C172 PLT FERRIED ACFT TO A MAINT FACILITY WITH A SPECIAL FLT RELEASE APPLICATION THAT HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF BY THE LCL FSDO.

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EARLIER THIS YR; A CLUB C172 WAS DAMAGED IN A LNDG INCIDENT BY A FELLOW CLUB MEMBER. AS THE STORY WAS RELATED TO ME; THE PROP TIPS WERE DAMAGED; BUT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE ACFT BACK TO THE RAMP FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AND SHUT DOWN WITH NO FURTHER DIFFICULTY. THE CLUB IA REMOVED THE ENG AND PROP AND DISCOVERED SOME SKIN DAMAGE ON THE LOWER FIREWALL AND BELLY. THE IA PERFORMED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE INSPECTION ON THE ENG AND SENT THE PROP TO A PROP REPAIR STATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY REINSTALLED THEM. THE CLUB THEN CONTRACTED A REPAIR FACILITY TO PERFORM THE MINOR SHEET METAL REPAIRS. I WAS APCHED TO VOLUNTEER TO FLY THE ACFT UNDER SPECIAL FLT PERMIT. I RECEIVED A THOROUGH BRIEFING FROM THE CLUB AND THE CLUB MGR ON THE MAINT ASPECTS OF THE ACFT. THE CLUB ALSO BRIEFED ME ON AND GAVE ME A SIGNED (BY THE CLUB) FAA FORM 8130-6 FOR A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT; WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN FAXED TO THE LCL FSDO. THE PLANNED OP WOULD BE A SIMPLE 18 NM FLT; WITH THE WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME ALLOWING A NEARLY STRAIGHT-OUT DEP TO A STRAIGHT-IN ARR. BOTH WERE TWRED ARPTS WITH MORE THAN AMPLE RWYS; AND NOTHING BUT FLAT; OPEN AND UNPOPULATED TERRAIN. I WAS HIGHLY FAMILIAR WITH BOTH OF THE AIRFIELDS; THE RTE; AND THE ACFT (PRIOR TO THE PREVIOUS LNDG INCIDENT). HAVING NEVER OPERATED ON A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT BEFORE; TO PREPARE MYSELF AS THOROUGHLY AS POSSIBLE; I CHKED THE FARS FOR ANY APPLICABLE INFO PERTAINING TO THE FLT. I COULD NOT FIND ANY NOTATIONS REGARDING ANY SPECIAL PREPARATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS IN EITHER PART 43 OR PART 91; WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE THE APPLICABLE FARS THAT WOULD PERTAIN TO THIS OP. WITH THE AERO CLUB MGR'S APPROVAL; AND WITH THE IA'S SIGNATURE ON THE FORM 8130-6; WHICH I BELIEVED SERVED AS THE OVER-ARCING MAINT RELEASE FOR THE ACFT FOR THE PROPOSED FLT; I WAS CONVINCED THAT THE FLT COULD BE MADE SAFELY. I FILED; CHKED EVERYTHING AGAIN WITH VIGILANCE; AND RECHKED EVERYTHING AGAIN DURING THE TAXI OUT AND RUN-UP. I COMPLETED THE FLT WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO ISSUES. UPON RETURNING TO THE CLUB ABOUT 1 HR LATER; I WAS MET BY BOTH THE CLUB IA AND THE CLUB MGR WHO TOLD ME THAT THE IA HAD IMPROPERLY RELEASED THE ACFT FOR FLT. HE HAD ONLY FILLED OUT AND FAXED THE 'APPLICATION' FOR A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT; WHICH STILL NEEDED TO BE APPROVED AND SIGNED BY THE LCL FSDO. THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM FALLING INTO THE SAME TRAP IS BETTER PLT EDUCATION ON THE WHOLE PROCESS; OR AT THE VERY LEAST; PUTTING A REF IN THE FAR THAT A PLT WILL REASONABLY BE ABLE TO FIND IF THE SIT WERE TO EVER ARISE.