Airplane Owner Maintenance - By Dean Showalter: Recent Episodes

Dean Showalter

A podcast devoted to airplane owners and the maintenance of their airplanes.

Tangier Island is a great little airplane getaway location!

(Be sure to listen to the audio for the more detailed story.)

Situated in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay off the coast of Virginia, it’s easily accessible with a small airplane.

I borrowed my friend Tom’s Piper Cherokee and took my wife Maria there for a quick one night getaway.

The day before, I prepped the plane and stashed Tom’s folding bicycles and our beach chairs in the back.

The flight there was great and the controller was super helpful working us through the inactive restriced area and pointing out other airplanes to us.

Spending a day on Tangier is like a step back in time… Maria accurately described it as “Coastal Mayberry!” (Remember the Andy Griffith show?)

We stayed at the Brigadune Inn, and it was such a great experience. From start to finish, Barb and Rob Baechtel were incredibly hospitable and easy to work with.

Click here for info about the Brigadune Inn.

Area code seven five seven-891-2580

Bob was kind enough to pick us up at the airport on a golf cart, and he gave us a mini-tour through town on the way to Brigadune Inn.

The inn was clean and very adequate, and the hospitality was over-the-top amazing.

Loarraine’s seems to be the go-to restaurant in town, (which is also a short walk from the airport,) but you have to plan ahead as they close around 4 pm in the afternoon. We ate lunch and then ordered some food to go so we’d have something to eat later that evening.

The folding bicycles were absolutely the way to travel around the island and we were thankful Tom had suggested we take them!

We enjoyed riding and walking around the small town while being refreshed by a slower pace of life.

The typical way to travel to church is on a golf cart or sport utility vehicle:

There were so many sights that were just enjoyable to see… here’s a sampling of things that got my attention:

Before hopping in the airplane to fly home, we grabbed a quick lunch at Lorraine’s… the crabby fries were a fun and tasty treat!

Time to back-taxi down the runway so we could take off to the North due to wind direction:

All in all, Tangier was a wonderful place to visit, and I’d recommend it if you ever get the opportunity!

The post “260 – Flying to Tangier with Maria!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

(Scroll down for video and photos.)

When Dan, the owner of a nice A36 Bonanza called me and reported a “clunking noise” at the right main landing gear while moving the airplane by hand, I was stumped.

So I did what I like to do when I have an airplane puzzler… I sent an email to my aviation friends, and I asked for ideas about what might be causing this clunking noise.

I received great feedback and guesses about what might be causing the mystery noise.

Wheel bearings? Brake caliper / linings? Landing gear bushings? Etc…

But when Dan arrived at SHD to drop his airplane off for the annual inspection, it was no longer making the clunking noise.

We agreed I’d check it out during the inspection.

When the time came to put the airplane on jacks and remove the right brake caliper and wheel, I did not notice anything obvious.

And then I noticed something.

There was a tiny spot on the brake disc that I could catch a fingernail on. Check it out:

(And by the way, if you are seeing these show notes in a podcast player like Pocket Casts, the following 11 second video may not appear; if this happens, scroll to the bottom and click the link for my website and you should be able to watch the video there.)

I also made a more detailed video of this story and it’s on YouTube here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/XuTnm-qQne0

Then I also noticed there was a groove on the brake linings that seemed to match the spot on the disc. Take a look:

It appears there was some metal transfer between the brake disc and linings that created a raised “bump” and I wonder if this is what caused the clunking noise as the wheel was rotating during ground tugging. It’s the best explanation I can come up with.

Both the left and right brake discs were worn below minimums, so I installed new ones along with all new linings.

I installed APS “Blacksteel” discs and APS linings. In my opinion, the APS discs are of exceptional quality, and the APS brake linings are far superior to the Rapco linings I removed.

If you’re interested in more info about APS brake parts, here’s the website:

https://www.apsbrakes.com

Listen to the audio for more details.

Now, one more thing I forgot to mention when I was recording the podcast episode… when I removed the right brake linings, there were some strange, seemingly magnetized little pieces that were attached to the brake lining and backplate. Here’s what it looked like:

Perhaps this tells a part of the story as well, but I’m not sure what it means. If you have a thought on this, send me an email to dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com

The post “259 – Bonanza Clunking Wheel Noise Solved!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This exhaust valve in a turbo-normalized A36 Bonanza looks quite good. The appearance is mostly concentric and uniform. There’s just that one area at about the 10 to 11 o’clock position that looks slightly uneven.

If the compression test had been good, I likely would not have lapped the valve.

But since it was 44/80 when the required minimum was 46/80 according to the master orifice reading, I lapped the valve in place, installed a new rotocoil and new valve springs, and put it back together.

Amazingly, after doing this work, I got a good solid cold compression of 65/80!

I’ve found that lapping the exhaust valve and restoring a good seal between the edge of the valve and the seat is the most effective way to improve a low compression number, as long as everything else looks good in the cylinder.

Here are some additional photos of the seat area before lapping:

You can listen to the full story in the audio for this episode.

I’ve also included some email feedback from the last episode, including a story about an airplane that made a precautionary landing in a field!

Here’s a totally separate photo of that same airplane from one of its scenic flights:

Thanks Justin, for agreeing to let me share your amazing story of landing this airplane in a field!

The post, “258 – C’mon Does Valve Lapping Really Work?!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

It was a gorgeous VFR day, and we were flying in an Aerostar 601. The destination was an airport in Alabama and I was really looking forward to this trip.

But soon after we leveled off at ten thousand feet and got the engines set and properly leaned, a strange but definite engine roughness occurred.

After some troubleshooting (as much as you can do in flight) we decided to turn back and fly home (not good to be a few states away from home with a maintenance problem if you can help it.

Here’s a photo of the instrument panel after we had reduced power on the right engine:

Listen to the audio for today’s podcast episode to hear the details.

Note the high fuel flow indication on the right engine, even though the power has been reduced. Also, the EGT and CHT are indicating low for the right engine as well.

After returning safely to SHD, I uncowled the right engine and ended up meticulously cleaning out the fuel injectors on the right engine, as well as the air lines and hose connectors that provide turbo air pressure to the fuel injector nozzles.

In that process, I discovered some small black particles that may have been a contributor to one or more clogged / partially clogged. fuel injectors. Take a look:

Also notice in the following photo the “GAUGE” fitting that is in the side of the engine fuel flow divider or “manifold valve.”

This line goes to the fuel flow gauge in the instrument panel, and would explain why the fuel flow showed higher than normal on the right engine. If a fuel injector is partially or fully clogged, it raises the pressure at this fitting on the flow divider, thereby causing an erroneously high fuel flow indication on the gauge in the instrument panel.

Here’s another photo for more context of where the flow divider is located on top of the engine:

Unfortunately, this airplane does not have a graphic engine monitor. It would have been very helpful to see all 6 EGT’s and all 6 CHT’s on that flight. Instead, there is only one EGT probe and one CHT probe, and they are both located near cylinder #5 on the right aft side of the engine. (This is likely one of the cylinders that had a clogged / partially clogged fuel injector, since the EGT and CHT gauges were indicating significantly lower than normal.

Let me know if you have any additional thoughts about this situation, and I’ll see you in the next episode!

The post “257 – Rough Engine: Go Back Home!” appeared first at AirplaneOwner Maintenance.com

In the last podcast episode, we talked about an issue with my friend’s Cirrus SR22, and how the flaps occasionally would not retract.

That problem got mostly resolved at the recent annual inspection when they made some adjustments due to the flap 50% and 100% travels being out of spec.

However, there is now a new issue.

Now, the flaps always retract when selected, so that problem has been fixed.

But now, while in flight, the flaps always go to 50% when selected. But when 100% is selected, the flaps move to almost 100%, but not quite, and the 100% light does not turn on.

Then, after maybe 45 seconds or so, the flaps extend just a slight bit more. You can feel the aerodynamic different of this last bit of travel, and then the 100% light turns on.

This issue only seems to happen in flight. On the ground, they work perfectly.

Perhaps it’s something to do with the aerodynamic load on the flaps.

We will likely need to send the airplane back to the shop who did the annual inspection and see if it needs another adjustment to make it work perfectly, not only on the ground, but in flight as well.

If you have a thought on this, feel free to send me an email to dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com

Thanks for reading, and for listening to the podcast!

Hopefully we’ll get this issue resolved soon.

The post “256 – Not Quite Full Flaps” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com/256

Don’t you just love intermittent problems?!

This one has been just that… intermittent.

In the 2005 Cirrus SR22, the flaps have 3 positions: up, 50%, and 100%.

Our intermittent problem has been that occasionally, when selecting 50% or 100%, the flaps will begin to move down, but the “up” light will stay on. The flaps always stop at the selected position of 50% or 100%, but then when trying to retract the flaps (with the “up” light still on,) they don’t move. After a short time (seconds) the “up” light then extinguishes and the flaps travel up normally.

Listen to today’s episode to hear some thoughts about this issue and what we might do to fix it.

Months ago, I dug into the issue trying to see if there was something I could do to fix the problem.

I removed the rear seat and accessed the openings to the flap drive and the flap circuit board assembly.

Here’s the flap drive with the 3 black proximity switches, presumably one for “up,” one for “50%,” and one for “100%” :

These switches are magnetically operated.

The following photo shows the circuit board for the flaps:

I removed the plug on the left and the relays to the right and applied corrosion-X to the connections to ensure positive electrical contact.

After putting everything back together, I was hoping I had fixed the issue.

Nope… the issue was intermittently still there.

After all this my primary thought has been that the “up” proximity switch might be sticking in the closed position when extending the flaps.

Then, when selecting up, the flaps don’t move because the system things they are already up, and there’s no need to move.

Let me know if you have any other thoughts about this.

You can email me at dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com or leave a voice message at the side of the page.

Thanks!

The post “255 – Cirrus SR22 Flaps Sometimes Won’t Retract” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This experience was a good one! (At least looking back in 2020 hindsight.)

We had to dig deep to fix this one!

I was about to give up and started thinking it might be time to take the airplane somewhere else for troubleshooting and repair.

Thankfully Richard, our chief pilot, didn’t give up so easy and he encouraged us to dig deeper before giving up.

With the guidance of “Smitty,” an air conditioning expert at Stevens Aerospace in Greenville, South Carolina, we troubleshot and fixed a problem with our King Air 350 air conditioning system.

He told us we could access the center floor area just aft of the cockpit and ground pin #25 in the circuit board labeled “N1 SPEED / R ICE VANE SENSE” and this would fool the airplane into thinking the right engine was operating, so that we could troubleshoot the air conditioning compressor on the right engine.

We followed Smitty’s directions.

But after grounding pin 25 and powering up the system with the GPU, we found no voltage at the air conditioning compressor wiring plug. (We disconnected the red plug above the compressor to check for power to the plug.)

He then had us remove the right inboard wing leading edge to check the pressure switch in the high pressure line.

This was not the problem.

Smitty also told us there was a resistor and also a zener diode in the circuit.

During the process, my friend and coworker at Classic Aviation, David Kihlmire, said, “I think we should remove “that panel” referring to the side cowling panel on the right engine, just forward of the area where the air conditioning compressor was located.

And I’m glad he said that!

Here’s what we found:

The bottom wire was broken off the resistor!

Take a closer look:

After soldering the wire back onto the resistor, there was now power to the air conditioning compressor clutch, and we were confident the system was fixed.

David attached the gauges to the servicing ports in the nose gear well, and we ran the right engine… and YES!

The system operated normally.

When it was all said and done, it was truly a team effort, and a great learning experience.

And it was perfect timing to get the air conditioning fixed, because Summer time and warm temps are right around the corner!

Be sure to listen to the audio for this episode to hear the air conditioning story, and also my story about playing “Banana Grams” with my wife and daughter, as well as a story about repairing an oil leak on my Grasshopper lawnmower.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle this oil leak myself, but after calling around and discovering all the lawnmower repair shops are backed up for weeks, I decided to go to YouTube University and face the challenge.

It was a 2 1/2 day project, among other things, but I got it fixed!

I had to remove the engine and disassemble it to replace the front crankshaft seal:

It was a mess behind the flywheel:

Lots of cleaning and a new crankshaft seal did the trick, and it’s back in business!

I’m grateful because one time mowing with the push mower was enough for me to realize I don’t want to do that every time!

All these experiences reminded me once again how worthwhile it is to take on challenging projects, even if they are difficult.

I hope you are encouraged to tackle something difficult in your life, if it’s something you’re interested in but might feel overwhelming.

Go for it!

The post “254 – Solving an Air Conditioning Mystery and Learning New Things!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This morning I felt the inspiration to record a podcast episode…

I got my hotel room set up with my computer and my microphone, and there it sat.

I missed the window of opportunity… for whatever reasons, I did not record.

And this afternoon, the inspiration was fading away.

And then I remembered something.

Often in the past, I’ve found that exercise is not only good physically, but it’s also good mentally and emotionally as well.

So I went down to the exercise room and ran some miles on the treadmill and did some pushups.

And it worked.

When I arrived back in my room, I seized the opportunity and recorded some thoughts about missing windows of opportunity, learning from them, and continuing on.

If you listen to the audio for this podcast, you’ll hear about the following:

How I finally got today’s episode recorded.
A missed window of opportunity for a timely departure at Chicago O’Hare.
A young man named Alex who I met at a Cleveland airport.

Hope you enjoy the episode!

And remember, don’t get bogged down in the missed windows of opportunity behind you…

Instead, look for the open windows of opportunity in front of you now, and go for it!

And if you have a story to share, please click the button over on the side of the website and leave me a voice message… I’d love to hear from you.

(If you’re in a hurry, scroll down to see the tiny little chafed wire that caused this whole conundrum.)

Now here’s the story…

This landing gear relay breaker had been popping intermittently:

It came time for annual inspection and we decided to replace the breaker with a new one, in order to rule out a faulty breaker, and attempting to minimize long and frustrating labor for troubleshooting.

Good thing, because as it turns out, there was a loose screw in the landing gear motor breaker next to this one, which would not have been discovered if we had not replaced the relay breaker… check out the loose screw:

It was obvious some arcing had occurred due to the poor connection:

Unfortunately, tightening the screw in the 30 amp motor breaker, and installing a new 5 amp relay breaker, did not fix the problem.

Back up on jacks for more troubleshooting:

Todd, the airplane owner, posted in BeechTalk about the situation, and we got some good feedback.

Meanwhile, I took a good look at the wiring in the main gear wells, especially the squat switch wiring… no issues found.

So I called the American Bonanza Society (I love their tech support, and it always reminds me of the exceptional value of being an ABS member, even as an A&P/IA.)

