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ShawnM

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Everything posted by ShawnM

  1. Nope, dont know him and never met him in Sebring or anywhere else for that matter. You would think that a rep from the manufacturer would maybe introduce himself in his very first post instead of poking fun at another member but that's just me.
  2. Dear "new confused member", Welcome Josh and you are correct, this is first and foremost a SportCruiser forum. In fact it's everything SportCruiser AND then some. But we also welcome the "outsiders" because we feel sorry for them that they DON'T own a SportCruiser. They had to SETTLE for something less. They are already envious that we own SportCruisers, they come here to make themselves feel better and we didn't want to kick them when they were down. It's just not right. So we let anyone join to lift their spirits. Even Bristell and CT owners. All kidding aside, this forum is for any aviation enthusiast no matter what you own but of course we generally talk about in ins and outs of SportCruisers. But there is also other info on other aircraft on this forum. It's a wealth of information that's priceless. Are you an owner, future owner or are you one of those "outsiders" that we just let in? Welcome to our forum Josh.
  3. Can I assume that the main reason for the conversion is to do your own maintenance and not because your worried about getting a LOA/MRA for some changes? I have talked with Lou and he tells me that getting a LOA/MRA for a Bristell is routine and takes about a week. What a concept, a LSA company that issues LOA's/MRA's in a timely fashion. Sorry, many of you know I had to throw that one in there.
  4. It’s not difficult at all Harold. You just have to find a DAR in your area with the specific ability to do the conversion. Not all DAR’s are created equal.. It's a thorough inspection of the plane, logbooks and some paperwork, oh and money. Once completed you need to change a few of your interior placards and add the “experimental “ placard. Be glad to talk with you more about it if you like..
  5. Welcome Harold, sounds like you’re living the dream.
  6. Thanks for the response Izzy. I will admit that this is a valid concern and possibly an isolated situation with one particular manufacturer. Cubcrafters stated that the original requester will "eat the cost" of the initial MRA request and the number 2 guy will get it basically for free. So can you request the first ADS-B MRA from CSA? The last thing this forum needs is another uproar! (you know I can start one if you like, I'm getting rather good at it) I just posted this info from Cubcrafters so others could see how their process works and that it's an easy, online request. Will it really take 30 hours? Will it really cost $100 and hour? Maybe a very complex request might take time but simple equipment upgrades might not. In my research so far of the 25 manufacturers on my list no LOA/MRA has cost more than $150. This data/figure has come from the requester (aircraft owner) of the LOA/MRA. I have asked a survey question on a couple of aviation forums and have received a lot of responses from various owners. The longest time needed so far was from Pipistrel-USA and their LOA/MRA can take up to 3 weeks, but they will issue them. That's the longest one. My real point to my post is the fact that other manufacturers offer MRA's and it's a streamlined and online request process that any owner can do. Another point is that the manufacturer responds and processes the requests and returns an approval/rejection with an estimate within 48 hours of submission. CSA never even responded to me, this is why I chose to keep this topic alive and hammer away at CSA for their lack of customer support in my case. How would you feel if you were me? The real truth is that I honestly dont expect CSA to ever issue another LOA/MRA for the legacy fleet, or any SportCruiser for that matter. Could I be wrong, sure, it's happened a few times. Obviously I'm certainly ok with this decision because I'm out from under their control now since I'm E-LSA. I just know how frustrating and disappointing the whole situation was for me and that many other owners on this forum feel the same way. I know this topic has been beat to death (by me) but I feel it's a valid concern for those shopping around for a LSA aircraft and to anyone considering purchasing a SportCruiser. I think they should be informed, good or bad. No? The good you ask, I love my SportCruiser, it's an amazing airplane. Even my antique 2007, now that it has some amazing upgrades.
