Maintenance

The charging system on the typical GA aircraft isn’t exactly what we would call ultra-modern. But its complex enough that an unexpected failure can leave you stuck far from home, while failures in flight can be full-up emergencies. Even if you don’t have the credentials and knowledge to tackle repairs on your own, there is some basic troubleshooting you can do to catch a failure early, while potentially saving some shop labor so your mechanic doesnt have to start from scratch. Heres a primer.

Aft of the firewall, a new Cirrus SR22 is the epitome of the technologically advanced aircraft. But the front end of the thing is pretty much frozen in the mid-20th century: old-school mechanical fuel injection, World War II magnetos, manual mixture control. This is so because buyers have wanted it this way; a Star Trek flight deck propelled by a 59 Buick engine room.

One of the questions we get from readers is whether they can cut their aircraft ownership costs by entering into a lease agreement with their local Part 135 operator. Theyd like their airplanes to generate income by being flown on charters by the operators pilots while the owners sit comfortably at home in front of the TV. Our response: It sounds good if you say it fast, but the downside can be terribly expensive for the owner. Anyone considering leasing her or his airplane to a Part 135 operator should go in with eyes wide open and a full understanding of the procedures and costs involved in putting an airplane onto a 135 operating certificate and keeping it there.

Have you noticed that carbureted engines behave differently in varying temperatures? We have, and its a pretty good argument for the simplicity of fuel injection.

To date, even the lowest-priced mandate-compliant ADS-B Out solutions require opening the airframe for a major installation. Whether installing a remote ADS-B transmitter or a new transponder, its realistic to plan on nearly two days of shop time. In round numbers, that could mean a $1600 invoice-just for labor. But not with the uAvionix skyBeacon, a bolt-on, two-wire solution.

Its routine: We get in, strap in without thinking about it and beginning running the checklist. Putting on and tightening up the restraint system is probably the most basic of automatic tasks any of us do as pilots-without the reassuring pressure of the belt and shoulder harness attaching our torso to the airplane, most of us wouldnt hit the starter.

At nearly every airport you’ll find aircraft that havent flown in years. Some are hidden in private hangars, some are stashed in the corners of maintenance shop hangars and some are ramp derelicts that are begging for rescue from the harsh elements. Is it worth getting involved with these neglected birds given the number of airworthy ones on the current market? The short answer is maybe, but only with the right approach and a healthy dose of realism. Hint: Seldom is there a great deal.

Its long been recognized that an effective way of staring a fight in a bar catering to pilots is to innocently ask about procedures for hot starting big-bore Lycoming or Continental engines and then step back. The chairs will start flying. Thats about what happened when we started the research for this piece. We heard it all. Being either foolish or fearless, we immersed ourselves in the subject to see if we could come up with information as to why hot starting is a problem, find recommendations for maintenance and operating technique that can minimize the problem and see if there are aftermarket devices that can help. We did, we did and there are.

Acompany called AeroEngine Protection Corp. has been aggressively marketing a range of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance programs for piston engines. While the concept is new in the piston aircraft market, similar programs have been the norm in the jet aircraft world for years, and aircraft OEMs, used aircraft dealers, engine overhaulers and fleet operators are signing on with AEPCs programs for pistons in impressive numbers. Aircraft Bluebook has even recognized the program when publishing typical resale costs.

An acquaintance who pilots an MD 500 helicopter while barefoot says her bare feet on the pedals makes her one with the machine like no pair of shoes can. I get the need for feel, but to protect her toes, I suggested compromising with barefoot running shoes. I even stopped flying in shorts because Im paranoid of a cabin fire.

If Beech Bonanza ownership seems out of the budget, the good news is that there are plenty of vintage V-tail models on the market at affordable prices. The bad news is that unless those 50- and 60-year-old airframes have been we’ll maintained, you could be buying a money pit. Plus, shops wont feel sorry for you when you roll up in any Bonanza.

Its easy to see why. Although it has expanded with off-site annexes, the basic footprint of the Cirrus factory hasnt changed appreciably since the first airplanes were delivered in 1999. But it has undergone substantial reorganizations and yet another was underway when we visited Duluth in August 2017.