Am I On Candid Camera?

I swear that's what I would be saying if he were still alive. I'm beginning to feel like the joke is on me at school. My flight today was cancelled due to maintenance AGAIN. Have I mentioned that I'm really getting sick of this? Is it a breach of contract when a flight school cannot provide aircraft that are not airworthy on a regular basis? Any attorneys out there with some advice?

I have been cancelled 4 out of the last 5 attempts to fly in one of the crap-weasel Senecas. This has been a continual problem. I really think the multi-students should rally together and stage a walk-out until things improve.

Whoever did the cost/benefit analysis of owning such old, tired aircraft vs. leasing newer equipment must have failed high school business class. They spend more wasted time and money bandaging these planes together than it would cost to lease newer equipment.

Today, we actually made it as far as the hold short line before another problem "popped-up". Here is how today went:

The flight was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. I got to the airport by 9:20 in order to do takeoff calculations, check weather and notams and pre-flight the flying turd. Here is the list of what happened just this morning:

1. Left landing light inop. Maintenance comes out to change it while I finish pre-flight. No big deal, right? WRONG. It wasn't the bulb. It took him 35 minutes to make the light operational.

2. Air filter cover for left engine keeps popping off. Luckily, there was a new one in inventory. Easy fix.

3. Oil leaking from rocker cover on left engine. Loose screw. Easy fix.

4. Hydraulic fluid under right main. After thorough inspection of landing gear and brake lines, no sign of leak. Must have been coincidental parking over a puddle. Hmmm. I pumped the brakes just to make sure and there was not a sign of leaking.

5. Each engine was a quart low on oil.

I finally started the engines nearly 90 minutes late. My instructor then tells me to shut down the right engine, a cowl latch had popped up. When he got back in the flying turd, I told him that I had double checked all latches in pre-flight. He gave me a "whatever" look and I re-started the right engine, did the ICC and we were on our way to the run-up area.

During the feather test, the latch popped again. I instantly felt vindicated, yet pissed off. "Gateway Ground, Flying Turd 80 request taxi back to the Crap Weasel ramp."

We taxied back to the ramp and maintenance again came out to take a look. After much fiddling, he determined that the visibly bent latch spring was "bent" and needed to be replaced. Flight cancelled for me, the next guy and probably the guy after that at least.

I feel for my instructor too, he gets paid by Hobbs time. All of his flights were scheduled to be in the Flying Turd today. He's not going to get paid today. That's really not fair.

I had a heart to heart talk with my admin. rep. Things have to change. Soon. As it stands, no more money until they deserve it. I really wish it was a Candid Camera episode.