Curtis Boulware discussed the wiring diagram with me and pointed me to some things to check:

Disconnect the C1 terminal from the gear relay and test… nope, it’s not that:
Disconnect plugs in gear wells and test… nope, it’s not that:
There’s a circuit board located under the copilot panel above the right rudder pedal:

Aha! Now we were getting closer.

After removing the circuit board from its mounting position and disconnecting the P1 plug, the relay breaker no longer popped when gear was selected up.

But why?

I was beginning to wonder if we would need to have the circuit board repaired or replaced… and who knows how much one of those would cost!

And then my eyes landed on something that did not look quite right.

It was a spot on a tiny little wire.

After closer examination, sure enough, this little wire had chafed through the insulation and some of the internal strands of copper wire were visible:

But what had it been chafing on?

Finally, I saw it… a burnt spot on the sidewall of the airplane:

Perhaps this wire had been chafing for many years and finally wore through the insulation. (The little loop of wire had not been adequately secured into the wire bundle, which allowed it to touch against the aluminum sidewall of the fuselage.)

It was the little G43A20 jumper wire that connects 2 pins in the P1 plug.

After removing the bad spot in the wire, splicing it back together, and securing the wiring, the landing gear system worked perfectly.

And if you’re curious like me, here’s a peek inside that circuit board under the copilot panel near the outboard rudder pedal:

I’m glad we didn’t have to replace that thing!

(To hear the full story on this one, be sure to listen to the audio for this podcast episode.)

The post, “252 – Why Does the Bonanza Gear Relay Breaker Pop?” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Bennett contacted me awhile back to see if I could lap an exhaust valve for him.

The #4 exhaust valve showed a very uneven appearance when viewed with his borescope.

Bennett flew in to KSHD one morning and we got started.

Before lapping, we checked the cylinder compression and it was 29/80… not good.

Here’s what the valve looked like:

We got to work and lapped the valve.

When we were happy with the progress, we reinstalled the exhaust valve in the valve guide and installed new valve springs and a new rotocoil, to help ensure the valve would rotate properly and provide the best possibility for a good seal between the valve and the seat.

After running the engine, we rechecked the compression, and were very pleased… it was 74/80!

Amazing!

But there’s more…

Several weeks later, Bennett emailed me, and here’s what he said:

“Dean, I am so excited I am emailing from my hangar… Looks like lapping worked great! After one flight down to Florida and back… about 3.5 hours each way, the #4 exhaust valve looks vastly improved. See before and after pics attached. Much thanks!”

And here are the before and after photos he sent:

BEFORE:

AFTER: (and keep in mind the following photo was after only about 7 hours of engine operation.)

I’m confident this exhaust valve has been rescued, and will quite possibly run normally for many more hours.

It’s always nice when we can solve these valve problems with “laparoscopic surgery” (lapping a valve in place) instead of “major surgery” (removing a cylinder.)

There’s more to this story, but I’m not going to type it out here… you can listen to the audio for this podcast and hear about the magneto issues we solved on Bennett’s engine as well.

(The magnetos on Bennett’s engine are challenging to work on due to their location and all the stuff around them, but with some persistence, it’s doable.)

Thanks Bennett, for flying down to SHD.

It was nice meeting you and working with you!

The post, “251 – Bennett’s Exhaust Valve Rescue on his Cessna TTx” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

If you look closely in the photo above, you can see my friend Chris, smiling.

It was the day he arrived at Classic Aviation (KSHD) to begin his annual inspection with me.

Chris is not only an airplane owner and pilot, but he’s also a certified airplane mechanic as well.

I was very happy to have him help with the process as much as possible.

As I worked through the inspection, I found the control cable tensions needed some adjustment, including the rudder cable tensions.

As I began to tighten the left and right rudder cable tensions evenly so as not to disturb the rigging, I encountered a problem.

The left cable turnbuckle bottomed out in the turnbuckle barrel, and there was no more ability to tighten the cable, but I had not yet reached the cable tension spec in the maintenance manual of 85 pounds, plus or minus 5.

Yes, this is a high tension, but it is what the manual says.

You can listen to the audio for details of how we resolved the issue, and how I got help from my friend Kenneth who previously worked at Classic Aviation.

The short story is that we went through extensive rigging of the nose gear steering system, the rudder pedal bars, and the rudder cables, and finally got things set, with 80 pounds on the rudder cables.

When the annual was completed, we had fixed a bunch of other items as well, and hopefully Chris will be good to go for another year with no maintenance interruptions, as much as possible.

He even sent me some photos of the day he flew his sons down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and visited the Wright Brothers Memorial! Thanks Chris!

The post “Frustrations with Piper Rudder Cable Tension – Episode 250” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Today’s episode is about Pat’s Mooney, and how we sealed up some exhaust leaks.

And it’s a fun story because Pat has become a good friend… check out the above photo where he’s showing his airplane to my grandson Spencer

Spencer and my daughter McKenzie stopped by the shop one day when Pat and I were working on his Mooney 252 (M20K.)

And if you’ve listened to the Airplane Owner Maintenance Podcast, you’ll likely remember that it’s McKenzie’s voice in the podcast intro and outro… thanks McKenzie!

Pat flew his Mooney from Wisconsin to Virginia for his annual inspection, and he hung around for several days to work with me on his airplane… I love airplane owners like Pat!

I love working with the “Pats” of general aviation because they tend to have some or all of the following traits:

They love aviation as a whole.
They are interested in the maintenance side of things.
They want things fixed and working properly.
They are easy to work with and fun to be around.
They care about people and relationships.

And that pretty well describes Pat, so we got off to a good start on his inspection.

One of the squawks I discovered was 5 of the 6 exhaust flanges had small leaks at the gasket area… we found this while doing a pressure test on the exhaust system. Here’s one of the flanges that was leaking:

This engine is a Continental TSIO-360 and has 2 thin stainless steel gaskets P/N 630365 on each cylinder.

Here are the old gaskets I removed, along with one stud that backed out and had to be replaced with a new one:

I’ve found there is significant confusion out there about how these gaskets should be installed.

One side has a raised area, or a bump on it, and the other side has a recessed, or concave area.

As I’ve researched the internet (sometimes a not-so-good place to get good information,) it seems a fair number of people think these gaskets should be “nested” together for installation.

That is, put both gaskets in the same direction to they fit together, and then install them.

I wanted a definitive answer, so I called Continental.

Vadin was very helpful and explained it to me this way:

“You want to create an air pocket between the two gaskets.”

This means put the concave or recessed side of the two gaskets toward each other and this creates the air pocket.

Then, as you torque the exhaust nuts and squeeze the gaskets together, the bump on the top gasket is up against the cylinder flange, and the bump on the bottom gasket is down against the exhaust riser flange, and in this way you can hopefully seal up any small imperfections on the surfaces and get a perfect (or nearly perfect) seal.

Also, there is another type of gasket that can be installed on this engine… it’s the “blow proof” gasket made my Rapco, P/N RA970.

Here’s the visual difference between the two types of gaskets (the thin ones on the top and the thick, blow proof one on the bottom):

I asked Vadin at Continental about these, and he could not officially endorse them, but he also acknowledged that some people seem to have good success with these thicker gaskets.

So, after discussing the situation with Pat, we decided to go with the thicker, blow proof, RA970 gaskets.

Prior to installing the gaskets, I had carefully sanded all 6 exhaust riser flanges flat and smooth so as to get the best seal possible. Here’s a photo of the exhaust system before sanding the flanges:

I carefully installed the new gaskets, and torqued all the nuts with the studs properly lubed with engine oil.

I was excited to do another pressure test and was confident about the results.

I was sorely disappointed.

Five of the six flanges still had small leaks.

Back to the drawing board.

I texted Pat and notified him that I thought we should try the other type gaskets and see if we could get a better seal.

He agreed.

So, I reluctantly removed the thick RA970 gaskets and installed two each 630365 thin gaskets (properly positioned) on each flange and retorqued everything.

Time for another pressure test.

It wasn’t perfect as I had hoped, but it was very acceptable.

Three of the flanges were perfect with zero leakage.

The other three were nearly perfect with only very small bubbles forming slowly at one side of the flange during the pressure test.

I’m satisfied with this… and as I thought about the whole situation, I suppose you could buy a whole new exhaust system for the engine in hopes of getting a 100% perfect seal, but I don’t think that’s necessary in this situation.

I also realized that if this was my personal airplane, I would feel the same about it, and I would fly my family in it with great confidence.

Be sure to listen to the audio for this episode to hear the whole storyl

And after all that, I’m EXHAUSTED!

But it’s been totally worthwhile, because Pat is such a great guy to work with!

Thanks Pat, and I look forward to returning your airplane to you real soon!

The post “249 – An EXHAUST-ing Mooney / Continental Story” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Last Monday, I lapped the #5 exhaust valve on a Continental engine.

But more importantly, I met the owner / pilot of a Turbo Centurion, and now I’m happy to call him a good friend!

Thanks for flying all the way up here Mark!

Here’s the story:

Mark had been a little concerned about the #5 exhaust valve, not because he was having any particular trouble with it, but because the borescope photo showed a slightly irregular appearance.

And being proactive, Mark decided to do some research.

That’s when he found me, and some of the information I’ve published to help airplane owners understand borescoping, exhaust valve lapping, and other useful pieces of information you often won’t find in the “maintenance manual.”

Mark’s local shop had indicated it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the #5 exhaust valve, and if it continued to be a problem, the cylinder may need to be removed for a repair or replacement.

Some years ago, I would have had similar thoughts.

But not today.

In the past 5 years, I’ve rescued many cylinders from premature removal, especially on large bore Continentals… and I was hopeful we could remedy Mark’s situation as well.

Instead of removing cylinders in situations where the exhaust valve is showing beginning signs of burning, or the compression is dropping into the 50’s and 40’s and below, I now consider the first option of LAPPING THE EXHAUST VALVE WITHOUT REMOVING THE CYLINDER, AND INSTALLING A NEW ROTOCOIL.

Mark was interested to learn about this process, so we agreed on a plan for him to fly his airplane from North Carolina to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for some not-so-invasive surgery on his airplane engine.

Soon after Mark landed, we rolled his Cessna T210 in the shop and got to work.

I won’t bore you in this post with all the details, but we lapped the exhaust valve and were both pleased with the progress along the way and with the end result.

Take a look at some photos showing the lapping compound at work, and the nice, shiny sealing band that’s developing on the edge of the valve.

An excellent sealing surface, along with a new rotocoil on the valve, will help to ensure it rotates properly during operation, thus minimizing the chances for a burning exhaust valve which will shorten it’s lifespan if not remedied.

When the process was completed, we flushed the lapping compound out the bottom spark plug hole and sprayed some LPS-2 in the top spark plug hole and dispersed it with compressed air in an attempt to keep the cylinder wall lubricated during startup, after which the engine lubrication system would take over and do its job.

During reassembly, we installed a new rotocoil P/N 629117-1 on the exhaust valve and reassembled all the parts that had been removed.

You may ask, “Why do we need to install a new rotocoil?”

Great question.

And to answer the question, some photos will help.

When you cut a rotocoil apart, here’s what you’ll find: two halves, a special washer, and a long spring laying on its side.

Every time the valve stem is pressed down by the rocker arm, the rotocoil makes the valve rotate just a little. This action helps prevent hot spots on the edge of the valve, and keeps the sealing surface in tact between the valve and the valve seat.

Over time, the spring gets a flat spot on it which decreases its ability to make the valve rotate.

Here’s a close-up photo of the flat spot on the spring:

Eventually, the spring can break into many pieces if the coils get too thin at the flat spot.

For this reason, and because rotocoils are very reasonably priced, I always install a new rotocoil when I lap a Continental exhaust valve.

We completed the project, Mark ran the engine, and we re-checked the compression. It was excellent at 75/80, a stellar number!

I’ve had very dramatic improvements in compression numbers after lapping valves (like from the 30’s or 40’s to the 60’s and 70’s.) This time was not as dramatic as Mark’s #5 compression was 71/80 before lapping. But it was still very worthwhile doing in order to prevent any further irregularity in the sealing capability and appearance of the valve.

Mark was being very proactive and planning ahead, and I applaud that!

Sometimes people let these valves go too far, and then there’s no choice but to remove the cylinder.

But if caught early, most exhaust valves can be saved from further burning.

Mark, it was great to work with you, and although I don’t wish for you to have any airplane troubles, I do hope we can work together on your airplane again sometime soon!

The post “248 – Mark’s Cessna T210 Exhaust Valve Story” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Everything looks normal in this photo, right?

What we can’t see from this angle is the fact that the brake disc has broken in two pieces!

Check it out:

Here’s the story:

The pilot landed the Piper Cherokee, and after a successful landing, something gave way on the left brake, and it became ineffective. Now we know why.

It’s definitely time for new brake discs, and this airplane will soon get new APS164-02000 Blacksteel brake discs that are corrosion resistant.

It will also be a good time to replace the worn tire on this wheel.

After some research, I discovered a retread Goodyear Flight Special II (like the airplane currently has on it,) is about half the price of a new one, and can be purchased directly from Wilkerson Tire Company here in Virginia!

And when I called them, a real live knowledgable and helpful person answered the phone… it was truly a great customer service experience (it was Mckaellen Wilkerson, a fourth generation member of the team there.)

I love supporting quality family businesses whenever possible, and Wilkerson appears to be one such business.

Here’s a link for their website if you want to check it out:

https://www.wilkersonaircrafttires.com

Thanks Mckaellen, for your excellent help!

In this podcast episode, I also shared two emails I received recently.

One was from Troy, who had some very helpful and interesting things to say about the last episode about single engine RG Cessna airplanes. Thanks Troy, for the reminder that if one of these airplanes is not high enough and the gear is retracted, it can actually lift the airplane right off the jacks… yikes!

Be sure to listen to the audio to hear the rest of his email.

The second email I mentioned was from Fabien.

He and his family moved to the US awhile back and they fly a nice V35B Bonanza. He had a question about where to get his ruddervators stripped and repainted due to some corrosion that has been developing.

If you have any excellent recommendations for V-Tail Bonanza ruddervator paint work, you can contact Fabien directly at the following email:

fabien.turpaud{at}icloud{dot}com

Along with his paint question, he also shared some really great photos and gave permission to include them here:

The filiform corrosion on the ruddervators is not critical yet, but Fabien is being proactive about making a plan to remedy the issue as soon as reasonable.

Hopefully we can find a good solution for Fabien to get his ruddervators repainted with minimal down time so he can continue the adventures with his family!

