Over the Airwaves
Aging rental fleet
There's no question that our lagging economy has taken its toll on general aviation . . . . particularly flight schools.
Dollars, where once available to perform meticulous aircraft maintenance, are now, in many instances, being used for other priorities.
Even worse, a fresh layer of paint is being slapped on those older birds to hide a multitude of sins!
The best thing aircraft renters can do is become "aircraft maintenance savvy." Learn to detect subtle evidences of unsatisfactory aircraft condition. Look for fresh paint over bubbled corrosion. Look for fuel stains as shown in the photo above.
Look for the symptoms of poor aircraft maintenance.
There is nothing wrong or unsafe with older aircraft . . . . IF their owners aggressively attends to its well-being. Signs of an owner's poor attitude toward aircraft maintenance can be seen in shoddy, unclean, or excessively worn cockpit interiors. If a torn seat cover is left in disrepair, it's likely that the owner has ignored other more airworthy issues as well.
Look at the obvious areas for signs of aircraft maintenance neglect. Do a belly check! If you see an accumulation of sticky oil streaming along the aircraft underside, beware. Look for cracks in the wing tips. If they're not drill stopped, it's likely other areas of hidden maintenance issues are lurking about as well.
Partial panels . . . hmmm
In my early days of flying, I used to rent from a small "mom and pop" airport that had a couple of aging Cessna Skyhawks on the rental line. When performing a pre-flight inspection just prior to a planned IFR flight, I noted that the vacuum gauge needle wouldn't move off of its stop, nor would the attitude indicator show any signs of life.
I shut down and went into the rental office and reported the problem to the aircraft owner standing behind the counter. His reply was classic. He said, "Duh . . . what do think partial panel skills are for!" Tragically, he was serious!
A word about newer airplanes
I worked at a flight school once where a colleague instructor told his students that their new airplanes really didn't need a thorough pre-flight inspection!
Fortunately, management "canned" this guy before he did too much more damage to the attitudes of impressionable flight students.
This being said, late model aircraft are just as susceptible to shoddy maintenance as old aircraft. A word to the wise . . .
In summary, we have enough risks to address every time we launch. We do not need to be second-guessing the airworthiness the airplanes we fly. If there is any question about that airplane or the individual who rented it to you, walk away. It's simply not worth the bargain rental rate.