  7. Thanks Dave, I guess I should have been a bit more specific about the "dual" band receivers. I just assumed that they are now all dual band receivers. I forgot that the early units were not. I've only ever had a dual band receiver with my GDL-39 3D. We can always count on your for the "details". As far as the terrain, I also forget that there are "hilly" place outside Florida. Hell, I forget there are even "places" outside Florida. With all the snow birds here now I think the entire country is here driving on our roads. Not to mention all those damn Canadians that are here. I can't drive a mile without seeing a Canadian license plate. Luckily here in Florida I get ADS-B coverage in the pattern at my airport but that's no time to be staring at my Aera 660 looking for traffic, eyes outside and fly the plane. There could be a King Air on short final.
  8. That's the point, there is no LOA for the scenario we are talking about. It's not needed. Here's a hypothetical for you...... I own a 2007 SportCruiser with a Garmin 396 and I want to install a Garmin 696. Let's say the factory started installing 696 units in 2010 (I dont know the exact year they started). So now the Garmin 696 is in the IPC (Illustrated Parts Catalog), there are directions in the maintenance manual for installation and service and there is a wiring diagram in the Airplane Wiring Manual. Any owner of a early SportCruiser who wants to install a 696 DOES NOT need a LOA or MRA. The item is approved by the factory and completely documented by the factory. If there is an incident/accident and the plane in question is investigated by the NTSB all the equipment in the plane is allowed by the factory BECAUSE it's listed in all the manuals. This makes the equipment "proper and approved". All you need is a logbook entry. Why does the factory need to know which aircraft have alterations? It's technically not an alteration because the factory is installing the same units in the newer fleet. I really think you are missing the point. If you install equipment that's NOT in the IPC or maintenance manual THEN that is an alteration that's NOT approved by the manufacturer. I know that's obvious. The more I research the ASTM standards about repairs/alterations, I learn that an actual "LOA" is the "lazy man's" way of circumventing the actual MRA that is legally required by ASTM standards. No where in the ASTM F37 standards is the word LOA mentioned. Technically and legally a MRA (major repair / alteration) is required. You should know this being the owner of a Flight Design aircraft having made changes to your own plane. Flight Design uses the form. They do not call it a LOA nor is that term mentioned anywhere in the document. Van's uses the MRA form, CubCrafters uses the form. The MRA standards were actually just rewritten last year, voted in by the ASTM F37 committee in October of last year and should be applicable this year. I'm really not making this stuff up or just spouting out "stuff I read on the internet" about LOA's and MRA's. I have been having real conversations with actual committee members of the ASTM F37 board who actually write the rule of law for light sport aircraft. They all work for various manufacturers and consulting companies. One works at Van's Aircraft, another at Terrafugia (the flying car company) and another for Streamline Designs (a consulting company). Adam at Streamline Designs is actually the committee chairman. Who better to give me the proper answers? Don't take my word for it, do the research and study the ASTM F37 standards. Research F2483 in regards to maintenance manuals, F2245 that covers design standards or F2295 that covers COS (continued operational safety monitoring). There is an enormous amount of data out there waiting to be read, ask me how I know.
  9. I also talked with Lou at Bristell Aircraft. He's on my list of manufacturers that I'm questioning about the issuance of a LOA's/MRA's. He stated the exact same thing to me word for word in his response to my email asking if Bristell will issues LOA/MRA's for changes. To quote Lou from his email: BRM Aero, Milan Bristela routinely supplies an LOA in about one week. Once the factory installs a new radio in a new S-LSA, any owner can install that radio in his plane without an LOA. Regards, Lou Mancuso, "The Landing Doctor" Once the factory installs the part it's fair game for any owner to do the same without a LOA/MRA.
  10. This is not EXACTLY true Dave. If your plane is equipped with ADS-0B IN and OUT you will see: all traffic equipped with ADS-B OUT of course all traffic with a transponder only since they produce a response when being interrogated by air traffic control radar and this data is then sent back out to the ADS-B ground towers and then sent to your ABS-B IN equipped aircraft all traffic without a transponder if they are in line of sight to ground based radar, if you can be seen by any ground based radar then your position will be sent out also I agree time is ticking for the legacy group. I for one would vote for the Garmin GDL-82. It's Garmin, need I say anymore?