The post, “247 – Brake Failure After Landing” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This story begins with a squawk from the owner. It went something like this:

“When I fly my airplane, on the first landing gear retraction, the gear begins to move and then the “gear pump” circuit breaker pops. After I reset the circuit breaker, the gear retracts and extends normally with no further problems the rest of the trip.”

Weird…

What could be wrong?

It was my job to figure out what was going on.

I put the airplane on jacks and selected “gear up.”

Sure enough, the gear began to move and after a short time, it stopped mid-travel and the “gear pump” circuit breaker popped.

For once, the problem happened just like the airplane owner had reported.

I checked each gear leg for any binding, and everything appeared nice and free to move.

After evaluating and thinking through the situation, I decided it was a reasonable possibility there was an internal problem in the electric motor on the landing gear power pack.

I removed the motor and quickly discovered it was full of debris. Take a look at the brush housing:

Amazingly, a can of contact cleaner and some compressed air produced a quick transformation… and the brushes actually had lots of good material remaining:

The commutator segments were in similar rough shape when I first disassembled the motor:

But some Scotch-Brite, contact cleaner, and compressed air freshened up this area as well:

The armature housing also had a large amount of debris to be removed:

I didn’t think to take a photo after cleaning, but it turned out very nice as well.

Before disassembling the motor, I thought we might end up replacing it with an overhauled one.

But after seeing how well the motor was made, how simple it was, what good condition the brushes and other parts were in, and how easily it cleaned up, I realized it would likely be good to go for a long time, and I decided to reinstall it.

And here’s the motor after reassembly, along with one of my grubby hands

Here’s the landing gear power pack area that’s accessible near the copilot’s feet after removing the little plastic cover on the side of the console: (these photos are before I reinstalled the motor.)

Before reinstalling the motor, I put some black electrical tape around the end seams to keep the housing from coming apart (there are 2 long 1/4 inch bolts that go through the length of the motor and attach it into the drive area on the power pack.)

After everything was back together, I ran the landing gear, and it performed flawlessly!

Now, the real test will be to see what happens the next time the owner flies his airplane. Until then, I’m hopeful for a good report.

Sometimes, we do need to just replace parts on airplanes… but sometimes, we can be a real mechanic, and dig in and repair an existing component!

In this case, I’m figuring I saved this owner a chunk of change on this repair.

One final item: when the airplane was in the shop, it became really obvious the right brake caliper was leaking… check it out:

A couple new o-rings and some brake linings took care of this squawk as well.

Now it’s time to go fly!

The post, “246 – Parts Changer or Real Mechanic? Cessna-210 Landing Gear Motor Story” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

The week I’m talking about here was almost too full!

But I wouldn’t change a thing.

A real highlight was taking my Pennsylvania cousin for a short flight in a Piper Cherokee:

From Sunday to Friday, I had the following opportunities:

Flew every day except Tuesday… this was unusual!
Did an owner-assisted annual inspection on a Bonanza.
Spent an afternoon with my grandson… I love him so much!
My cousin Dan stayed overnight with us and I took him flying… Maria made us a tasty supper, and we enjoyed some great conversation with Dan. A fun side note – Dan and I were born about a week apart years ago!
… and probably more that I can’t remember right now

Also, during the Bonanza inspection with my friend Mike, we adjusted the fuel quantity circuit board adjustments a bit to make them indicate accurately when the tanks are full… the maintenance manual had excellent instructions which also agreed with the very clear information on the circuit boards themselves located just under the top center part of the instrument panel glare shield… here’s a photo:

It was an awesome week, and I recorded some thoughts about it for at least a couple reasons:

One, I hope you might find some inspiration and encouragement in it.

And two, I wanted to document the week a bit to help me remember it in the future.

So… if you’d like to hear more about the adventures of this particular week, listen to the audio for this week’s podcast.

Thanks, and have a great day!

The post, “245 – A Crazy and Amazing Week!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

During a recent prebuy evaluation on this nice Beech A36 Bonanza, the question came up, “Does the old analog CHT gauge need to work in order for the airplane to be considered airworthy?”

(In this case, the analog CHT gauge had an INOP placard on it.)

Check it out:

The airplane has a JPI engine monitor installed (bottom right in the previous photo,) but it is not considered “primary” for CHT. And since CHT is required in the limitations section of the POH/AFM, the original analog CHT gauge must be operative.

Listen to the audio for this episode to hear the full story, including a discussion in the tech forum on the American Bonanza Society website (here’s a link to that ABS forum conversation if you’d like to read it):

https://www.bonanza.org/community/member-forum/tech-tips/posts/jun-2024/original-cht-gauge-inop

Here’s the short story of how we resolved the issue on this airplane:

Removed the bayonet CHT probe for the JPI engine monitor, from cylinder #3.
Installed in its place a bayonet CHT thermistor probe in cylinder #3 and attached it to the existing wiring that was tied up on the right side of the engine.
Installed a spark plug type CHT probe for the JPI #3 CHT.

Now, everything should work, and the airplane will be officially airworthy.

If you have any thoughts you’d like to add to this topic, I’d love to hear them! Just click that tab over to the right and leave me a voice message.

Thanks!

The post, “244 – Down a CHT Rabbit Hole!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This airplane appeared on the ramp not long ago at the Shenandoah Valley Airport in Virginia.

I discovered it had taken off, and then very quickly made a 180 and returned for landing due to engine trouble.

The pilot thought he may have lost a cylinder.

His mechanic stopped by to check it out, and there was nothing blaringly wrong with the cylinder or the engine.

Finally, after meticulously checking the engine and doing a runup, he found the fuel injector for the problem cylinder was clogged (or at least partially clogged.)

We put it in the ultrasonic cleaner for just 5 minutes, blew it out, and it was perfect.

He put it back together and all was well… they flew it out of there not long after that.

This particular A&P/IA’s name is Dusty Foster, and he seemed very knowledgeable and exceptionally competent. He runs a GA maintenance shop at New River Valley Airport (KPSK) in Southwest Virginia, Foster Avaition & Mobile Maintenance.

And he also travels quite a bit for prebuy evaluations and other maintenance. Here’s his website if you’d like to check it out… he seems like an all-around great guy, family man, excellent communicator, and pilot-mechanic.

https://www.fosteraviationmm.com

Dusty, it was a pleasure to meet you and speak with you. Well done getting that Saratoga issue figured out!

The post “243 – A Stranded Piper Saratoga” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

In this podcast episode, we’re talking about alternator maintenance!

Here’s the alternator I removed from a Beechcraft Bonanza to inspect the drive coupling and the brushes… note the brush assembly in the lower right side of the photo:

The brushes had plenty of length left, but they needed a good cleaning due to carbon dust that had collected from normal brush wear. Check it out:

After a good cleaning, the brushes looked great and were ready to reinstall.

Another thing (and perhaps more important) I wanted to check on this alternator is the elastomer drive coupling:

There have been numerous cases where these drive couplings have come apart and caused serious engine damage and / or failure.

Since it had been nearly 500 hours since this alternator was removed and inspected, I wanted to verify the drive coupling’s condition.

I performed the following: (Reference Continental M-0 manual.)

Verified no slippage at 140 inch pounds.
Verified proper coupling attach nut torque.
Installed new cotter pin.
Cleaned off old gasket and installed alternator with new gasket.

If you have a belt driven alternator, it’s important to keep the belt tensioned properly and in good condition.

How about you?

Do you have a plan for proactive preventive maintenance on your airplane’s alternator?

If not, you may be interested in listening to the audio for this episode, and then make a plan that best fits your situation.

It’s certainly a good idea to check alternator brushes each 500 hours.

And for gear driven alternators, it’s probably wise to check the drive coupling at a shorter interval than that. There have been too many stories of these couplings coming loose and / or coming apart, and if we can prevent that, it’s always a good thing!

For some additional discussion on this topic, here’s some interesting info I found on the Pilots of America site:

When to Overhaul / Replace Alternator

The post “242 – Your Airplane’s Alternator: Neglected or Well-Cared-For?” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

When it’s time to overhaul your engine, who do you call? Where do you go?

Listen to this episode to hear ideas from other airplane owners who have had good experiences with various engine overhaul shops around the country.

I always love meeting podcast listeners, and I was surprised when I met Ken Blow recently at the King Air Gathering in West Virginia… a bunch of us were at the Lewisburg airport one afternoon looking at all the King Airs, and Ken mentioned he listens to the Airplane Owner Maintenance podcast. Great to meet you Ken! (Ken is the Executive Vice President of Kadex Aero Supply in Ontario, Canada.)

The post “241 – Best Airplane Engine Overhaul Shops” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This ‘ol Piper Apache served me very well to get my MEI training and check ride done.

Listen to the audio for this episode to hear how my check ride went… it was a challenging one!

This part of the podcast is toward the end.

This episode also covers something we did for our son Seth around the time of his birthday… we found someone to take him for a helicopter ride!

It was truly an amazing day!

The post “240 – MEI Check Ride Struggles” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Note: Scroll down to see who I unexpectedly met in Florida this past week!

Now for the Prebuy… it was some months ago, and I did a prebuy inspection on a nice airplane on behalf of the buyer.

I also became good friends with the owner / seller, for which I was grateful, because sometimes these can end up being sticky situations.

The owner / seller (who is a really great gentleman) seemed to think his airplane was nearly perfect, and there should be very little wrong with it.

And by all means, it was a very nice airplane indeed. So much so, that if I was buying it, I’d be thrilled!

Nevertheless, I found some things that needed attention.

Listen to the episode to hear about the things I noted, which I categorized into three parts:

Significant Items
Miscellaneous Observations
Items to consider during next annual inspection

I’m not going to list them all here, but I talked about them in the audio for this episode.

Here’s a photo of one item I found… the right flap forward rib had a large crack in the leading edge – a very common problem on Bonanzas. (The flap was sent out for repair, and reinstalled, as part of the selling process.)

This crack can be seen by looking outboard and forward inside the open inspection hole in the flap in the following photo:

The following photo shows the forward nose gear rod end that was replaced, along with the nose gear down spring and some other hardware (note the small grease zerk in the side of the rod end… rod ends that are drilled for a grease zerk have been known to fail, and it’s wise to replace them with the solid type.)

Note: American Bonanza Society (ABS) recommends replacing all three rod ends for the Bonanza nose gear system every 2000 hours.

For me, the prebuy was a great experience, and I’m hopeful both the seller and the buyer feel the same way.

In my estimation, we took a really nice airplane, and made if even better… and that makes me happy!

How about you? Is your airplane perfect?

One way to see how perfect it is would be to get some other eyes on it from time to time… take it somewhere different every few years for the annual inspection.

Then, when it comes time to sell it, perhaps it will be just a little closer to perfect!

Now for my huge surprise in Florida this past week… I met a very fine gentleman at the Orlando Executive Airport, and even got a photo with him:

This is Mr. Bob Showalter, of the Showalter Flying Service in Orlando, which the family sold back in 2015.

I was grateful to meet such a fine gentleman that day, and to learn more about him and his family, and how they have contributed in such a huge and impacting way to the world of aviation.

So many people have asked me over the years if I was related to the Showalters who have the FBO in Orlando, and my answer will now be, “Not that I’m aware of, but if I was related to them, I’d be proud!”

If you’re interested in some fascinating history of Bob’s family and Showalter Flying Service, here’s a link with all kinds of interesting information, as well as a large assortment of really fun photos from years ago.

Showalter Flying Service

And here’s another one:

Showalter Airpark

Enjoy!

And Mr. Bob, it was a real pleasure to meet you sir! I was very inspired to hear you are still going strong and still flying a jet with your son!

The post “239 – When Your “Perfect” Airplane Gets a Prebuy” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This podcast episode includes the following:

Update on my CFII check ride from March 8, 2024
A description of several maintenance items on a Piper Cherokee
Some emails I received from podcast listeners, some encouraging me about my check ride, and some sharing inspiring stories of what they are doing in their aviation journeys… I love hearing about what you guys are doing!
Two resources I recommend for people who are about to take a check ride:
One is an article in the March 2024 AOPA Pilot magazine titled “Impress the Examiner” by Catherine Cavagnaro.
The second one is something our friend Leslie Caubble is doing through her new website, UltimateAviationAcademy.com (She’s providing mock oral check rides to prepare pilots for the oral portion of the check ride.)

Here’s a photo of the Piper Cherokee door stop I repaired by installing a new spring, P/N 65730-00. Now the door stop snaps nicely into the open detent, instead of closing on you while you’re getting in or out of the airplane.

The post “238 – Check Ride Thoughts & Piper Door Stop Repair” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

My CFII checkride is in three days! Yikes!

I’m excited, and I have a few butterflies as well… I just hope they are friendly butterflies

Today’s podcast episode is about checkrides, and some encouragement for all of us to move forward with whatever that next step is… whether it’s a private pilot certificate, an instrument rating, or something else.

If you’re thinking about getting a new pilot certificate or rating, I encourage you to go for it!

Let me know how things are going… I always love to hear from you guys!

The post “237 – Checkride Butterflies!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Check out this spare parts case my friend Bill created!

Although you might not want to carry that much extra stuff in YOUR airplane, it still might be worth thinking about some items to have in case of emergencies.

This podcast episode will include the following:

Some feedback from others about spare parts.
A story about a communication blunder I made a while back.
Update on getting my CFII.
And… some fun laughs and goodbye’s from my little grandson!

Enjoy the show, and leave me a message if you like!

The post “236 – Spare Parts and Tools to Carry in Your Airplane” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

The paint was eroding on the King Air 350 prop blades. After a lot of research for paint and new Hartzell decals, I was ready to begin.

Here’s where I bought the prop paint and new Hartzell decals:

aerotouchups

It was important to NOT get paint on anything other than the prop blades…

Finally, after finishing the black and gray paint, it was time to paint the white stripes (my favorite part and the part that makes the whole blade pop!)

I was very happy with the end result:

Always consult your maintenance manual before painting prop blades. It’s also a good idea to check in with your favorite prop shop for tips and advice as well.

Other items discussed in this podcast episode:

The bad audio in episode 234 and how it’s been fixed.
Finishing the Aerostar annual and the two surprises at the end.
King Air fuel quantity issue, and replacing a fuel probe.
King Air battery capacity test and reconditioning charge.

The post “235 – Ugly Propellers and What to Do About Them” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

I’ll get right to it… I think it was because one of the brushes in the heater combustion fan motor was severely worn, and when the motor / combustion fan did not run, the heater did not light.

Here’s a comparison of the old brushes and the new brushes I just installed:

(The 2 old brushes are on the left.)

This episode also includes the nose gear support structure rivets that needed to be replaced:

Now you might be wondering, “What kind of airplane is this?!”

