Not surprisingly, when youre about to fly an airplane with more than enough torque and P-factor to roll you inverted in a heartbeat, malicious stall behavior and the ability to blow through the 250-KIAS-under-10,000-foot speed limit and laugh, the FAA and insurers are going to have something to say about it.
I reviewed Vaavuds first-gen Mjolnir smartphone anemometer a few years ago and discovered its shortcomings, yet appreciated its utility on the water and land. I used it for seaplane flying on remote lakes where local wind reports werent available, and to compare aging ATIS recordings on the home field. The disappointment was a lack of wind direction display.
In addition to oil lab analysis, weve always recommended cutting open the spin-on filter for physical analysis. If the engine is shedding certain metals, you could spot them in the filter, especially ones that have trap magnets.
As this is being written the stock market is in record territory, aircraft insurance rates are at record lows, the Fed has just started to raise interest rates out of the basement, the economy is at full employment and the incoming administration is promising to cut taxes while spending massive amounts on economic stimulus. Is this a great time to finance an airplane or what?
It seems that one of the branches of Murphys Law, Aviation Division, takes great glee in occasionally causing an aircraft and its owner to be geographically separated under circumstances where the owner needs outside help to achieve reunification. Thats where aircraft delivery companies can make aeronautical life much easier for owners. Whether your machine needs to be moved a few hundred miles or halfway around the world, there are companies that exist to provide that service.
At some point, you could be faced with having to fly an aircraft thats technically unairworthy. To legally do that, there are several steps you must take before even thinking about climbing in and launching. This includes getting an FAA-issued special flight permit. For many folks, the process may seem complicated and intimidating, but the FAA has reasonable rules in place that can make it straightforward. Heres how it works.
During our research, we asked static wick manufacturers about ICAW procedures (instructions for continued airworthiness) and all noted that aside from a preflight visual inspection, its important to look for signs of corrosion where the wick attaches to the skin. Additionally, you’ll want to inspect the tips. Testing rarely happens on the shop level.
Even with fuel prices at historic lows in the aviation world, pilots are constantly looking to save when they top off. Various apps keep us apprised of current pump prices, so we can plan our stops. But, what if there were a way to get a discount from the retail price when we taxi up to an FBO?
We asked Jon Doolittle, principal of Sutton James aviation insurance brokers and a CFI, about the insurance market for a new tailwheel pilot buying his dream airplane. He told us that it depends a little on what kind of airplane. For Cubs, Champs, Citabrias and similar, fairly benign handling machines, 10 hours of dual, including a tailwheel sign off, will work. Some companies do not require a specific number of hours, just an endorsement will suffice.
Throughout our conversations with PT-6 operators, sales professionals and shops, one word recurred: Blackhawk, specifically Blackhawk conversions for PT-6-powered aircraft. These loom large in the PT-6 universe because they compete favorably with overhauls and many operators see the economics of upgraded, new engines compared to overhauls as far more favorable.
As part of its business plan to expand opportunistically, Continental Motors got into the PT-6 business in 2015 by purchasing United Turbine, a Miami-area shop with 24 years of turbine overhaul experience.Like other shops of its type, United is a Swiss Army knife of sorts, taking on virtually all models of the PT-6A and the Twin-Pac PT-6T. Shop manager D.J. Davant ran us through the workflow on a recent visit.As with piston overhauls, engines are brought in, stripped, cleaned and inspected for damage and out-of-spec parts. A good deal of that inspection involves non-destructive analysis to detect hidden cracks. United, as per FAA requirements, strictly follows the P&WC overhaul manual, but unlike the factory, it can rely on less expensive PMA parts or FAA-approved repairs that the factory might or might not use. (As noted, P&WC isn’t forthcoming about the details of its overhauls and wont quote even price ranges until it sees an engine.)
As a variation on the tired trope about not being able to afford something if you have to ask its price, we offer this: If you want a detailed understanding of all there is to know about the myriad models of Pratt & Whitneys workhorse PT-6 turbine, youd need a career change just to frame the question. If variety is the spice of life, the PT-6 is off-scale high on the Scoville index.Daunting or not, PT-6s eventually have to be overhauled and the market for such services is competitive and well-served, albeit structured a bit differently than the piston-engine overhaul world. Given the complexity, newbie PT-6 owners-and there appear to be more every year-may be unavoidably dependent on advice from shops which either specialize in aircraft powered by the PT-6 or, better yet, independent consultants who understand these unique engines.
