Maintenance

First, let’s establish the legalities here. Part 43, Appendix A of the FARs deals with preventative maintenance. Of the 30 or so listed preventative maintenance tasks, items 6 and 23 permit aircraft owners who possess at least a private pilot’s certificate or higher to change the oil and filter (or to service the oil screen) […]

You may not know how to tie a safety wire, or you may be convinced you can’t do it unless you’re an A&P mechanic. Legally speaking, you’re on solid ground: The current FAR Part 43 (Appendix A) specifically allows pilots to replace defective safety-wire without apparent limitation (although we urge you not to touch turnbuckles […]

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No one in officialdom seems to be too worried about the security implications of the alleged theft … even as (some) general aviation readies to return to Washington National airport, Sept. 18 (many, many aircraft will still be excluded under extensive regulations). “I would just encourage increased vigilance at the various airports and the companies […]

CS&A Aviation Insurance(This article originally appeared in Aviation Insurance & Risk Management, Summer 2005) where are your aircraft’s maintenance logs? Are they stored at your local FBO or aircraft maintenance shop? Where does your mechanic keep your logs when in his care? Are your logbooks insured? If insured, for what kind of loss? If lost, […]

Odyssey Aviation Publications Thirty-some-odd years ago when I started flying, general aviation had barely reached the age of DME, and RNAV was just beginning to allow some of us to fly straight lines between points. Today, DME is still useful in many applications; but for the most part the avionics we considered mainstream through the […]

Odyssey Aviation Publications There are three issues that confound many potential aircraft purchasers as they are searching for the right aircraft: airframe time, avionics equipment, and engine time. Each can have its own lasting effect on the aircraft that is purchased, leaving the new owner with the potential for higher maintenance bills as well as […]

Cessna Twins Spar Corporation36 Columbia Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735-2606 Tel: 516-847-0002 February 23, 2005 Ms.Mary GradyEditorAVWeb Dear Ms. Grady, Per your request, the following are CTScs comments regarding the spar cracks discovered in two Cessna 402C aircraft. The recently discovered spar problems on two extremely high-time Cessna 402C aircraft used in commuter service indicate that […]

Odyssey Aviation Publications The student pilot was learning to fly in a Piper Cherokee when he saw his first Cessna 310. He decided on the spot that he was going to own one. During a subsequent discussion with friends he was told that if he planned on being a commercial pilot he should skip the […]

I recently had my engine rebuilt and had a new baffle kit installed,” a Cessna T210 owner recently emailed me. “The CHTs for cylinders #5 and #6 are always 20F to 30F hotter than the rest. During climb the difference gets even bigger. Cylinder #5 and #6 CHTs are very difficult to keep below 400F […]