It’s an Aerostar… a great airplane, but like all airplanes, it does take some maintenance.

And one area that needs to be inspected closely is the nose gear support structure. (The rivets in the above photo are in a bracket that supports the nose gear door rod shaft. The bolt below the center red arrow holds the left side of the shaft in place in the nose gear well.)

Listen to the audio to hear the complete list of squawks being addressed in this year’s annual inspection.

Have a great week!

The post “234 – Why the Airplane’s Heater Didn’t Light Last Winter” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Mike Garcia has become a good friend over the past year or so. Recently we completed his annual inspection together, and he really enjoyed working on his airplane while learning more about what’s under the surface! Mike was my guest on the podcast this week, so be sure to listen to the audio for that […]

Be sure to scroll down to see how my Maui Gold Pineapple plant turned out! (It’s been growing in a pot here at our house for a very long time

Now for this week’s podcast:

I had the opportunity to do an annual inspection on Ben’s Piper Comanche, and he sent me this photo after he flew home when the work was completed… thanks Ben!

Ben and his wife, along with their A&P, had recently put a ton of work into the engine change. Just looking at the engine, you can see the great attention to details that makes it look amazing:

In this episode, I talked about some highlights from the inspection, and also included a voice message from another listener who also has a Piper Comanche. Be sure to listen to the audio for the details.

One issue Ben had was that a couple times, his starter would not turn at all… like there was an issue with the electrical system.

I found 2 things:

One, the battery ground cable connection to the airframe was suspect, so I installed a bigger ring terminal on the ground cable and moved it to a better airframe ground location.

Secondly, the battery positive cable connection to the battery contactor was not tight enough, and I could wiggle the cable back and forth… I noticed this because the split lock washer was not pressed flat and it was obvious it was not tight enough. Check it out:

Ben’s airplane was already very nice, and after we fixed a few more things during the annual inspection, I’m confident it’s even nicer!

Next up is my Maui Gold Pineapple…

Note: Thank you John and Leslie Caubble, for making this whole story possible!

Listen to the audio for the full story, but here’s a little about it:

I’ve been growing this little pineapple for a long time here at our house, and it finally grew a pineapple.

This little plant survived a few winter seasons here, being moved in and out of the house… it was a great day when it began to bloom, and that’s a whole story in itself:

Over time, the little pineapple grew.

… and grew.

Then one day, a thunderstorm hit our area and broke the stalk:

Thankfully, it was nearly ripe and I put it on the kitchen counter among other things Maria had there:

When the day came to cut open the pineapple, I was very pleasantly surprised… it was the sweetest and best tasting pineapple we’d ever eaten!

Now here’s an opportunity:

You can taste the awesomeness of Maui Gold Pineapples, and help the people of Maui at the same time:

This pineapple plantation lost a store front in the terrible fire, and one way to help during this very difficult time is to order pineapples… I ordered a case of them yesterday, and I’m inviting you to join me. Here’s the link:

https://mauipineapplestore.com/

Thanks for helping… they will appreciate it!

And lastly for today… the motorcycle… listen to the audio to find out what happened to my truck, and why I quickly got my motorcycle re-registered so I could ride it while my truck is being repaired. (I’ve been trying to sell the motorcycle, and now I’m glad I still have it for now!)

Have a great day everyone!

The post: “232 – A Piper, A Pineapple, and a Motorcycle” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

In this week’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about: King Air flying. Listener feedback from the last episode on “Phantom Cylinder Cracks.” The latest annual inspection I’m involved in. … and a few other things! I’m in the midst of an annual inspection on a Piper Comanche. I might talk more about this one in a […]

Do you think these really are cracks between the spark plug bosses and the fuel injector bosses? (Cirrus SR22 Continental engine.) The owner of a Cirrus SR22 was told by a service center he had 4 cracked cylinders on his engine. However, after taking a closer look and bringing their most experienced technicians together to […]

The charging system was not working, but why? There was normal voltage at the alternator field terminal. The field circuit resistance seemed normal as well. But the alternator was not producing the normal 28 volts during operation. Occasionally, it would produce a small amount of output voltage, like 25 or 26 volts, and then drop […]

Dan and Jeanne are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, so it’s always a privilege to work on their airplane. It was annual inspection time, and the compression test on cylinder #1 was 25/80. The borescope showed a corresponding reason for the low compression… the exhaust valve had an uneven appearance, indicating […]

This Bonanza had a problem in the landing light wiring circuit. All kinds of weird things were happening when the light was turned on in flight. You can listen to the podcast audio for more details on this squawk. I removed the induction filter cover and the landing light assembly and inspected the wiring. It […]

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning at KSHD, and we had the maintenance hangar door open with a good view of the runway. A nice, red and white Piper Lance made a perfect landing on runway 5. As the airplane taxied up to the ramp, I thought, “It would be nice to meet that guy, […]

And the winner is… Ben Moroze! Recently, in podcast episode #223, I asked for help in identifying an ATC intersection we flew over on our way into Dulles Airport, (KIAD) awhile back. I remembered it sounded something like “you-dee-ah” or something similar. Maybe something like “UDIYA” except that’s not it. Well, Ben emailed me after […]

Recently, I received an email from Jim Janaitus, owner of a Cessna 182. He told me the story of lapping an exhaust valve on his engine because the valve showed signs of burning even though the compression was still in the high 60’s. Take a look at the appearance of the valve before lapping: The […]

In the beginning of this week’s podcast episode, I want to give a big congratulations to my friend, Chris Wieczorek, who recently got his A&P certificate!

Listen to the audio to find out how Chris pursued getting his A&P in the midst of being a full time attorney and engineer with a wife and 4 kids!

Chris, you are an inspiration! Well done!

This week I also had the opportunity to take care of a couple issues on my friend, Dave Ovad’s Bonanza… you can hear more about these items as well in the podcast:

We turned up his full power fuel flow a bit to bring the CHT’s down.
We installed a couple very specific washers in his nose gear retraction linkage at the idler arm connection. The washer part number is 100951CR016YF.

It’s always good to see Dave!

Now for the Piper Cherokee… this is the one I’m completing an annual inspection on, along with some squawk repairs.

Here’s a list of some items on the Cherokee we discuss in this podcast episode:

Resealing and lubing the fuel selector valve.
Installing a new flash tube in the tail strobe light.
Replacing the old style throttle and mixture control rod ends with the new rod end bearing style rod ends.
Replacing one cowling pin bushing (part number 69790-000.)
Installing a new 28L battery in the ELT remote switch in the instrument panel.

The final two items we talk about in this episode are two different electrical issues on two different airplanes.

The first one is an A36 Bonanza, and the new alternator has been dropping off line. (The alternator was replaced again and then the voltage regulator, at another airport, and that did not fix the problem.)

Through Beechtalk, we discovered a fix for this issue has been developed, where you install a special part number capacitor between the F1 and F2 terminals on the alternator, thus dampening out the voltage spikes that sometimes happen during the break-in phase of a new alternator.

Hopefully this will solve the problem!

The second electrical problem is on a Cessna 210, and it’s one of those weird and frustrating situations that’s hard to figure out. It does fine on the ground, and then in the air, the alternator output circuit breaker is popping intermittently. (Although I need to verify this directly with the owner.)

Hopefully we can solve this one soon as well.

The final phase of this podcast episode is about a couple recent flights in a King Air 200. One of these was to Dulles (KIAD) and how we were routed onto the approach. We usually fly KSHD direct to CSN (Cassanova VOR) and then direct to IAD.

This time, we would be landing on 19C, and we were cleared “After CSN, turn left direct to” (and here’s where I can’t remember the name of the intersection, and it’s driving me crazy!) It was something that sounded like “you-dee-ah” or something like that. Maybe something like “UDIYA” except that’s not it.

If you know what this fix or intersection is called, please let me know… thanks!

Thanks for listening to the podcast, and have a great week!

The post “223 – Piper Cherokee Annual and Other Maintenance Adventures” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

I inspected another A36 Bonanza recently, and one of the cylinder compressions was too low… lower than the minimum prescribed by Continental using the master orifice tool.

I had two options:

Option One: Remove the cylinder for repair or replacement.

Option Two: Make the exhaust valve seal better and improve the compression result in hopes of saving the cylinder from premature amputation.

I chose Option Two.

It was at least worth a try…

… and the result was stunning!

After lapping the valve in place and installing a new rotocoil, I ran the engine again and rechecked the compression.

It was 75/80!

The lowest cylinder on the engine was now the highest cylinder.

I also lapped the exhaust valve in cylinder #2, and that one improved from 49/80 to 63/80.

If you’d like more info about valve lapping, click here for episode 109.

Another surprise during the inspection was a cracked / leaking exhaust riser.

Here’s a close-up view of the bad area:

Also in this episode, I talked about some other squawks that were repaired during the inspection. Be sure to listen to the audio for all the details.

In Part Two of this episode, I talked about our most recent trip in the King Air. It was quite an adventure navigating some weather situations!

The post “222 – How an Engine Cylinder Went From 25/80 to 75/80!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Maui is simply amazing!

Maria and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and here are some highlights. (And for the aviation maintenance portion of the trip, see the last episode, 220.)

So many indescribably beautiful beaches to see:

Maria and her new friend, Firmiana, at the Upcountry Farmers Market… the most amazing farmer’s market I’ve ever seen!

Maria was right at home with all the fresh fruits and vegetables.

A ridiculously delicious dessert at Kimo’s in Lahaina… Hula Pie. Chocolate cookie thin crust, Macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, mac nut pieces, and whipped cream!

Gus’ Shave Ice! It’s the best shave ice on Maui… made with frozen fruit.

Our new friends, Melissa and JT, who we met in line at “The Cinnamon Roll Place” in Kihei.

A super amazing air tour with Leslie and Erica.

A favorite stop on The Road to Hana, Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread.

Waianapanapa State Park, home of the famous “Black Sand Beach.”

Crazy-good pizza and salad at Hana Farms.

Haleakala, the famous 10,000 foot volcano and crater.

Driving back down the mountain… watching for cows along the road and continuous switch-back turns.

After a most amazing two weeks, it was time to leave our little ohana, our home-away-from-home.

…and after all the wonderful-ness, it was time to say goodbye to John and Leslie and return to the mainland.

Thank you John and Leslie for such a super-awesome time on Maui!

If you ever make a trip to Maui, be sure to check out John and Leslie’s websites… the information they provide is a game-changer for planning a Maui adventure:

The Aloha 360 Podcast with John and Leslie Caubble. These episodes have tons of must-have information for a trip to Maui.

The Road to Hana Audio Guide. Learn about the best stops along the Road to Hana, some of which you would drive right past without a guide like this. (Be sure NOT to miss “Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread” on the Keanae peninsula!)

The Fly Maui Flight School at Kahalui Airport (OGG.) A scenic tour from the air is an absolutely incredible perspective!

The Ultimate Air Maui indoor trampoline park. This is a local favorite for kids’ birthday parties.

We arrived on Maui the evening of March 27 and were greeted by our friends, John and Leslie Caubble, with a “lei greeting” which is a warm welcome with a beautiful ring of fresh flowers around your neck.

We were there to do several things:

Connect with our friends, the Caubbles.
Work on the flight school airplanes.
Enjoy a wonderful vacation.
See amazing sights and taste amazing food!

The trip was truly epic.

In this episode, I focused mainly on the airplane side of things.

In the next episode, I’ll talk about the incredible airplane ride Leslie took us on, and also some of the other adventures we enjoyed.

So here we go… the morning after we arrived, Leslie gave me a tour of the airport and turned me loose to begin a 100 hour inspection on one of the flight school Cessna 172’s.

I unpacked my tools and supplies and “set up shop” in the T-hangar.

The first few days, I was overwhelmed and I was having a blast, all at the same time!

Getting used to a new situation, inspecting the airplane, and fixing the things that needed fixing were all worthwhile challenges, and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.

And, it turned out that all three of the school’s airplanes came due for 100 hour inspection within about the same week. I did one of the inspections, and helped with the other two.

What an adventure!

Occasionally, I’d take some time to go enjoy a local beach with my wife Maria before going to the airport… there are so many great beaches to choose from!

We packed so much into our short 2 weeks on Maui, and I’ll share some of those adventures in the next episode.

The day before we left was Easter Sunday, and we were so blessed by the 7 am service with John and Leslie at Hope Chapel in Kihei.

Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much) to John and Leslie for an absolutely amazing time on Maui!

… and more to come in the next episode!

P.S. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Maui, it’s totally worth it! I highly recommend the following resources that will make your trip so much better:

The Aloha 360 Podcast with John and Leslie Caubble. These episodes have tons of must-have information for a trip to Maui.

The Road to Hana Audio Guide. Learn about the best stops along the Road to Hana, some of which you would drive right past without a guide like this. (Be sure NOT to miss “Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread” on the Keanae peninsula!)

The Fly Maui Flight School at Kahalui Airport (OGG.) A scenic tour from the air is an absolutely incredible perspective!

It took some significant detective work and deciphering to solve this mystery.

The brake caliper at the top of the photo was the wrong part number for the A36 Bonanza I was working on.

The one at the bottom of the photo is a serviceable one we found on eBay. It was the correct one, and the 1/8 inch extra depth at the edges of the caliper made all the difference.

This problem apparently went unnoticed for an undetermined amount of time.

The only reason I discovered the problem was because I installed new brake linings and after reassembling the brake caliper, the wheel would not turn at all. Everything seemed to be working fine with the worn linings.

But new linings made it too tight for the wheel to turn.

After installing the correct brake caliper, everything was back to normal.

What an ordeal! I’m glad it’s fixed.

In this week’s podcast episode, I talked about the brake situation above, and about some flying from this week.

Here’s a sampling of the places I had the opportunity to fly to this past week:

Near Myrtle Beach SC.
Pennsylvania
New York
Montpelier VT
Chattanooga TN
Dalton GA

And just for fun, here’s a photo of the King Air on the ramp in Vermont… we put the engine and pitot covers on for the night while we were there.

Thanks for checking out the podcast! The next episode might just come from Maui! We’ll see.

The post “219 – I Installed New Brake Lingings and the Wheel Would Not Turn!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.

Not long ago, there was an oil leak on the right engine of a Cessna 414. The leak was significant enough to come out the louvers on the top cowling in flight. There was oil all over the rear inboard area of the engine, so the big question was, “Where is the oil leak coming from,” or “Where is the source?”

With so many possibilities, it was difficult to find the leak.

After multiple cleanings and ground runs, it was becoming more clear.

