Airplane Owner Maintenance

A Maintenance Oriented Podcast For Airplane Owners, Pilots, and Mechanics

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209 – Responses from Airline Pilots, and Finishing a Bonanza Annual

January 13, 2023 /

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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!

Header image for the site

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!

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208 – Back in the Maintenance Shop and Off to JFK!

January 5, 2023 /

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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!

207 – A Fantastic Conversation With My Son Seth!

December 17, 2022 /

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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!

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206 – Thanksgiving, Deer Hunting, and Discount Codes

November 24, 2022 /

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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 the sunset view sure was beautiful… check it out:

I’ve been thinking about how deer hunting is similar to small airplane maintenance… it takes practice, persistence, and patience to get really good at it.

Before McKenzie became interested in deer hunting, I had done very little of it. Her interest has pushed me to learn much more about the whole process, and now, I’m really enjoying the whole thing with her… this year has been really fun!

When it comes to working on your own airplane, like deer hunting, it’s a learning process. Good training and lots of practice are essential.

A few years ago, McKenzie had her grandpa (Pappaw) giving her instructions through FaceTime on how to field dress her deer… it was fantastic. Even though he wasn’t there physically, he could still help her with the process because of the wonder of technology.

I don’t know nearly as much as my father-in-law did about field dressing a deer, but I CAN help with showing you how to perform excellent safety wiring on your airplane, and I can also help with showing you how to service a landing gear shock strut with hydraulic fluid and nitrogen.

And that’s where my two video training courses come in… even though I can’t be there with you beside your airplane in person, I can be there with you in the step-by-step videos, where you can pause it any time you need to as you work through the process.

So, if you change the oil on your airplane, or you change a tire and need to re-safety wire the brake caliper, or anything else that requires safety wiring, I’d encourage you to check out my video training course, “Safety Wire Like A Pro!”

Click here for more details on the safety wiring course.

Also, if you have a landing gear strut that needs to be serviced with fluid or nitrogen or both, I have a training course for that as well… it’s called “Landing Gear Shock Strut Servicing.”

This course walks you through the process of safely servicing a shock strut. And even if you choose not to do the work yourself, but have your A&P do the work, it will help you understand the process and equip you to troubleshoot problems before you send your airplane to the shop.

Click here for details about the shock strut servicing course.

I’m offering a $30 discount on both of these courses from now until midnight on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

Click the links above for the course you’re interested in, and follow these steps:

  1. Click “Enroll in course for $97.”
  2. Click “Add coupon code.”
  3. Enter “THANKSGIVING2022”
  4. You will receive the discount price of $67.
  5. Make the transaction, and start learning!

These courses come with a 30 day money-back guarantee… if you’re not fully satisfied, you can get a full refund within 30 days no questions asked.

Thank you my friends, and may God bless you on this Thanksgiving Day!

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205 – My First Landing at Hannah Field in a Cessna 150

November 1, 2022 /

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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 to Oren Heatwole and all the great people from our local EAA group, for such a great event! (The Cessna 150 is over to the side, out of view… by the time I left, there was quite a line-up of airplanes there.)

Other items in this podcast episode:

  • The deice valve I changed on an aerostar.
  • Capacity test on the King Air 350 main battery.
  • Lapping 2 exhaust valves on a Lancair engine.
  • Josiah’s Piper Arrow from Arizona! (He’s on an inspiring aviation journey, and is currently almost finished with training to become a flight attendant, with future plans to become an airline pilot as soon as possible after that.)

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204 – FlyRight King Air 350 Simulator Training was Awesome!

October 15, 2022 /

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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!

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FlyRight is a very professional training center with a family-type feel about it. They specialize in King Air, Caravan, and Dash 8 training. I was so impressed with the whole program, and especially the people. They are friendly, they have extensive experience, and they are absolutely committed to your success.

I’m now working for a local company, and Tuesday was my first trip with them in the King Air. I really love this airplane!

