prior to writing a large check. Our goal is for everyone to have the positive experiences we have so enjoyed with these fantastic planes!

Sincerely,

Michael Barron – President