Insurance

Bob, the owner of a Cessna 172RG, found himself in an unexpected predicament. Seems he had an unfortunate gear-up landing. The airplane suffered only minimal damage, largely limited to minor belly damage and the outer four inches of the prop tips curled back. The engine had only about 100 hours SMOH at the time of […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, May 2005. The modern dry vacuum pump — when it works — is economical ($200 to $400), low-weight (under three pounds) and capable of high-output operation. The dry pump displaced its traditional competition (venturis and oil-lubricated “wet” pumps) in a matter of only a few years during […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Mar. 2005. Elbow grease, grease the skids, greasy kid’s stuff; grease makes the world go ’round — literally. The earliest forms of grease were various and sundry animal extrusions and leftovers.Today still, numerous organically based greases give excellent service — although their origins are more from lithium […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer, Aug. 2005. For most aircraft owners, dealings with insurance companies will be limited to shopping rates and paying premiums. Not many will file claims for a damaged airplane. But if the worst does happen, does the insurance company hold the upper hand?Generally, yes. Insurers employ claims adjusters and […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Jan. 2005. This article will cover things that cause problems with propeller governor systems and how to diagnose them. Often, governor problems don’t give any warning until something obvious happens, such as the inability to hold selected RPM, the propeller surges or seeks an RPM, or is […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer, May 2005. We like to think we remain instantly abreast of every important development in general aviation and now we’re in possession of a scientific discovery only we can reveal to the world: If you want your phone to ring off the hook, your fax machine to choke […]

General aviation faces many challenges at the beginning of the 21st century. There is increased security and airspace regulation as a result of the war on terror. The recession in the ’90s temporarily slowed the progress of general aviation. As a result, the traditional small- to medium-FBO infrastructure is challenged to survive. Part of this […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Jan. 2005. The basic definition of corrosion is the electrochemical deterioration of metal due to chemical reaction to the surrounding environment. The by-products are powder-like and may be colored from light gray to white to red to black, depending on the metals involved.Corrosion, left unchecked, goes from […]

An aircraft tire is a sophisticated, computer-designed, multi-component product consisting of three major materials: steel, rubber and fabric. Taking this down a level, there are multiple types of nylon and rubber compounds in tire construction, each with its own special properties designed to complete the task assigned. The only thing they have in common with […]

This article will cover brake linings, disc replacement, inspection guidelines and operational tips and techniques for Cleveland/McCauley-type brake systems, the most prevalent in piston, single-engine, GA aircraft. There are also Goodyear-type brakes, which will be covered at another time. It should be noted that repairs to brake systems are not considered “Preventative Maintenance” by FAR […]