It was still however, hard to be certain. It seemed to be coming from the inboard forward base of the oil cooler. A flashlight and small mirror were somewhat helpful to see the area:

The borescope was also helpful to take a closer look:

Finally, after making the best evaluation I could without disassembling anything, I told the owner I was fairly certain the oil cooler was leaking… it seemed there might be a small crack in the oil cooler.

The annual inspection was already scheduled for this airplane, so it made a good time to verify the oil leak. The owner is an A&P, and he removed the oil cooler himself. I was hoping I had not steered him down the wrong path on this one!

He discovered it’s not an easy task to remove the oil cooler from his engine, but he persisted and got it done.

He sent me a text message and told me he had removed the oil cooler and when they first looked at it, he was not sure it was cracked. But after pressurizing it with 5 pounds of air pressure, the leak was obvious.

About the oil cooler, he told me “I tell you it was a job getting that off.”

The black circled area is where the crack was:

And here’s the really fun part… watch this video to see the bubbles confirming the source of the oil leak:

Here’s the engine after the oil cooler was removed… definitely “major surgery!”

This was the main maintenance topic in this week’s podcast, and we also talked about these items as well:

Aerostar voltage regulator adjustment.
Alternator charging system troubleshooting.
Our upcoming trip to Maui!

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you in the next episode!

The post “218 – Engine Oil was Seeping Out of the Top Cowling” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

I recently removed a magneto from a Piper Cherokee, and my curiosity about why the magneto had failed got the best of me.

I took the mag home, sat down at the kitchen table, put my grandson Spencer on my lap, and took the magneto apart! It was great fun having him help me

Before long, we had the case apart, and it quickly became obvious why the magneto wasn’t working… there were 6 broken teeth on the distributor gear! And 3 of the broken teeth were together in a row, making it impossible for the distributor gear to mesh with the drive gear… this mag was completely dead.

It had been more than 600 hours since the last 500 hour magneto inspection.

I wonder how long it had been since the first tooth broke… we’ll never know.

But it does remind me of the importance of doing 500 hour magneto inspections. For Part 91 airplanes, it’s a recommendation and not a requirement, but in this case, I think the recommendation is a really good one.

You can listen to the podcast episode for more details about the troubleshooting process on the magneto, and here are some other items also included in this episode:

Some King Air flying this week (I never get tired of the “view from the office!”)
Our complex ATC clearances we received on the way to the Boston area.
The annual inspection I’m currently doing on an A36 Bonanza… here’s the overhauled alternator drive coupling I installed because the old one failed the slippage torqe test:
Our IA renewal seminar at Blue Ridge Community College… it’s always a good time to see friends, learn some things, and satisfy the FAA requirements to keep my IA certificate current.
And finally, Maria and I are getting very excited about our trip to Hawaii! We’re going to visit John and Leslie Caubble on Maui, and I’ll be working with them on the flight school airplanes at FlyMauiHI.com It’s going to be a grand adventure!

The post “217 – Does Your Magneto Have Any Broken Teeth?” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Here’s the short answer: Worn and contaminated brushes inside the alternator. Check it out:

My theory is that the excessive amount of carbon dust from brush wear was causing a short circuit situation between the brushes, and not allowing the field circuit in the alternator rotor to be properly energized for normal operation.

Here’s a comparison of the old and new brushes:

This story comes from a recent situation on the right engine of this Aerostar aircraft:

Since the alternator has externally removable brushes, it turned out to be a minimally invasive surgery to fix the problem. I cleaned the brush holder and also the slip rings inside the alternator, and after installing new brushes and reassembling everything, the alternator performed flawlessly.

Listen to the audio to hear the full story.

This episode also covers some of the email responses I received last week from some listeners, and here’s one of the highlights:

Glen sent me a photo of he and his dad in front of his Piper Cherokee… I love to see different generations enjoying aviation adventures together!

One more fun fact: Glen’s mom took her private pilot check ride years ago with Glen in the back seat of their Cessna 175 when he was 3 weeks old! What a great story!

Thanks Glen, for sharing some of your story with us!

This episode also covers a recent trip to Charlotte in another Aerostar, and the interesting routing we got from ATC on the way there… definitely some great IFR and ATC lessons to observe and learn from this one!

The Charlotte trip also sparked some conversation about twin engine charging systems, and paralleling issues that can happen… this situation is still in process, and I’ll try to give an update sometime in the future.

Finally, I had the privilege of joining Carl Valeri, Tom Frick, and Bill English on episode 301 “What is Your Most Challenging Approach” of the Stuck Mic AvCast. It was great fun talking about challenging approaches, both instrument and visual approaches.

Here’s a link where you can listen:

SMAC301 What Is Your Most Challenging Approach?

I also highly encourage you to check out Carl Valeri’s Aviation Careers Podcast:

http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/

You can also find the Aviation Careers Podcast on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/@AviationCareersPodcast

The post “216 – WHY is the alternator not working?!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Clark and his family came to Virginia to visit his mom recently, and on the way up from Florida, the right vacuum pump quit working… as often happens when a vacuum pump quits, the drive shaft had sheared off, saving the engine from catastrophic damage.

In times like these, a good question to ask is, “What does this make possible?”

In this case, it made it possible to tackle a maintenance project with a good friend!

You can listen to the audio in this week’s podcast to hear about how I got to know Clark, and how he became the kind of friend I would want to go the extra mile for, whenever I can.

We changed the broken vacuum pump, installed new filters, and got him all set for the trip back home. (Ask him if he got to fly much on the trip… the answer would be no, because his wife is learning to fly and she took over the controls for most of the trip

It’s always fun when you can get an airline captain turning wrenches! Clark is very mechanically inclined, and I think the whole experience put a big smile on his face.

Another highlight recently on a Saturday morning was when I took my mom for an airplane ride… she’s 86 years old and still very happy to get in a little airplane and go flying! We had a great time flying around the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. You’ll hear about this story in this episode as well.

And finally, my wife Maria and I have an exciting trip planned in just over a month from now… we’re going to Hawaii for the first time! Our friends, John and Leslie Caubble, operate a flight school on Maui, so we’re going to visit them and I get to help work on the flight school airplanes… we’re super excited about this adventure!

You can learn A LOT more about John and Leslie through their two podcasts, The Aloha 360, and Fly Maui. They are simply GREAT people!

https://www.flymauihi.com/blog

https://www.thealoha360.com/podcast

The post, “215 – Vacuum Pump Adventure with Clark, my Airline Captain Friend” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

This is a good looking exhaust valve with a nice concentric appearance. However, the compression was very low at 8/80.

I lapped the valve, hoping it would improve the compression test result… it only came up to 10/80, and that was after running the engine again and getting it nice and hot.

Although the valve face showed a healthy appearance, the seating area was telling a different story. Check out the following borescope photo of the seating area showing a possible leaking area:

It appeared there was abnormal wear on the valve seat, and the valve was not able to seal well, causing an unacceptably low compression result.

Listen to the audio for more details on this one.

I asked the question, “Borescope or compression tester… which one is better?”

Let me know what you think after listening. I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

Just click the button over to the right and record a brief audio message for me.

Thanks!

We ended up sending cylinder #5 out for repair, and then reinstalling it.

We did a test flight today, and everything went very well… ready to go for another year!

Here are some links to information on cylinder / engine break-in procedures:

Lycoming SI1427C

Proper Engine Break-In

Engine Break-In: It’s Easier Than You Think

Savvy Aviation / EAA webinar slides by Mike Busch (Cylinder Break-In.)

Let me know if you find other excellent resources on this topic.

The post “214 – An Unacceptably Low Cylinder Compression” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Where are you RIGHT NOW in your aviation journey?

Have you started flight training, but stalled out along the way?
Did you finish that instrument rating?
How about the commercial certificate, or CFI, or even CFII?
Ever dream about getting your A&P?
Have you wanted to be an airline pilot for years and years?
Did you give up along the way when you ran out of money?
Maybe you want to be a fighter pilot.
Maybe you want to ferry airplanes around the world.
Or some other crazy, wonderful dream!

If you resonate with any of the above, you just might be an excellent candidate for aviation career coaching with Carl Valeri.

Last year in 2022, when I was feeling grumpy and restless in my full time A&P/IA job (and longing to fly more,) I signed up for a career coaching session with Carl Valeri.

It was one of the best decisions I made in that time of transition.

Now, I have a pilot position flying for a local company in their King Air 350, and I work part time in my previous A&P job, and I’m loving it so much more!

As I’ve shared about my work transition, I’ve heard from a fair number of people who have also thought about pursuing a flying job, or getting their A&P, etc.

My encouragement it this: If it’s in your heart to do it, and you can’t stop thinking about it, then go for it!

I know there are all kinds of obstacles to get past like fear, doubt, money, nay-sayers, etc.

But you don’t want to look back years from now and regret not going for it and at least trying to reach your dream.

If you’re in this place of decision, and you’re not sure what to do, I highly recommend contacting Carl Valeri, and signing up for an hour of his coaching.

Carl is uniquely suited to give wise counsel to people pursuing an aviation career.

He’s an airline captain and airline training instructor, aviation podcaster, and aviation career coach, with such a wide variety of experience in aviation. He certainly has his finger on the pulse of aviation at this current time.

Carl helped me sort through my ideas, put me in touch with some key people for me to talk with, and gave excellent recommendations for how I could move forward.

I’m super grateful for his wise counsel.

How about you?

Could you benefit from talking with Carl about your aviation dreams?

If yes, then sign up here: (Be aware, you may need to sign up weeks in advance since Carl’s schedule fills up quickly.)

https://valeri-aviation.thinkific.com/courses/career-coaching

In my opinion, Carl Valeri is one of the best aviation career coaches in the world… he really helped me last year when I paid for an hour of his coaching. It’s a super valuable resource, and I highly recommend him… it is money very well spent if you are trying to decide the best way to reach your aviation career goals.

If you want to get to know Carl before you sign up for coaching, the best way to do that is by listening to both of his podcasts:

Aviaton Careers Podcast

Stuck Mic Avcast

You can also check out his YouTube channel, and watch the videos there.

Toward the end of last year (2022) I sent Carl an audio message to update him on my new flying job and to thank him for his excellent counsel.

He included my message in a recent podcast episode that is also on YouTube. I had no idea he had included so many special effects in the video.

If you haven’t already watched the video, scroll back to the top and watch it.

Thank you Carl Valeri, for all you do to encourage us and help us reach our aviation goals and dreams! We appreciate you!

I have one more friend I want to thank in this episode… Donnie Simmons.

Something was driving me crazy in the King Air when I would hook up the GPU to the airplane and work with the avionics in the hangar.

There was constant static in the copilot side headset, and I could not get it turned off… it was driving me nuts!

Finally the other day, Donnie sat in the airplane with me and I showed him what I’d been noticing.

He helped me with multiple things, but here’s the one that really surprised me:

Donnie suggested that perhaps the LED hangar lights were breaking the squelch in the radio, and that is why there was constant static.

So I walked over to the circuit breaker panel and turned off the 4 hangar light breakers, and sure enough, NO MORE STATIC!

Thank you Donnie!

Another valuable lesson learned, and I’ll know for next time.

The post “213 – Stellar Advice for YOUR Aviation Career” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

How long should the battery last in a small, piston-powered airplane?

That’s a great question, and we are talking about it in this week’s podcast episode.

Tune in to hear the story behind this 24 volt battery in the photo, as well as the story of another battery, a 12 volt one in a Citabria owned by our good friends, Leon and Wynne Johenning. (Find out what prompted him to replace the battery.)

The post “212 – Is Your Airplane’s Battery Too Old?” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

I had an opportunity to fly in an Aerostar the other day… it was going to be a fairly long trip to the destination, with one fuel stop along the way.

As we climbed out of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia toward the mountains to the West, we discovered the combustion heater for keeping the cabin warm was not working. After a brief conversation about what to do, we decided to keep going. Our two passengers seemed willing to tolerate the cold if they could still get to their destination. Thankfully, it was not as cold as it could have been for a January day.

We arrived at the destination on schedule and although we were at a small town airport, there was a small general aviation maintenance shop there, and one of the guys agreed to take a look at our heater.

As he removed the spark plug from the heater, the ignition lead came apart and a piece of it stayed down in the spark plug. Amazingly, he had the necessary part to fix the ignition lead, and the heater lit right up, no problem.

The trip home was wonderfully smooth and uneventful… and the heater worked!

Although we don’t hope to repeat that experience any time soon, we certainly made a memory that day.

I wish I had the freedom to tell you about the town we were at… it’s a cool name, and the AvGas price was great ($5.00 per gallon!)

Also in this episode, I talked about our recent trip to Greensboro NC for a service center update to our avionics system. Since the weather cleared up quicker than I expected, I managed to snag a few photos of the King Air the morning we dropped it off.

Have a great week… see you next time!

The post “211 – A Cold Flight in an Aerostar!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Here are the highlights you’ll find in this podcast episode:

My latest assignment at Classic Aviation – Installing the freshly overhauled engine in a Cessna 172 that is almost complete after an extensive rebuild process.
Some emails I’ve received from listeners with fun feedback of multiple types.
Some listener thoughts about home simulator systems.
Some resources I’ve found helpful in sharpening up ATC communication skills.

Here are some of those fantastic resources:

Live ATC: Choose an ATC facility somewhere in the country, and listen in! LiveATC.net
Jeff Kanarish and ATCCommunication.com
Radar Contact Podcast by Jeff Kanarish.
Pilot Workshops resources at PilotWorkshops.com
Opposing Bases Podcast – 2 guys who are both air traffic controllers AND pilots, and they laugh a lot! This is a great resource to hear about real world situations between ATC and pilots, and how to deal with weird or out of the ordinary situations. OpposingBases.com

A big thank you to all the listeners who have sent information and thoughts about home simulators! This is a great way to practice instrument approaches without burning any gas

The post “210 – Cessna 172 Engine Install / Good ATC Talk” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

But first… My friend and podcast listener, Chris Wieczorek, flew into SHD recently and we ate burgers for lunch. It was a win-win. I provided the ground transportation, and he bought lunch!

https://oldschoolburgerbus.com/

The conversation was very inspiring to me, and Chris was kind enough to send more feedback later in an email, with some thoughts about the future of this podcast among other things.

Go ahead and listen to the audio for more of Chris’ thoughts.

Thank you Chris!

Oh, and he decided to go with the burger that is my wife’s favorite… the “Bacon ‘N Blue.” I stuck with my ‘ol favorite, the “Philly Cheeseburger.”

This episode also includes some concluding thoughts about this Bonanza:

Since I’m still working part time at Classic Aviation LLC, I’m able to continue with some selected maintenance like the annual inspection on this Bonanza.