  11. I've been researching my list of 25 LSA manufacturers (of course there are more but this is a list I compiled from the Sebring show) and the issuance of LOA's since Sebring and it's near complete. I'm actually submitting the list to Joe Norris at EAA also. EAA requested LSA owners contact them and report thier experiences with their respective LSA manufacturer in regards to LOA's for repairs and upgrades. Currently the one that stands out the most is Cubcrafters. This is their procedure for a LOA/MRA request: The Owner Support section of the website now contains a document called the LSA Major Repair and/or Alteration (MRA) Request Form and can be found here. This document has been created to help handle the flow of change requests in a more timely and organized fashion. Our goal is to process the requests and return an approval/rejection with an estimate within 48 hours of submission.The request form is designed to give us all the information we need in order to determine if the requested changes can be made on your aircraft, while still maintaining design and performance specifications. Information required in the form includes: Owner name and address Aircraft make, model, serial number, and N-number Airframe/Powerplant/Propeller manufacturer, type/model, serial number, total time since new, and total time since overhaul Current weight and balance Any previously installed MRA's, service instructions, etc. A copy of the current equipment list Requested changes While many changes to an aircraft seem simple and may only require the minimum hour of work, others will require more research and time. Since changes and improvements to the manufactured aircraft are taking place on an ongoing basis, as well as the reality of aircraft equipment options, no two aircraft are exactly alike. With regards to MRA's, this means that a change that may be a simple remove and replace on one aircraft may involve modification of another, or may not even be possible.One of the largest issues with modifications is staying under aircraft empty weight limits. By providing an MRA, we are vouching that these changes will still keep in the aircraft within LSA specifications. With so many aircraft being produced near the limits of empty weight, keep this in mind when considering a request.The lower half of the form includes the estimate, approval, and payment options. The process for providing an MRA will be as follows: Print MRA request form from website and fill out the entire first page Send it to CubCrafters for evaluation MRA is either denied or approved Denied - Justification will be provided and owner/customer notified (end of process) Approved - Hour/cost estimate will be determined (proceed below) Estimate sent to customer for approval Estimate accepted and payment made to CubCrafters MRA will be put into queue and sent out to customer upon completion Until we can get an interactive form on the website, feel free to email the first page's worth of information to CubCrafters, and we can fill the form out here and do the evaluation. Once the MRA is complete it will be mailed out, and a digital version will be emailed also if requested. You will also notice that hourly price has been set to $100.There will be some instances where an MRA has already been performed and can basically be copied for future aircraft. In these cases, the minimum amount of time billed will be one hour ($100) to cover overhead costs. This means that the initial requester has to "eat the cost" of the work beyond one hour in creating the original MRA. Please understand that CubCrafters is not trying to make money off of MRAs, but is trying to recover costs in what is steadily becoming a larger portion of our responsibility as the manufacturer; fleet maintenance.I apologize for the long post, but will continue to try and answer questions before they need to be asked. Feel to post any questions and comments. Thank you.Adam Sloon - EngineeringCubCrafters What a welcomed breath of fresh air this would be. Why can't all manufacturers adopt this same procedure for LOA's and or MRA's? Seems like they have the procedure nearly perfected.
  12. This was brought up many years ago in another topic. An aviation attorney stated that if the part you want to install is in the IPC and the Maintenance Manual (showing removal and installation procedure) then it's already approved by the manufacturer and no LOA is needed. It states in the maintenance manual who can perform the work and if that person performs the work then only a log entry is needed for the swap (or install). You would not need a LOA or MRA or anything else from the manufacturer because they have already "approved" it's install as the item is in the newer fleet. Since the "part" is already in the newer fleet there are install and maintenance procedures already laid out in the manuals. If the part is electronic then there is already a wiring diagram available as well. What more could the factory provide for you? It's already been done.
