Maintenance

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Cessna Owner and Pipers Magazines. My wife, Kate, has been taking flying lessons on-and-off for a few years now. She’s been taking every opportunity to practice, so was up and out at the airport bright and early one Sunday while yours truly slept in.When the phone rang, I […]

This article appeared in the February 2002 edition of Aviation Safety and is reprinted here by permission. For most owners, airplane maintenance is a pit of quicksand. If you plunge in, it’s easy to get in over your head. But if you stay out, mechanical problems can accumulate until dispatch reliability and safety are severely […]

In the mid-1980s, my father-in-law Harry became the proud owner of his first diesel-powered pickup truck. A Michigan camping enthusiast, he was certain his new engine would not only out-perform any engine he’d ever owned, but it would last him forever.Harry decided to use oil analysis to ensure he’d know about any potential problems in […]

This article appeared in the April, 2002 edition of Aviation Consumer and is reprinted here by permission. Any aircraft owner who expects the experience to be one slam dunk after another can be certain of only one thing: disappointment. Nothing about owning an airplane is a sure thing, least of all maintenance decisions.And topping the […]

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Cessna Owner and Pipers Magazines. “It was apparent that a propeller was simply an aeroplane travelling in a spiral course. As we could calculate the effect of an aeroplane travelling in a straight course, why should we not be able to calculate the effect of one travelling in […]

This article originally appeared in the February 2001 issue of Light Plane Maintenance, and is reprinted here by permission. The day has come. It’s finally time to overhaul that engine. Or maybe it’s just a top overhaul. Either way, it’s a not-so-often event and there’s slight fear and a little anxiety.There is no shortage of […]

As mentioned in the May 2003 issue of Light Plane Maintenance, AVweb has obtained a PowerPoint presentation created by Advanced Pilot Seminars to describe the leaning procedure they teach in their classes.To view the presentation, click on the following link, and the presentation will either open in its own browser window, or you will be […]

This article originally appeared in the November 2001 issue of Light Plane Maintenance, and is reprinted here by permission. First, we want you to understand that timing magnetos doesn’t fall under the heading of “preventive maintenance.” For certificated aircraft, this is A&P country — especially if the magnetos are to be removed from the engine.However, […]

This article originally appeared in the June 2002 issue of Light Plane Maintenance, and is reprinted here by permission. One of the biggest recurring headaches for the light aircraft owner and mechanic is that of exhaust manifold leaks. With the majority of aircraft in the general aviation fleet exceeding 30 years old, problems with exhaust […]