POH C-170a recent actualization?

[juasiel123]

OK first generally speaking unless you buy the manual from Cessna, you are buying a reprint of a Cessna manual. Spruce, Univair and ESSCO sell reprints. What you get is a reprint of what ever revision they have. I doubt if they keep them up to date. For most of us pilots this is good enough for our reference.

But I assume you are using your aircraft for a commercial purpose and have to answer to higher standards. The same would be true here in the US. The mechanics that work on our aircraft are required to have all the manuals and updates available.

So I would recommend that you buy your manuals only from Cessna and then you know what you have, a genuine manual. Since you have already bought some manuals from Spruce you could look at the revision of that manual then call Cessna and buy all the updates. Or to keep things simple and be able to prove the manuals are authentic buy the manual and updates from Cessna. This goes for what ever manuals, maintenance or parts the authorities want you to have.

Ok... so, if a but the parts catalog and maintenance manual directly from cessna, I would still have to buy the updates? or they come updated all ready?... been trying to get some link on cessna support to ask this questions, but not found any.

Juasiel

[GAHorn]

Here's a bit more background that may be helpful:

Aircraft Spruce sells the Univair reprint of the older NON-copyrighted manuals which Cessna produced years ago. (This old, non-copyrighted version, is also the "free" version which is downloadable from MicroTools, online, as well as the version that McCurtain Technologies produces on CD.) They were not updated by Cessna until recently when new FAA regulations required "current revision status" for commercial operators. Cessna, realizing they'd erred when they failed to copyright the original manuals thereby allowing Univair to make reprints without paying royalties or violating copyright laws..... subsequently re-published those manuals with a later "revision" date...and copyrighted the latest versions to prevent a repeat of Univair's actions. Now the FAA (and other certification authorities) require all commercial operators to have the latest revisions. In order to have the latest revisions you must subscribe to a revision updating service. Most people subscribe directly to the manufacturer's service (Cessna, in this case) but there are also other companies who have licensed permission from Cessna to reproduce the latest revisions in microfiche, electronic, CD, digital, etc. methods.

The only meaningful new information in these manuals which pertain to our airplanes are typically "superceded Part numbers" and the only other "new" information are newly issued Service Letters and Bulletins (which most authorities also require commercial operators to comply with, and therefore to either subscribe to revision status...or have a maintenance agreement with a certified repair station who maintains a current set of manuals and related Bulletins. (Similar situations occur with avionics. Avionics shops largest headaches are manuals revision service and their cost. Technically unless an avionics shop maintains the latest revisions of avionics mfr's manuals they cannot make repairs to avionics. This is one reason that Narco eliminated virtually all "field repairs" on their radios...because the small shops could not/did not maintain manual revision status. Narco decided to simplify matters and perform almost all repairs at the factory. Only a few "master" Narco dealers are authorized to perform repairs on Narco equipment. As a result many avionics shops simply choose not to sell Narco equipment since they are not allowed to also service them. If you undertook to make all repairs on your own avionics the authorities would require you to maintain a current revision-status on all avionic manuals, tools, calibration equipment, etc. That is why virtually no one maintains their own avionics any longer. Owners simply take all avionics to a certified repair station who does maintain all that revision status. Similarly, many operators (including commercial operators) will not perform any maintenance on their airplanes....they simply take them to authorized, certified repair stations who maintain manual revision status.)

Back to your problem:
It is most likely that the certification authorities will only accept the "latest" revision and further....in order to continue with compliance.... most operators simply surrender and subscribe to a regular revision-update service....or they enter into a contract with an authorized repair station (such as a Cessna Dealer) for all maintenance.

Bottom line: Cessna is still the "official" provider of current revisions of all Cessna publications.

[juasiel123]

Here's a bit more background that may be helpful:

Aircraft Spruce sells the Univair reprint of the older NON-copyrighted manuals which Cessna produced years ago. (This old, non-copyrighted version, is also the "free" version which is downloadable from MicroTools, online, as well as the version that McCurtain Technologies produces on CD.) They were not updated by Cessna until recently when new FAA regulations required "current revision status" for commercial operators. Cessna, realizing they'd erred when they failed to copyright the original manuals thereby allowing Univair to make reprints without paying royalties or violating copyright laws..... subsequently re-published those manuals with a later "revision" date...and copyrighted the latest versions to prevent a repeat of Univair's actions. Now the FAA (and other certification authorities) require all commercial operators to have the latest revisions. In order to have the latest revisions you must subscribe to a revision updating service. Most people subscribe directly to the manufacturer's service (Cessna, in this case) but there are also other companies who have licensed permission from Cessna to reproduce the latest revisions in microfiche, electronic, CD, digital, etc. methods.

The only meaningful new information in these manuals which pertain to our airplanes are typically "superceded Part numbers" and the only other "new" information are newly issued Service Letters and Bulletins (which most authorities also require commercial operators to comply with, and therefore to either subscribe to revision status...or have a maintenance agreement with a certified repair station who maintains a current set of manuals and related Bulletins. (Similar situations occur with avionics. Avionics shops largest headaches are manuals revision service and their cost. Technically unless an avionics shop maintains the latest revisions of avionics mfr's manuals they cannot make repairs to avionics. This is one reason that Narco eliminated virtually all "field repairs" on their radios...because the small shops could not/did not maintain manual revision status. Narco decided to simplify matters and perform almost all repairs at the factory. Only a few "master" Narco dealers are authorized to perform repairs on Narco equipment. As a result many avionics shops simply choose not to sell Narco equipment since they are not allowed to also service them. If you undertook to make all repairs on your own avionics the authorities would require you to maintain a current revision-status on all avionic manuals, tools, calibration equipment, etc. That is why virtually no one maintains their own avionics any longer. Owners simply take all avionics to a certified repair station who does maintain all that revision status. Similarly, many operators (including commercial operators) will not perform any maintenance on their airplanes....they simply take them to authorized, certified repair stations who maintain manual revision status.)

Back to your problem:
It is most likely that the certification authorities will only accept the "latest" revision and further....in order to continue with compliance.... most operators simply surrender and subscribe to a regular revision-update service....or they enter into a contract with an authorized repair station (such as a Cessna Dealer) for all maintenance.

Bottom line: Cessna is still the "official" provider of current revisions of all Cessna publications.

So, Cessna it it......

Thanks.... Oh,, and I found the link to contact directly Cessna support customer service,,, customercare@cessna.textron.com
but I bet you know this all ready,

Juasiel