by Pete Schoeninger
Email your questions to Pete@Flymilwaukee.com
Q: My mechanic told me that my airplane engine (Lycoming 160 hp in a 1979 Piper Warrior) is past recommended overhaul time at only 800 hours since overhaul in year 1998. Isn’t he nuts? Everybody knows those engines have a recommended Time Between Overhaul (TBO) of 2000 hours?
A: Your mechanic might be nuts, but he is correct! Both Lycoming and Continental have calendar year recommendations of 12 years between overhauls, in addition to specific hours of service. Do a Google search for Lycoming (or Continental) recommended overhaul periods. This 12-calendar-year recommendation is not mandatory, unless you are operating an air taxi, or airline service. But an old engine with the same amount of hours as an engine with a recent overhaul, is not as desirable, thus worth less!
Q: I recently put $20,000 in avionics into my 182, but I failed to raise hull coverage to reflect this increase in value. I had my airplane insured for a stated value of $50,000. Now, I am sure it would bring at least $60,000. A couple of weeks ago the airplane sustained light hail damage. My mechanic has inspected the airplane and suggests that its airworthiness or safety is not affected at all. I then called my insurance company and an adjuster looked at the airplane. He offered me the stated value hull coverage ($50,000 – $1,000 deductible) = $49,000 to buy the airplane from me. Or, he said he would write me a check for $3,000 for the slight loss in value from the hail pings and I would keep the 182. What would you do?
A: A no-brainer to me, take the $3 grand. Why lose $10 grand on a sale to your adjuster? For your purposes, the airplane will be the same as it was before! Possibly it will be a hair faster. Ask any golf ball!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pete Schoeninger is the aircraft sales manager and appraiser at Gran-Aire, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis. (414-461-3222).