Hi Jeremy,
My Europa is shared by 3 others and I'm principal shareholder, also acting as
treasurer.
What has worked very well for me over many years is the installation
of a Hobbs hour meter. It is activated by a simple oil pressure switch, screwed
into the front of the crankcase in a ready-made threaded hole with blanking
plug adjacent to the oil pressure sender.
The Hobbs meter only runs when the engine is running, to provide oil pressure
which
activates the switch. In my 20 years experience with this device and having
decided that members pay for airborne time only, they are required to record
the Hobbs meter reading at the start and end of each flight. From this gets
subtracted 0.2 hour (12 mins) to allow for warm-up and taxi time out and back.
If the engine is already warm after a previous flight, then only 0.1 hour gets
subtracted for combined taxi out and back. However if an aircraft is based at
an airfield where long taxis and delays are common, then my way of calculating
wouldn't be of much use. In which case it would perhaps be simpler to charge
for the whole period, but perhaps at a slightly lower rate.
I use a modified version of the original combined engine / airframe log sheet
provided
by Europa for pilots to record their flying, which I later transcribe
into the proper engine and airframe logs. I have added columns for Hobbs
readings
and fuel types to be recorded.
The Hobbs meter ensures that accuracy of flight record keeping is maintained and
prevents arguments, such as a pilot believing that he flew 3 hours when he
actually
flew 4, or vice versa. I've even made such mistakes as owner and effective
treasurer; it was only the Hobbs which prevented the errors.
Finally my decades-long career as both a military and then commercial pilot, has
influenced how I log flying. For the engine and airframe log purposes, I record
---From applying full power on the runway for the purpose of taking off until
the end of the after-landing roll on the runway. For my personal logbook I
record
"chock to chock". Historically the difference between these times in my private
flying at a quiet airfield, averages out very well at 0.2 Hour.
If you want a copy of my combined log sheet or further information, you could pm
me.
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http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=472851#472851
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