Maintenance

This article originally appeared in the June 2002 issue of Light Plane Maintenance, and is reprinted here by permission. Oil temp running too high? Troubleshooting the problem isn’t very difficult to do. For example, there you are, cruising along on a nice sunny day, when suddenly you notice your oil temperature gauge has developed a […]

AVweb’s John Deakin has been studying, testing, and teaching about piston engines for a long time. This list is a collection of all his Pelican’s Perch columns related to piston engines. Pelican’s Perch #7:Run That Fuel Tank Dry! Pelican’s Perch #8:Go Ahead, Abuse Your Engine! Pelican’s Perch #15:Manifold Pressure Sucks! Pelican’s Perch #16:Those Marvelous Props […]

This article appeared in the January 2003 edition of Aviation Consumer and is reprinted here by permission. Call us cynical, but we’re spring-loaded to be skeptical about aircraft engine modifications in general but specifically those that claim “more” of something. More power, more speed, more climb rate, more economy.While it’s true that some of these […]

This article originally appeared in the March 2001 edition of Aviation Consumer. Definition of a crying shame: returning home from the refurb shop with your $9000 paint and upholstery redo only to lash the thing down in a mudhole masquerading as a tiedown.Welcome to the real world of aircraft ownership, where most of us tough […]

I am not a mechanic, and I have never been in the Air Force. However, as a professional pilot, there has always been a mystique with the wrench turners that work (often without glamour or recognition) behind the scenes of the aviation world. Trouble is, working a flight line has not tended to produce a […]

While there has been much written about cold-weather operations for power plants there has been little written about actual aircraft and systems operation and maintenance preparation for winter. This article will discuss both power plant and airframe and try to bring the two together for a common-sense solution to some potentially difficult and expensive situations […]

Ready for more performance? You could get a new plane, or you could get a new engine in your plane. Five companies offer Cessna 182 engine upgrades. Better climb and increased speed come at a price: higher fuel burn. This article appears in the November 2002 edition of Aviation Consumer and is reprinted here by […]

The editors ofLightPlane Maintenance recently looked at the universal as well as unique aspects of the relatively simple TCM continuous-flow fuel-injection system of the 360 engine. They also discuss how to set up and adjust the system for optimum efficiency and control. This article appears in the October 2002 edition of LightPlane Maintenance, and is […]

If a new airplane is a must, small-aircraft fractional ownership systems, like those from OurPLANE and AirShares, deserve a look. Depending on your flying habits, it could be cheaper in the long run. But as the editors of Aviation Consumer recently explained, put a sharp pencil on the numbers. This article appears in the June […]

Perhaps there can be some good to come out of the nearly hysterical news reports on high-profile fatalities in 2001, and that is to become totally aware of all the things you can do to be safer from a maintenance, training, and an optional-equipment perspective. The concepts of safe, legal, and smart also apply here, […]