Insurance

While there is evidence CorrosionX provides the best protection, ACF-50 also works well. Get it applied by a pro, however, or you’ll be cleaning it up for months. Corrosion is like aging; it does its damage slowly and is easy to overlook-until major systems begin to fail. Unlike aging, we know how to stop corrosion […]

In the Northern Hemisphere many of our airplanes hibernate in their hangars sometime between November and March, maybe even longer depending on how far north we live. Oh, we probably pay them a monthly visit and run the engines a bit so we keep them at least minimally lubricated. But our faithful aerial steeds typically […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Sep. 2007. Spark plugs. Those pricey little fire-starters screwed into each cylinder can tell you much about the health of your engine and perhaps about your operating technique. Like anything else, learning to remove, read and reinstall spark plugs takes some knowledge and practice, but it’s something […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer magazine, Nov. 2007. Let’s say you need a part for your airplane — not a maintenance item like a Brackett foam filter or a spin-on oil filter, but something more exotic, say an elevator trim tab or a new wingtip. The immediate impulse is to order it new […]

This article appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Oct. 2008. The most important reason to have a multi-probe engine-diagnostic system is the in-flight diagnostic capability that such a system brings. If the pilot knows and understands the system, a multi-probe cylinder head temperature/exhaust gas temperature (CHT/EGT) system can serve as an unparalleled “early warning” device, pinpointing […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer magazine, May 2007. Utilitarian to the core, we aren’t impressed by flashy instrument-panel work. And by this, we mean panels decked out in custom colors and patterns that blend with a pricey leather interior and a toney exterior paint job. But we’re not crazy about the 1970s-style Royalite […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Dec. 2005. Aircraft starting batteries have a tough life; much more so than their automotive counterparts. They are left idle for days or even weeks at a time, then asked to start a 500 cubic-inch engine in cold weather with three gallons of oil the consistency of […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer magazine, Oct. 2007. The emerging Light Sport Aircraft market has ignited new interest in airplanes at the $100,000 price point and below. Most of these airplanes are composites, but buyers not interested in spending that much are looking hard at older LSA-compliant taildraggers — Cubs and Champs, for […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Apr. 2005. Attitudes about annual inspections vary widely. Some like to get right in there and do the owner-assist thing. (We hope most LPM readers fall into this category.) Others either won’t or can’t participate in their annual, and instead hand over the keys and maybe a […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Jul. 2005. The following article is done in a question-and-answer format to cover some of the most common questions and misunderstandings concerning aircraft and lubrication. This represents only but a few of the many questions I am asked about when I meet people and they find out […]