Maintenance

This article originally appeared in Kitplanes, Dec. 2007. Launching from the softly rippling surface of Lake Seminole in St. Petersburg, Fla., felt slightly like what a stone must feel like after a youngster’s sidearm sling sends it skipping across the water. There’s a little bounce, a slight skip, then another. But, unlike the rock, the […]

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 […]

I last wrote about this subject about 18 months ago (Savvy Aviator #37), but it seems as if jugs are still coming off needlessly, so perhaps it’s time to revisit the subject. Each week, I receive dozens of emails from aircraft owners seeking advice on maintenance. I really enjoy helping fellow aircraft owners, but I […]

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 […]

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 […]