  13. Welcome Tom, my first question would be.....are you interested in adopting any more sons? My second question is are you looking for new or used? If used, the best thing you could do is convert it to E-LSA if you want to make any changes because LOA's from CSA are like unicorns and bigfoot, you'll never seen one in your lifetime. If your buying new then there's not much to upgrade or change or need for LOA's. You could then convert it a few years down the road when you are ready to make changes, remember there's no such thing as a unicorn.....or a LOA. That being said and to answer your basic question, in my opinion with a used SportCruiser the answer is no it won't affect the value. In my case I feel it increased the value because of the many improvements I've made. I also believe that my 2007 SportCruiser is far better AND SAFER than it's S-LSA counterpart of the same year or even a little newer because I have so many upgrades and improvement. One thing though, be sure to be very thorough and detailed with your logs. But something tells me you probably already know this. Some will tell you that you are limiting your buyers market but again I dont think this is the case. Again, the freedom you get with experimental is priceless and many, many buyers see this. A S-LSA converted to E-LSA is really the best of both worlds. It's factory built so you dont have to worry "did the builder do a good job?" Of course they did, it was built by the factory silly. I dont see any disadvantages at all in converting to E-LSA. I've seen your old Velocity many times at various shows and I've had a demo ride at the factory in a XL with a friend from upstate New York who is interested in buying one. The attempt to stall it was amazing, and I do mean ATTEMPT because it just won't stall. Just my 2¢ and once again welcome to our little corner of the web.
  14. Hi Dan and welcome to the forum. The Ducati regulator is prone to failure and will probably continue to happen. It's "built in" to the Ducati. Before we start yet another topic on the regulator I would ask that you start reading this topic. Click the image. Posts and discussions on this topic have been beat to death on this forum. If you do a search for "Ducati" you'll have enough reading to last you to Christmas.
  15. I wish you all the luck with this. I did just that, all their work for them, and got nothing. If the tide is changing as CSA then maybe you'll see different results. It's sort of putting the cart before the horse with the wiring modifications you did and then asking for an LOA. I'm sure there are some are screaming "you legally can't do that", but it's done right? And thanks for the details as to what you did and how you accomplished your ADS-B out. I remember the GTX-328 (european version of he 327) in the Remos I first trained in. I wouldn't think the 330 to 330ES would require an LOA since it is still the same equipment, but the wiring is another story. I am aware of the configuration of the transponder, I went through almost all the same when I installed the 327 in my plane. I had to configure it to accept the altitude encoder data from the Dynon D-100, the GPS data from my Aera 660 and also ran the extra RS-232 data out for my ADS-B box. My old transponder had a parallel grey code converter that I was able to remove when I installed the 327. It was the same for the GTR-200 COM I installed also. Data from the Aera 660 had to be fed into it and configured. All those Garmin gadgets have huge configuration menus to navigate and setup properly. They are not "plug and play". Once configured they are AWESOME. All that said, I'm glad you got what you needed in the end and the rebate is on the way. I'm working on my ADS-B out right now, The GDL-82 with my GTX-327. I hope I get the response of "the check is in the mail" one day soon.
