Maintenance

Ive always figured there were two theories of aircraft ownership: the magic carpet school and the ticking time bomb philosophy. The former gets tangled up in the romance and passion of airplanes as a means of justifying virtually any aircraft-related expense, no matter how irrational or how large. The time bomb view, which is what […]

Last weeks massive proposed airworthiness directive aimed at thousands of Engine Components International cylinder assemblies is drawing mixed reactions from engine overhaul shops, according to an AVweb canvass of shops this week. While some say the proposed AD is a kneejerk over reaction, at least one shop told AVweb that the AD is justified, based […]

As part of the Eclipse 550 certification process, Eclipse Aerospace now has available a new “safety enhancement” package offering new or existing owners upgrades from brakes to multifunction displays, plus one “industry first,” the company has announced. According to Eclipse, the addition of autothrottles as part of the new safety package marks a first within […]

Researchers at MIT say they have created a new structure that is “10 times stiffer” than existing ultralight materials, can be easily disassembled and reassembled for maintenance or repair, and is “useful for anything you need to move or put in the air or in space.” The research team says the structure is made by […]

Brent Owens is a professional pilot, RV-8 builder, and former (and current) AVweb podcast subject who has recently found the attention of aviation publications for his written articles and his latest endeavor — a blog dedicated to money-saving tips for pilots. The website, FixedWingBuddha.com, is a collection of articles that detail methods that can help […]

The company is not currently building airplanes, but Mooney had a presence at AirVenture 2013 to recognize the 60-year anniversary of the M20 and two pilots who set records in Mooneys, and to say the company isn’t going anywhere. The company says it is still working to support the roughly 7,000 aircraft it produced that […]

One of the joys of ownership might be an afternoon spent at the hangar, sipping cold ones and shining up the airplane. But the effort might not be enough to protect the paint and other surfaces from long-term damage. Neglected surfaces may be too much to handle. Thats why hiring a professional detailing service can […]

Continentals purchase this week of the assets of Thielert Aircraft Engine GmbH didnt exactly come out of left field. Continental already declared its interest in diesel in 2010, when it announced the TD300 diesel. And that was before China-based AVIC International came into the picture with a necessarily global view, but not one that Continental […]

The assets of Precision Airmotive have been acquired but it will continue under the same name and maintain its production facilities in Marysville, Wash. The company, which makes aircraft fuel injection systems, has been purchased by Turn and Bank Holdings, of North Carolina. Precision Airmotive filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last December citing product liability […]

I’ve been an avionics tech long enough to remember when the extent of new avionics upgrades included a couple of flip-flop Navcomm radios and an audio panel. Even back then, some owners stumbled with otherwise simple switchology. Worse case was a missed radio call. Things have changed. Today’s avionics upgrades usually involve tightly integrated glass […]