I rolled it out of the shop the other day and did the post-annual engine runup. Here are some specific things I needed to check and why:

Check propeller for proper operation and no leaks (it was overhauled.)
Check prop heat for proper operation (new deice brushes and new heating elements on prop blades.)
Check alternator for proper operation (new alternator and drive coupling.)
Check analog RPM gauge (repaired broken ground wire connection.)
Check for no leaks at crankshaft seal (new seal was installed.)
Check the #2 EGT (a new probe was installed.)

Everything worked well, and the airplane is finished including the paperwork. Listen to the audio for more details.

In the second part of this episode, I shared the responses I received after sending out an email about the approach we flew into JFK recently. There were some really fun ones in there, including some airline pilots who have flown that very approach, the RNAV Z 13L approach into JFK. Thanks to everyone who sent feedback on that one!

Among the responses, Troy sent me a link for a great video to see what the “lead-in lights look like at night for that approach. Check it out:

Follow the lights to the runway! New York JFK 13L approach and landing!

Thanks Troy… that was super cool to see!

The post “209 – Responses from Airline Pilots, and Finishing a Bonanza Annual” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Happy new year friends!

In today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about the following:

The airplane I’m currently working on.
My recent King Air trip to JFK, and the interesting approach we got that day.
A couple listener emails.

Thanks for listening… see you in the next episode!

Recently, Seth and I spent part of a weekend at a remote mountain cabin location, and we decided it would be a great time to record a conversation about the career changes both of us have made.

I love this conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as well.

I’m so proud of my son and the things he’s doing at 23 years old.

How about you?

Is it time for a change in your career or in your life?

Many of us eventually arrive at a place in life where we are longing for something different, especially in our careers.

If you’re feeling burned out, grumpy, and restless, perhaps it’s time for a career change… I encourage you to go for it, and see what new thing might be out there for you!

The post, “207 – A Fantastic Conversation With My Son Seth!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’ve been deer hunting with my daughter McKenzie this week, and so far, she got a button buck, and I got a doe… she’s trying to get a good supply of venison in her freezer for the winter. Last evening was one of the rare times we didn’t see any deer, but […]

A week and a half ago, I flew a Cessna 150 from KSHD to Hannah Field near Monterey, Virginia in Highland County. It was a Saturday morning coffee-and-donuts fly-in hosted by the owners of the private airstrip, along with our local EAA group. The Shenandoah Valley is full of all kinds of aviation enthusiasts! Thanks […]

In this podcast episode, I’m sharing my experience of going through the training course for a Type Rating in the King Air 350. FlyRight in Concord, North Carolina was definitely the best choice for this training! Home Page FlyRight is a very professional training center with a family-type feel about it. They specialize in King […]

Listen to the audio for this episode to hear what Dean’s been up to recently, and why there have not been many podcast episodes in recent weeks. I’m transitioning out of the maintenance shop and into a flying job, and I’m very excited about the new season in front of me. Feel free to leave […]

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Have you ever seen one of these? It’s a SureFly Ignition Module, or “SIM” for short: I recently had an opportunity to install one on an E33A Bonanza, so I thought I’d do a podcast episode about it. Hopefully you’ll find this information helpful if you’re considering a SureFly, and for me, I find it […]

You guys know I love out-of-the-ordinary things, and my recent flight review definitely qualifies as one of those! First, my good friend and excellent flight instructor worked me over in the ground portion of the flight review. Here are some things we covered: VFR sectional chart information and interpretation. Briefing an IFR approach plate. Working […]

I recently inspected a Piper Saratoga, and I found the following condition on the right exhaust collector: Earlier this week, I sent this photo to my email subscribers and asked if they would change this piece of exhaust if it was on their airplane. I received a huge response about this, with a large range […]

Chris Saindon, a podcast listener and owner of a Cessna 172G, contacted me with a different, and important perspective that I had completely overlooked. I recently told of a landing gear light in a Piper Seminole, and how the pilots had done some in-flight troubleshooting when the right gear down light did not illuminate. I’ve […]

This was what happened recently in a Piper Seneca… and in this episode, we discuss why the alternator quit… it was something I totally was not expecting. After verifying the field connections (power and ground) were good, and the brushes were nearly perfect, I removed the alternator. And here is what I found… watch this […]

This fuel injector line must have only been attached finger tight when the fuel injectors were reinstalled after cleaning. The engine ran fine at first, but all of a sudden during one engine run, the #5 EGT took a nose dive, and the #5 CHT immediately started dropping off as well. The above photo was […]

When an airplane engine is making a small amount of ferrous metal, but the evidence is not totally conclusive, the decision to tear it apart, or not, can be gut-wrenching. Such was the case for the O-540 engine in a turbo Cessna 182RG I’ve been working on at Classic Aviation LLC. But after the owners […]

This episode is a good one! If you’re thinking about buying an airplane, stop right now and listen to this episode, because Adam Sipe can absolutely save you lots of time, money and needless frustration in the process of buying an airplane. He shared so much valuable wisdom in this episode, and I can’t wait […]

That’s a good question, and although I don’t have the full story, we will toss around some possibilities in this episode. Thanks to all of you who responded with some really good guesses about the cause. I received responses from 33 people after I sent out that email recently! The prevailing guess about the cause […]

My good friend, Clark Trobaugh, flew into KSHD this past week, and while he was visiting with his family, I walked over to his airplane on the ramp and noted a few things that needed attention… Here’s the one that prompted Clark’s brother Scott to send me a text that said, “Thanks for looking out […]

In this episode, we are talking about two different exhaust valves, both of which showed signs of burning when we looked at them with the borescope. One valve was in the beginning stages of burning, and the other was too far gone. Scroll down for more info and some photos. We also talk a bit […]

It’s been a long and in-depth annual inspection, along with the extensive list of squawk repairs. But it’s a great airplane, and I’d love to fly it if I had the opportunity! In today’s podcast, we cover the remaining squawks on this airplane, concluding with scale weighing the aircraft, and sending it back out into […]

In episode 188, we covered the first 30 squawks on a Cessna 172 that’s in the shop for an annual inspection and a bunch of repairs. In this episode, we are tackling another chunk of the squawks and repairs. Here’s a sampling: Under the pilot instrument panel, some wiring was tied to one of the […]

It certainly looked like a crusty old engine when we removed the cowling for the annual inspection. The exterior is one thing… but perhaps even more importantly, I wondered about the internal condition of the engine. Surprisingly, the borescope showed the cylinders to be in amazingly good condition on the inside. Perhaps this was partially […]

In today’s podcast episode, I talked about this specific SR22, and some maintenance I was involved in… scroll down for some related photos. But first, I just wanted to say the SR22 is a great airplane! Here are some of the “wonders” of an SR22, as I see it: It’s a beautiful aircraft! It feels […]

From left: Arthur, Dave, Mervin, Dean (I got to work with these guys last Monday at Classic Aviation., when Dave had me lap the exhaust valves in cylinders 3 and 5.) Scroll down for more info about this valve lapping adventure. Diamond DA40 annual inspection – here are some squawks we discuss in this episode: […]

I’ve just completed the installation for a B&C Specialties standby alternator system on an E33A Bonanza. It’s a fantastic system, and I talked about it in today’s podcast episode. Be sure to listen for a caution about the right magneto when installing a new oil seal in the drive adapter for the standby alternator. Here […]

AirVenture was a fantastic experience once again! In addition to the audio podcast for this episode, I also made a video using some of my favorite photos… here’s the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/VlErN8RQNrQ Don’t forget to click the “Store” tab above and check out the resources there. If you have any questions, click the button that […]

Here’s a sampling of items I’m planning to use for one of my presentations at Oshkosh this year. It’s called “Lapping Valves & Saving Cylinders.” I’d love to see you there if you’re attending Airventure this year. It’s on Thursday afternoon, July 29, from 4-5:15 pm in Workshop Classroom C. We’ll be lapping the exhaust […]

Note: I’m offering a 30% discount on the new shock strut servicing video course from now until Monday night, July 12 at midnight Eastern Daylight time. Use the code “STRUT” for a 30% discount and pay only $67 instead of the normal price of $97. Now for the engine failure story: They got stopped about […]

We had a great webinar last evening! Thanks to all who showed up on the call. If you were not able to join us, but would like to see the replay, here’s the link: The webinar replay will be available for the next 7 days. Additionally, the much more detailed training is now available in […]

It’s almost time to make the journey to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for Airventure 2021! I hope to see you there… I’m super excited to give 2 presentations this year: Here’s the first one: Lapping Valves & Saving Cylinders Thursday, July 29 · 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM in Workshop Classroom C. And the second presentation: Borescope Your […]

Listen to the podcast episode to hear how Jeff bailed me out on this one! (The gasket between the halves of the turbo broke as I was trying to rotate the halves to reseal an oil fitting.) We also talked in this episode about two upcoming opportunities: I’ll be presenting a Zoom webinar on Friday, […]

We’ll talk about these photos in this week’s podcast episode, and how they explain the problem Aram was having with his propeller. (Photos courtesy of Dave Pasquale of Pasquale Aviation LLC.) Dave is removing the prop to be sent out for repair, and will reinstall it when the repair is finished. But first, I want […]

He departed KSHD yesterday in his super-nice P35 Bonanza, headed for his home airport in Pennsylvania. The ground runup was normal, and things were looking good as he approached his cruising altitude of 7000 feet. But as he leveled off, Aram discovered he could not control his propeller / engine RPM… it was overspeeding regardless […]

A nice airplane deserves a high-quality owner, and that’s exactly what this amazing P35 Bonanza has. Aram takes meticulously good care of it. In today’s episode, you’ll hear why I think Aram is the best kind of airplane owner, and some lessons you might want to consider for maintaining your airplane as well. lf you […]

Does your airplane’s shock strut need fluid? Does it need nitrogen? … or air? And more importantly, could you service the strut safely? If you’ve ever had a low strut, you know it can be very frustrating. Sometimes it can be challenging to sort through all the maintenance manual information, your POH information, your local […]

I received an email recently from Spence, the owner of an S35 Bonanza with a Turbo-Normalized IO-520 engine. He included a picture of his #2 cylinder exhaust valve. Here’s what it looked like: At first glance, my reaction was something like, “Oooh, that’s ugly!” The most concerning area is the spot at the 10 o’clock […]

I got an email from Michael this past week. He owns a Mooney M20J, and something strange happened with cylinder #1’s EGT and CHT recently. Michael agreed to let me share the story, so that’s the main feature in this episode. The picture above is one Michael took with his borescope while looking for any […]

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12/80! That’s a terrible compression test result. And unlike some cylinders, this one did not show any obvious reasons for the low compression… take a look at the valves after the cylinder was removed: Unless I’m missing something, I don’t see anything that would explain such a low compression number. The cylinder has been shipped […]

Can you see the problem with this exhaust muffler? Maybe a closer look will help: (The cracked area was just inside the shroud that collects heat for the cabin.) Thankfully Matt, the owner of a nice Cessna 170, had a carbon monoxide detector in his airplane that picked up the small amount of “bad gas […]

I had a surprise call this morning… my friend Eddie called and wondered if he could borrow a borescope. One of the cylinders in his Sonex’s Jabiru engine had zero compression, and he wanted to take a look inside the cylinder, especially at the exhaust valve. Since I’m always looking for a good story, it […]

Our guest for today’s episode is Autumn Duntz, an aviation interior designer and refurbishment expert… welcome Autumn! After observing some poor quality elements in a newly refurbished Beechcraft A36 Bonanza interior, I wondered how this type of thing could be avoided. After a little online research, I found Autumn’s website, AutumnElizabethDesign.com. I quickly realized she […]

Does your airplane have emergency exit windows? If so, would your passengers know how to operate them? Here’s an emergency exit window where the instructions were hardly readable: Thankfully, the lettering was etched into the panels, and a fine point Sharpie did the trick: Imagine trying to remove that window if you were completely unfamiliar… […]

In a previous episode, I shared the story about how I accidentally left a shop towel in an engine… I got some great feedback from that episode, including the picture above… a flight student found a shop towel during preflight… in a place you would not expect. It’s one more reminder to be extra-diligent during […]

Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) James Cox, a member of the Navy’s Blue Angels Team, is our guest today on the podcast! He exceeded my expectations in so many ways in our conversation, and I’m thrilled to share this interview with you. You’ll definitely want to listen to this one! Although the Blue Angels do a lot […]

Hi Friends! I have a story for you today that I wish I didn’t have. But it’s true, so we might as well learn from it. Thankfully, everything turned out well on this one. At Moody Aviation where I went to school years ago, we had a concept called “SYE.” It stood for “Share Your […]

Bob Shenk (right) is a huge fan of Luscombes… this beautifully restored aircraft was among the airplanes I got to see when I visited Bob’s place a week ago… what a pleasure that visit was! Donnie Simmons (left) is a good friend of Bob’s, and often spends his Fridays at Bob’s place, both helping with […]

I recently did an annual inspection on a Rockwell Commander, and the gear warning light was not working. Before we tell that story, I want to thank our sponsor, PilotWorkshops.com This week’s “Tip of the Week” was about emergency checklist memorization… a very interesting lesson by Sarah Fritts, a West Point graduate and Army combat […]

Without Jonathan Brush, this podcast might not exist! I’m super-thankful for his part in pushing me to launch this whole thing. I think you’ll enjoy the conversation with him today. At the end of the podcast, I asked Jonathan to talk a little about the organization he leads, called Unbound. If you’re curious after hearing […]

Our sponsor for this episode is PilotWorkshops.com Be sure to sign up for the “Tip of the Week” and you’ll receive a short, but valuable tip to make you a better pilot… it’s a fun way to learn! Click here for details. PilotWorkshops also has an excellent resource for learning about engines… it’s called “Airplane […]

Jessica is our special guest on the podcast today. She and her husband Mark, along with their 5 kids, are serving with a mission organization in Cameroon, Africa. Mark flies helicopters, and Jessica works in the maintenance shop, with plans to get her A&P certificate. I think you’ll enjoy her story! Instagram: Spanglers_in_Cameroon Check out […]

I’m so glad I got talked into this one! (Thanks Kenneth!) It turned out to be a definite highlight of the week… you can hear more about the details in the podcast audio. I want to thank PilotWorkshops.com for sponsoring the podcast. The book, “Airplane Engines: A Pilot Friendly Manual” is a resource you’ll love. […]

I installed this starter and starter adapter on a Beechcraft Debonair IO-470 engine last week… the starter adapters (or sometimes called a clutch, or starter drive,) sometimes begin to slip, and when that happens, it’s time for overhaul. It’s also recommended to overhaul the starter at the same time, or install a new one. There […]