  16. Exterior Placards and N Number View File This is a zip file that contains the exterior placards and 12" N number in an Adobe Illustrator file format for your local vinyl shop to cut and/or print and cut. All the placards have a drop shadow so they can be made in your two trim colors. The N number is also 2 color but with an outline as it is easier to read. The default colors are black and red to easily see the distinction. Simply change the font colors and drop shadow or outline to your trim colors and have them cut or printed. Submitter ShawnM Submitted 02/29/2016 Category Other Downloads
  17. SportCruiser W&B Spreadsheet for iPad Mini - View File This is my custom variation of the W&B spreadsheet on the US Sport Aircraft website. I have edited that version to include the landing CG and also format it to fit on the iPad mini. This Excel spreadsheet specific for the SportCruiser. Again, the layout and size is also specific for the iPad mini using the Microsoft Excel free app that can be found in the app store. Here is a link to the free app. The app is free and you do not need to register or sign in to any Microsoft account to use it. Once you unzip the spreadsheet you can upload it to your Apple iCloud Drive and access it directly from the Excel app. Once you open the app, click on the View tab and turn off "Formula Bar" and "Grid Lines". Then click More Options and uncheck "Headings". This will maximize the screen size and layout and make the spreadsheet very easy to read and use. To enter data simply double click any of the green boxes and enter your data. The other cells on both sheets are locked to prevent any errors. There is no password for the sheets so you can unlock and modify if you need to in the Excel desktop software. If you have any questions or find any errors please let me know. I also have a PiperSport version, email if you want that version instead. Submitter ShawnM Submitted 09/21/2015 Category Other Downloads
  18. Shawn's SportCruiser Checklist (custom) View File This is my custom SportCruiser checklist. This is for a Dynon legacy glass panel but can easily be modified to any SportCruiser. It's a Word document and easily editable. It is formatted for my printer but can also be formatted for yours. Meaning, when tri-folded the front and back vertical lines will line up. After it's folded I simply trim off the excess so it can be folded backwards or forwards so the page I need is facing front. When tri-folded it easily fits in the center console. It will also fit on any kneepad if you use one. I then save it as a PDF and upload it to Adobe Acrobat on my iPhone and iPad so I always have a backup on hand if needed. I also upload a copy to ForeFlight's "documents" section. If you have any questions or find any errors please let me know. Submitter ShawnM Submitted 01/07/2018 Category Checklist Examples
  19. Upon further research I see from the FAA registry you own a 2008 SportCruiser. I also see that you have the GNS-430. Can we assume it's the non-WAAS version? Here’s a link to the FAA ADS-B website that may answer more questions you might have on the rebate and eligibility. https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/ The 330ES can only use the 400W or 500W series GPS for it’s “certified “ position source according to their rules. The cost to upgrade a non WAAS unit to WAAS is $3995 MSRP from Garmin. On top of the 330 to 330ES upgrade which is $1300 MSRP. Again, I can't imagine a LOA is needed to "upgrade" your existing equipment to become 2020 compliant. It'll still be the same equipment as installed by the manufacturer. It'll just be pricey that's all. Just food for thought.......
  20. Funny, I didn't think the factory was doing LOA's for ANYTHING! Sorry I couldn't resist the temptation. As for your questions for ADS-B, Oh if it were only that easy. A couple of things dbonnar.....(what year is your SportCruiser?) A GTX-330ES alone does not make you 2020 compliant. Even if you did the 330 to 330ES upgrade you still need a WAAS GPS position source to be 2020 compliant, do you have one? You would need a WAAS 430 or 530 or ANY other WAAS position source to feed that into the 330. You cannot use a 696 or 796 for your position source if this is what came in your plane. Upgrading your 330 to 330ES does qualify for the rebate. This is one of a few exceptions they are making. But without a position source you are not compliant. Also the installation must occur after the rebate reservation system was opened on September 19, 2016. I also wouldn't think you'd need a LOA for a software upgrade since you'll still have a GTX-330 as your transponder. You can still use your Stratus for IN as that isn't a requirement for the 2020 mandate, you're only required to have OUT. I hope this answered some of your questions and will point you in the right direction.
  21. I did just that this morning. Beautiful morning for a local flight. Thanks for looking into this Dave.
  22. Thanks Dave for looking into this. I'm sure it's a simple fix but wanted to make you aware. The download link may be pointing to an old location since the latest upgrade we had.
  23. I'm having an issue today, 9/25/17, with downloading files from the forum. Can anyone else download any of the files or do you get an error? I need to update two of my files and wanted to download the version I have online but can't. In fact I can't download ANY of the files online. I sent a message to Dave to let him know.
  24. I guess I didn't read the "fine" print that stated that you had to be a resident of Texas to win the raffle. Congrats Beachcomber. You'll love the GDL unit and what it can do. Having weather while in route is the best!.
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