Valve lapping is sometimes a great option for improving cylinder compression and extending the life of an exhaust valve. We’ll talk about it in today’s episode. Pilot Workshops.com is our sponsor for this episode, and I wholeheartedly recommend their resources. Be sure to sign up for the “Tip of the Week,” and receive a short, […]

Although a shop vac might not pull as much vacuum as an engine driven vacuum pump, it can still be useful for some parts of the troubleshooting process. This was just one thing we did on the path to solving a very strange vacuum problem. Listen to the story in today’s podcast episode. Our sponsor […]

This is what Josh discovered recently in his Beechcraft Debonair while getting some training in his airplane with an instructor as part of the Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP.) The gear motor was the culprit. Josh’s story is the main feature in today’s episode, but first I want to thank PilotWorkshops for sponsoring the podcast. […]

A good friend from another airport recently bought this Piper Archer, and I’ve had the opportunity to do a little maintenance on it and take a look around. This is one of three airplanes I’ve had an opportunity to look at recently… all three were in annual inspection, but I noticed a few things that […]

Josh recently purchased his 1963 Beechcraft Debonair and needed some help, so I flew to his airport and spent the good part of a day with him. We replaced a broken exhaust support angle on the right exhaust tailpipe, and then we took a good look around the airplane. It surprised me when we discovered […]

This was Jim’s story when he brought his airplane in for the annual inspection. Listen to today’s episode to find out what we did with Jim’s door latching system… he did most of the work on that issue, and I think his wife will fly with him now! Other items of interest in this episode: […]

I’ve known Tom for a long time, and what a fantastic experience it was, working with him on his annual inspection! Tom is the president of our local EAA chapter, and he’s given me numerous opportunities to speak to the group about maintenance topics. Thank you Tom, for serving our local general aviation community so […]

In today’s episode, we get to hear how John and Leslie got into aviation, and their move from Arkansas to Maui. It’s a real adventure, and I’m sure you’ll be inspired listening to their story! Be sure to also listen to their latest episode of the Fly Maui Podcast, “Don’t Let Setbacks Define You.” What […]

In today’s episode, I’m super excited to introduce John and Leslie Caubble to you! They’ve become good friends of mine in the last couple years, and they have a really inspiring aviation journey. We put together some Cessna 172 maintenance related questions, and I thought it would be a lot more fun to have them […]

You might be wondering, “How is that possible,” or “What kind of shady operation is that?!” Same here. When I first heard about the $200 annual inspection, I was skeptical… until I actually researched what Jim does and how he does it. That prompted me to call him, and he was gracious enough to take […]

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce my good friend, Aram Basmadjian! Aram has a very interesting aviation journey, and it was fun talking with him for this episode. Aram flew for Skywest Airlines for about 8 years, which was a great foundation for the flying he does today. Aram enjoys going places with his […]

The part in the yellow circle is an oil scavenge pump that returns oil back to the engine oil sump after it lubricates the turbocharger center bearings. The right side of the assembly is the adapter that fits into the engine accessory case. The left side of the assembly is the hydraulic pump that is […]

NOTE: I now have limited spots available on Fridays for one-on-one calls. Here’s how it works: Click the following link and pick a time on my calendar that works for you. https://calendly.com/deanshow/60min Send me a payment for $100 at the following link: PayPal.Me/airplaneownermaint (This is for a one-hour call.) Why would you invest in one […]

Joe Godfrey is an expert when it comes to analyzing engine data from aircraft engine monitoring systems. Joe is the Director of Operations at SavvyAnalysis, as well as a Columnist and Editor for SavvyAviation News. Not only does Joe analyze airplane engine data, but he also owns and flies his own airplane, a Bellanca Viking. […]

Note: The “Safety Wire Like A Pro!” video training course is available for one more day at 20% off (use code “canard” for discount coupon.) Read about the training here: https://airplane-owner-maintenance.teachable.com/p/safetywiring Three stories for today: Story #1: A Lycoming exhaust stud pulled out. It was disappointing, but turned out to be an inspiring learning experience. […]

What an adventure! This airplane got stranded at Wilmington, Delaware due to failure of the #2 cylinder on the Lycoming IO-360 engine. The local maintenance shop discovered the exhaust valve rocker shaft stud had broken… here’s what it looked like: Obviously, that cylinder was rendered useless… and it caused a significant power loss. Thankfully, the […]

Scroll down for pictures of some things included in today’s episode. Sitting in my truck the other day, I had a revelation. Here it is: When you are having maintenance done on your airplane, Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, is exactly backwards. Instead, it’s important to “Communicate, then Navigate, and finally Aviate.” First, communicate. TALK WITH your […]

Before we get into the places I “traveled” through FaceTime calls, I wanted to share something you might be interested in… my friends, John and Leslie Caubble (FlyMauiHI.com) now have a “Fly Maui” YouTube channel, and I recently watched their new video where they talked about ForeFlight basics… It’s called ForeFlight 101. It’s really good […]

NOTICE: UNTIL THE END OF MAY 2020, USE CODE “CANARD” FOR A 20% DISCOUNT ON MY VIDEO COURSE “SAFETY WIRE LIKE A PRO!” (Listen to the podcast to hear the story behind the word “canard” and why I chose that for the code.) Click the following link to learn about the course: https://airplane-owner-maintenance.teachable.com/p/safetywiring I received […]

——————————————————————————————————————– Special announcement: We have more pictures of Mike’s airplane, but first, I want to let you know about a Zoom call I’ve scheduled for tomorrow. I’m hoping to provide a way to get together online for some aviation encouragement in this weird time we’re in with the Corona Virus and the effects of it. […]

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to present a talk at our local IA renewal seminar about exhaust valve borescoping. I shared some of my favorite pictures – the ones that demonstrate how critically important borescoping is, and that compression testing alone is not sufficient. The following three examples are especially startling, since they showed a […]

Engine oil leaks are a common problem on small airplanes with piston engines. But how much oil leakage is too much? Here’s an indicator: If there’s oil on the nose tire, and it paints a stripe on the pavement with each revolution, that’s too much oil leakage. This was the case the other day on […]

After a successful career in computers early in life, Carl Valeri decided years ago it was time to pursue his passion for aviation. Since that time, he’s been an airline pilot, flight instructor, aviation careers coach, mentor, Piper Cherokee pilot, and many other things. Carl is well known as the host of two podcasts, the […]

“There’s no RPM drop when I select left mag, and if I turn the ignition switch off, the engine continues to run.” That’s what the owner of this Cirrus reported when he arrived at our airport the other day. One of our technicians got to work to troubleshoot the problem. Here’s what he found: The […]

I was sitting in my car that day, having lunch with my friend Matt, when we noticed the airport fire trucks were rolling out toward the runway. Although they exercise these trucks regularly, this time seemed different. And sure enough, a Piper Navajo made a low pass and it was obvious the landing gear was […]

Note: scroll to the bottom of this post for a special announcement. Have you ever experienced an inflight magneto failure? If not, you might some day… but if you take action on the recommendation in today’s episode, you can dramatically reduce the likelihood of that happening. The left mag on this Cessna 172RG failed in […]

During the recent annual inspection on Drew Wright’s Cessna 182, cylinder #1 had a low compression of 42/80. However, with the amazing technology of borescoping, he was able to take a look inside the cylinder. The nice concentric circle of deposits on the face of the exhaust valve indicates a healthy valve. Drew wondered if […]

Limited time offer on the “Safety Wire Like A Pro!” video tutorial course: (Offer good until midnight December 24, 2019. Just use code “2019” at checkout.) Click here to save 10% and become an expert! Hey, check out this 10 second video of an absolutely startling fuel leak I found this past week during a […]

Whether your airplane has a “Brackett” brand filter like the first picture, or a “Donaldson” brand filter like the second filter, or another brand like “Challenger” or something else, they all need to be clean and in good condition. The air your airplane breathes is critically important. Your engine, your vacuum instruments, and even other […]

In this week’s episode, we are talking about upgrading to a twin, and some thoughts about choosing between a twin Cessna and a Beech Baron. Thank you Simon Cail, for your email, and for permission to read the email in this episode. Simon’s decision was between a Cessna 340 and a Beechcraft Baron 58. The […]

My friend Matt and I had a plan, and it was going to be an awesome adventure. The crisp, clear morning was as nice as we could hope for on a November day in Virginia. The half hour drive from my house to the small town New Market Airport was absolutely refreshing… exhilarating even. As […]

Corrosion in the towers of a magneto can cause high resistance, and the problem will be magnified as you go up in altitude. This green corrosion could likely be cleaned up and it may improve some, but it may also indicate a good time to perform either a 500 hour inspection or an overhaul on […]

Not long ago, there was an unusual engine failure in a Cessna 182 at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. Cindy Ferek was the flight instructor on board that day, and she landed the airplane safely on the runway. Before we get into that story, I’d like to introduce Cindy. (The Cessna 172 in the following picture […]

Before we get to the fuel strainers, here are some highlights from the past couple weeks: Our local EAA chapter had its annual pig roast / fly-in / picnic at Sheldon Early’s “GMI” Greenmount International – a fun name for a country grass runway. It was a perfect evening with a bunch of great people. […]

An outstanding pilot gave me a ride in his RV7 this week, but before we get to that, here are a few things we’re talking about in this episode: A crazy wiring situation in a Cessna 180. Check out the wiring pieces I saved after installing a new wire under the instrument panel… 2. Replacing […]

I saw something not long ago while changing an aircraft tire, and it startled me for a bit, until one of my co-workers helped me remove the danger. Here’s what I saw: The picture above might look fairly normal, until you notice the bulge up near the brake disc. Take a closer look in the […]

Is there ever a good reason to fire an A&P? I think so… and in today’s episode, we’ll talk about some evidence for one of those times. Scroll down for the appalling pictures I took recently! But before that, I want to share some inspiring information related to the amazing Stinson family of airplanes. And… […]

Note: The Exhaust Valve Borescoping and Lapping Presentation at Oshkosh was so much fun, and I met some fantastic people. If you’re buying the borescope I recommended, go to AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com/119 and click the links for the borescope of your choice. Use the code “Dean” for a 10% discount. Now for the trip to Oshkosh: The […]

Scroll down to check out Dean’s favorite borescope. I have three kids, and those are my two oldest… from many years ago 🙂 Morgan, my oldest, is on the left, and Seth is on the right. I’m guessing they were around 9 and 7 years old at that time, and they’re now 22 and 20! […]

Sometimes small, general aviation airplanes get too much maintenance, and sometimes they get too little. We talk about that in today’s episode along with some real life examples. But first, I want to give a shout out to two people I have absolutely loved learning from recently because they are both excellent teachers. Chris Palmer: […]

Four things for this episode: An announcement about Oshkosh. An Aeronca Champ that landed at SHD recently. My new friend, Brad Flickinger. Brad is a podcast listener from Pennsylvania who stopped in to see me at SHD recently. A flap problem on a Cirrus SR22. 1.Oshkosh Announcement: I’ve never been to the EAA Airventure Oshkosh […]

Here are some recent happenings, straight from the shop at Classic Aviation, LLC: Birds in the cowling! It’s bird nest season, and they are driving airplane owners crazy by building nests on top of engines. Listen to today’s episode to hear about a Bonanza owner with 2 nests on his engine after a short stay […]

This is a question many airplane owners, A&P’s, and IA’s ask when getting started with borescoping piston engine cylinders. If you want to look at the exhaust valves (and other things,) in an airplane engine’s cylinders, this borescope is the one I confidently recommend: The Vividia VA-400. Here are my best reasons: It has a […]

Free Training: airplaneownermaintenance.com/exhaustvalves Here are two of the many pictures of exhaust valves that are in the free training guide I’m offering to you, “Exhaust Valve Borescope Inspections.” Would you know what to do if you saw this? Get the free training guide and read about what’s going on with this exhaust valve from a […]

It’s annual inspection time, and your airplane is going in the shop. Are you confident? Are you prepared? Will you be involved, and maybe even get your hands dirty? For an airplane owner, annual inspection time can be frustrating and nerve-wracking, or it can be educational, positive, and hopefully, an efficient experience. A significant part […]

A little pesky fuel leak can be aggravating. Especially when you’ve already had it “fixed” in the past, but it’s still leaking. That was the case recently on an airplane that arrived at Classic Aviation for a fuel leak repair. It turns out the inboard fuel quantity probe in this aircraft is about six feet […]

Have you ever experienced an electrical failure in flight? If not, I’m sure you’ve wondered what it would be like, and at the same time, probably hoped it would never happen to you. Unfortunately, it does happen. There are however, some things you can do to help ensure your electrical system is performing reliably. Listen […]

Note: CLICK HERE for more episodes of the Airplane Owner Maintenance Podcast. Classic Aviation needs one or two more experienced A&P / IA’s! If you know of any good possibilities, contact our manager, Yev Bondarev: 540-234-0226 or classicaviationshd@gmail.com Classic Aviation is a great place to get a well-rounded general aviation maintenance experience. Website: https://www.classicaviationshd.com/ Now for […]

How do you Lap an exhaust valve on an airplane engine? That’s a good question, and this is the topic in today’s episode. If you’ve owned an airplane for very long, there’s a good chance you’ve had a “low compression” at some point during one of your annual inspections. What is perhaps not so common, […]

New spark plugs every year? Yep… that’s what happened for five annual inspections in a row, with the A36 Bonanza I’ve been inspecting and working on. From 2013 to 2017, the spark plugs were replaced every year. Four of those times, the spark plugs being replaced, had less than 150 hours on them. That is […]

Happy New Year Friends! This week on the podcast, we’re talking about simple fixes with just a little lubrication. Sometimes on airplanes, there are parts that might need some lube, that can easily be overlooked. We have several of these examples in today’s episode. Here they are: A Beechcraft Debonair with a starter problem. A […]

Sometimes, airplanes have some out-of-the-ordinary maintenance and servicing requirements. I discovered one of those items yesterday while talking with Kyle Jones, owner of a really nice, fixed gear Cessna Cardinal. We talk about that in today’s episode. It’s a very specific procedure for servicing the shimmy dampener on that airplane. These are items you might […]

Yes, it is an art, and it takes careful and precise thinking, in order to prevent damage to an airplane. I’m not going to post any pictures with this episode, so here’s what’s included in the audio for this podcast: An update on my family’s Thanksgiving trip to Colorado… what an awesome state with so […]

I received a voice message the other day from John, a Mooney owner. He was asking for some discussion on the podcast about using “torque plates” when removing cylinders from airplane engines. He mentioned that Mike Busch was a proponent of this practice. John also mentioned the concept of using torque plates had come up […]

This week, I inspected a Cessna 172. From a distance it appeared to be a really nice airplane, and it is. But at closer examination, as is often the case, there were a number of issues that needed to be addressed. In today’s episode, we’ll cover those issues and talk about what was discovered. When […]

Retractable landing gear is an incredible feature when everything works properly. On Bonanzas and Barons, the gear motor is like the heart of the system. And sometimes, a heart repair, or even a “transplant” is necessary. Sometimes, the heart, (or the gear motor,) shows signs and symptoms of poor health, and sometimes, problems become apparent […]

Today, I’m sharing with you a story about busting my knuckles trying to remove a locknut from an engine mount bolt. The nut was bottomed out on the shank of the bolt, making it very hard to hold the bolt still while loosening the locknut. I could have avoided all that if I had put […]

I had a startling situation this past week at Classic Aviation… water in the fuel strainers on a Piper Twin Comanche… scroll down for some pictures of that one. Also in this episode of the podcast, you can hear about the following: Update on my washing machine… Being an A&P really can prepare you to […]

Hello aviation friends! This week, we’re talking about an airplane’s instrument panel that was NOT telling me the truth. In fact, one of the instruments was lying to me. Listen to the audio to get the details. Here’s the instrument that was lying to me during the pre-inspection runup… it’s a pretty interesting situation. And […]

It’s been a challenging week of airplane maintenance for me. Here is a sampling of some things I’ve been working on at Classic Aviation: A Beechcraft P-Baron with three issues: Right engine #6 CHT indicates too high in the climb. Right fuel selector valve handle very stiff to turn. Cockpit door warning light comes on […]

Hello Friends. This episode is different than any other. It’s very personal. A little over two weeks ago, my dad passed away, and I wanted to take some time in this episode to leave a tribute for my dad. My two brothers and I agree that we had a really good dad. Sure, there were […]

Scroll down to see a video about scat hose installation. Recently, I got an email from Jeremy Zawodny, and he told me a story about his Glastar airplane, which is powered by a Lycoming O-320 engine. He experienced a partial power loss soon after takeoff, and when he pulled the carb heat, the power was […]

Recently, when Oscar, (owner of a Mooney,) and his son stopped in at Classic Aviation, he mentioned that he had been having some trouble with high CHT’s on takeoff and climb, (maybe even in the 420-450 degree range at times.) Everything was fine in cruise. So we talked about the normal things you would think […]

Limited, Introductory Opportunity In Person With Dean – Read to the End. Highlights from this week at Classic Aviation: Meeting Oscar (a podcast listener,) and his son. Talking about high CHT’s on Oscar’s Mooney. Annual Inspection on an N35 Bonanza. A charging system issue, and how previous email information from Justin, a podcast listener, was […]

When you check the cylinder compressions on an airplane engine, it’s important to “Hold That Prop!” And on a twin engine airplane with 6 cylinder Continental engines and 3 bladed props, the prop blades will be positioned in one of two ways, depending on how the prop is installed on the engine. Here’s a Cessna […]

Today’s episode is about those times when you notice something on an airplane that doesn’t seem quite right, but you’re not sure what’s going on, and it might take some real digging to get to the bottom of the issue. But before we dig into those stories, I want to acknowledge that I’m super grateful […]

I’m back! I know it’s been a while since I’ve produces a new episode for the podcast, and it’s good to be back. Today, we are talking about an engine failure in a Piper Arrow, that caused an off-airport crash landing in a farm field. Thankfully, in this case, no one was injured. The reason […]

A couple weeks ago, a Beechcraft Baron owner requested Classic Aviation to take a look at his airplane. He had flown through some severe turbulence, and then the left engine almost quit. Finally, he discovered that if he pulled the left mixture control about half way back, the engine would run. A ground run confirmed […]

During the engine change, it’s a great time to take care of some other items that are much easier to access when the engine is not in the way. Before we get to that, I want to thank Brad Schmidt for his recent iTunes review. Brad is a friend of Bret Chilcott and he, like […]

Ignition system issues and a couple other strange scenarios… that’s what we’ve got for today. Also, if you have not seen Dean’s safety wiring tutorial course, be sure to check out the details here: Click Here for full details. In today’s episode, we talk about three different airplanes, and the issues each one had with their […]

Today, we’re talking about Piper Arrow landing gear. Specifically, an airplane that landed at SHD recently and the nose gear light did not illuminate. Listen to this episode to find out why the light did not come on, and some troubleshooting tips to think about. We also cover several other fun things right in the […]

Can you safety wire your airplane’s oil filter? How about the fuel strainer? If not, here’s a resource that can help you: It’s the new online video course to learn how to perform safety wiring… Click here and read all about it. Retractable landing gear is a truly amazing thing. But if it’s not rigged […]

Cable tensions are a really important part of an airplane’s flight control system. In today’s podcast, we’ll talk about the situation I faced recently on a V-tail Bonanza. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to those who have purchased the “Safety Wire Like A Pro!” video tutorial course. And for those who are […]

Yep, you heard me right. But don’t worry, it’s not for some weird, fear-driven reason. This is for a good reason… I want you to question the safety of your airplane, so that you will go on a search to find anything that might need some attention. You might be able to do that search […]

Good news: The “Safety Wire Like A Pro” video tutorial course is now available! You can read about it here: Build Your Safety Wiring Skills with Dean Or, just click the picture in the right sidebar that says, “Learn to safety wire with Dean.” Regardless of your current skill level with preventive maintenance, I’m confident […]

When it comes to airplane interiors, an important detail that can be totally overlooked, is how the interior installation will affect future maintenance operations. I highly recommend you give it some thought if you’re considering having new interior installed in your airplane. Before we get into that, here are some highlights of today’s episode: Audio […]

I had a situation last week at Classic Aviation that made me think about this topic… cable tensions and how easy it is for confusion to creep in around this topic. Listen to today’s episode to hear about a situation on a Piper Saratoga that took some digging to get to the bottom of it. […]

Do you know where the name “Citabria came from? Check this out: The name “Citabria” is actually “Airbatic” spelled backwards. Interesting trivia. Today, we cover a quick review of the annual inspection checklist for the Citabria. Thank you to Dan Frankel for requesting this topic. Also, I’d like to thank Brian Schober for his kind […]

This is the final episode for 2017! Thank you everyone, for all your emails, messages, ideas, and encouragement. You all mean so much to me! A recent email I received, included this link for an article that is worth reading, about exhaust system issues, and carbon monoxide. There are also a couple videos worth watching […]

This cylinder definitely has a problem! And I can’t help but think, could there have been a way to detect what was going on before it got this severe? I’m not sure, but I do wonder what might have been detected if a borescope inspection had been done at the last annual. (Perhaps that was […]

Check out this picture… any idea what’s going on here? Now that we are into cold weather seasons, it’s a good time to talk about aircraft heaters. They can be a necessary source of in-flight comfort, but if something goes wrong, they can also be surprising source of in-flight danger. If your airplane has […]

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’re able to take some time to celebrate today, with people who are important to you. I’m grateful to God for many people… my wife Maria, my kids, and many others. Today, I’d like to introduce to you my good friend, Brian Holmes. He’s a long-time multi-engine rated, commercial pilot of […]

Induction system couplings and clamps. They are often overlooked… until they become an issue!

But why let it go that long? Why risk having a problem somewhere away from home, where there might be limited tools and any necessary help. It’s much better to do a little preventive maintenance on your airplane’s induction system, to guard against any unwelcome surprises.

Listen to today’s episode to hear about some stories about airplanes that had induction system issues that became challenging to figure out what was going on, including a recent one with Bret Chilcott and his 1947 Stinson. Find out how Bret discovered the real problem during a Facetime call we had a few weeks ago. Good eye Bret!

It’s a good idea to tighten induction coupling clamps at the annual inspection. The following coupling is on a Continental turbocharged engine with the induction system on the top.

It’s actually on this Cessna 337 that we did some work on awhile back at Classic Aviation.

The following Lycoming induction coupling clamps can be tightened with a straight blade screwdriver, or a 5/16 wrench or socket.

It’s also a good idea to check the torque on the induction flange bolts. Induction leaks can be a minor nuisance, until something falls apart… then they become a major nuisance.

Take a look at your induction system, or have your A&P take a look, to make sure you don’t have any issues. You just might prevent a really frustrating situation, (or a dangerous situation,) someday.

Check back next week, for a special episode featuring a conversation with my very good friend, Brian Holmes! You can look for that one next Thursday, Thanksgiving Day!

Before we get started, I want to thank two people for today’s episode.

First, my very good friend, Brian Holmes. Brian absolutely loves aviation and all kinds of airplanes, but he has no interest in turning wrenches. So I was curious about what kind of topics would be appealing to airplane owners and pilots, like Brian, who love aviation, but who don’t care to get involved in maintenance in a hands-on way. And very quickly, Brian suggested the topic of, “What to do when I flood the engine on startup.” Thank you Brian, for this idea! We can all use this one, whether we are pilots, mechanics, or both.

Second, I received an email awhile back from the Honorable Arthur Rosen, suggesting it would be good to have an episode on hot starts. Thank you Arthur!

So we will attempt to combine these two in this episode, since they are sometimes related, and one of the times that flooding an airplane engine happens, is during a hot start.

As pilots and mechanics, we’ve all seen it… that guy out there on the ramp who just cranks and cranks and cranks away on his airplane’s engine, and just can’t seem to get it started.

And if we’re honest, if we’ve done very much flying and ground running of airplanes, there’s a good chance WE’VE been that guy!

And you always hate to be that guy, because it’s flat out embarrassing!

You start to imagine that everyone around is staring at you, imagining what an idiot you are, but not acknowledging that they’ve also found themselves in the very same situation at one time or another.

That scenario is bad enough.

Now imagine, you’ve arranged to take some family, friends, or other important people for an airplane ride…

You’re so excited about this.

Your passengers are a little nervous…

And you flood the engine…

If you don’t get this right, your passengers can quickly start to question your ability.

The last thing you want is for your passengers to wonder if you can actually fly this airplane.

So what do yo do, when you flood your airplane’s engine?

Here’s my short answer: Whatever it takes to clear out the excess fuel, until the mixture of fuel and air is just right, so the engine can fire.

But before we talk about how to do that, let’s back up.

And let’s also give a couple disclaimers:

This episode is for information and inspiration only. Don’t just take my word for it.

Check all this with your local A&P and your flight instructor.

In other words, don’t come back and say, “Dean said on the podcast that I could do this dumb thing I did”… YOU are responsible to take all this and check it out for your own personal situation!

Listen to today’s episode, and hopefully you will find something helpful when it comes to starting an airplane engine that is flooded, or hot, or both.

Here are a few ideas we cover:

Keep your engine well-maintained… it’s one way you might PREVENT flooding your engine, or having an engine that’s hard to start.
Be sure your magnetos are well-maintained (500 hour inspections,) and your spark plugs are serviced regularly, (I recommend every 50 hours.)
Get some one-on-one training with your favorite option… it could be a flight instructor, an A&P, or just a very experienced pilot-friend.
Don’t pump the throttle in a carbureted engine… use the primer instead. Pumping the throttle increases the chance of a fire in the induction system.
Become familiar with your POH procedures for flooded starts and hot starts.
Don’t run your starter too long.
Discover YOUR engine’s characteristics for flooded starts and hot starts, both in summer and winter.

And if you end up in a different airplane sometime, and you’re pretty sure it’s flooded, here are a few things you can try. This is what I do:

Mixture – idle cutoff.
Starter – crank.
Throttle – advance to full.
When the engine fires – reduce throttle to idle (important!)
Advance mixture.

Once again, check this out with someone locally, whom you trust.

I also mentioned the procedure Bill Eubanks uses in his A36 Bonanza for hot starts. Here it is:

Mixture lean.
Throttle full.
Purge any vapor lock by running fuel boost pump 15-20 seconds.
Mixture rich.
Fuel boost pump on until fuel flow peaks.
Turn fuel pump off.
Throttle: close, then open about 4 twists.
Start engine, and be prepared to turn fuel boost pump on for about one second once engine first begins to fire.

I was amazed how well this procedure worked when I saw Bill do it.

You may also be interested in a couple of past episodes that are related, but also very different:

Episode 019 “Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Airplane Engines, But Please, Take it Easy On Them!”

Episode 067 “The Zero-Throttle Starting Challenge.” (Only for cold starts.)

One final note, I’m currently working on a video-based safety wiring course, so you can be watching for that in the future.

When was YOUR last BFR? Who was it with? What was it like? If you’ve been getting the same ‘ol BFR for many years, perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit!

That’s what I did recently, and I’d like to share a few of the take-aways with you today.

After my BFR last Saturday, I realized there are some things that would be worthwhile to talk about from that experience.

Today, I’d like to share my experience from my BFR on Saturday, September 23, 2017, and then discuss some things that might be worth considering about BFR’s in general, and also about flying twin engine airplanes.

Rock’s Cessna 310 made for a fantastic learning experience! Listen to today’s episode for the details.

And just for fun, here’s another airplane Rock flies… it’s a Wilga! How about that for a different, interesting airplane?! Reminds me of an overgrown grasshopper!

After my BFR that day in the Cessna 310, I collected some thoughts together, and maybe one or more of them will be helpful to you as well… here are some of my take-aways:

Be honest with your own strengths and weaknesses.
1. I was a little over-confident that day.
2. Looking back, I realize I was struggling with the dangerous attitude of “resignation.”
If possible get your next BFR with a different flight instructor than you’ve ever flown with before.
Give your flight instructor a brief description of your experience, and the type of flying you currently do, so the experience can be tailor-made for you.
Don’t cut corners! The regulation of 1 hour of ground and 1 hour of flight, is there for a reason – safety! Always be learning!
If you fly a twin, be very sure you are staying current with your training, especially single engine training.
Get some dual on VFR charts… good to know, and rarely reviewed.
Then, understand the value of an instrument rating… makes you safer, AND, you don’t need to worry so much about all the things that can trip you up as a VFR pilot.

Bottom line: Make the most of your BFR!

In the last episode, we covered the engine portion of the inspection checklist.

This week, we cover the rest of the checklist, which is the airframe portion of the inspection.

One item on the inspection checklist that may be overlooked, is to check and make sure all the required POH placards are present and legible. These required placards are listed in the back of the Limitations section of the POH.

In one recent A36 Bonanza I inspected, the emergency landing gear placard appeared to be a fabricated paper version. The main problem with this one, is that it said “150 turns,” instead of “50 turns.” This is an important piece of information that needs to be accurate.

Check out the difference between the old, improper placard, and the new, proper one:

This emergency exit window placard needs to be replaced with one that is legible.

Be sure to check back for the next episode, where I’ll share about my recent BFR in a Cessna 310.