I’m returning to Classic Aviation on Monday for 2 maintenance projects as a part-timer there:

The first one is a capacity test on our King Air 350 battery… it’s time to verify it’s still in good reliable condition, as we certainly don’t want to get stuck far away from home with a weak battery.

The second one is changing the surface deice valve on an Aerostar. The valve has been intermittently not pulling the wing boots down flush after inflation. It’ll be a good time to get that taken care of as we are getting into the Winter flying season.

See you in the next episode!

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203 – Dean’s Midlife Aviation Transition!

September 4, 2022 /

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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 me a voice message by clicking the tab at the right side of the page, or you can email me: dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com

I want to say a huge “thank you” to everyone who has helped me in this journey… it’s a long list, and I’m super grateful for every one of you!

202 – Pax River Navy Test Pilot: Trace Bowen

June 14, 2022 /

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Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to visit NAS Pax River, a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay.

My friend, Trace Bowen, picked me up in his Cessna 310, flew me to St. Marys Airport, and drove me over to the base for a tour.

Up until that day, I knew very little about Pax River, so it was interesting to learn about the operations there.

The Pax River ITF mission is to effectively plan, coordinate, and conduct safe, secure, and efficient flight test to provide necessary and timely data to support program verification/certification and fleet operational requirements.

Trace is an F-35 Navy test pilot. There are three different variants of the F-35 Lightning, and they fly the B and C variants at Pax River.

It takes some very special gear to fly an F-35, and we learned about that during my visit as well.

CF-2 Flight 456. RTB to and over Wallops Flight Facility. Lieutenant William Bowen was the pilot on 18 June 2016.

What an opportunity it was to visit Pax River! Thank you Trace, for an inspiring and educational day. I really appreciate it!

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201 – SureFly Ignition Installation

May 14, 2022 /

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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 helpful to document the process.

For this installation, a “Tach 2” device was also required, to convert the rotation of the SureFly to a signal that’s usable with the previously installed Horizon Instruments P-1000 tach in the airplane. Here’s what the Tach 2 looks like:

The SureFly is powered through a fuse right off the hot side of the battery contactor:

I had to gain access to the back of the ignition switch for some of the required wiring… I removed the existing P-1000 digital tach wire from the “L” terminal of the ignition switch, and attached it to the “Tach 2” unit for the SureFly. I also attached the necessary wire between the “L” terminal of the ignition switch and the “L P-lead” terminal of the Tach2 unit.

This E33A Bonanza now has a SureFly in the left mag position!

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200 – My Recent Flight Review and Other Adventures

April 9, 2022 /

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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 a weight and balance for a Bonanza.
  • Other useful information.

Then, we flew that amazing tail dragger above… we did steep turns, stalls, slips, landed on 2 grass runways, and returned back to KSHD.

It was such a great flight review and opportunity for continued learning.

Flight reviews are NOT a nuisance… they are a good opportunity to become an even safer and more proficient pilot. So, if YOUR flight review has become just a check mark in the requirement box, maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit for your next one, and find a new flight instructor or do something a little different. I think you’ll be glad you did!

Another recent highlight was an email I received from Craig, a podcast listener… I read his email in this episode, so be sure to listen to the audio. I’m calling Craig and his wife the “Airplane owners of the week!” Here they are:

These two have a really inspiring aviation story… listen to the audio to hear a portion of it. Craig likes to say his wife is the “Chief Pilot” and he’s the “Copilot and Director of Maintenance!”

Another surprise adventure was an opportunity to fly in my friend Bob’s B55 Baron last Saturday… totally unexpected, but it made my day! Thanks Bob!

And back in the shop on a different airplane, I recently cleaned a fuel strainer that looked like this inside:

It made me wonder when this one was last cleaned!

I also got to help the owner of a Zenith 750 who was stranded at our airport the other day with a bad oil leak… check it out:

I helped him install some serviceable oil cooler hoses and he was able to get home to Pennsylvania before the weather hit!

And here’s a puzzler to finish this episode:

I saw this device on an A-35 Bonanza out on the ramp, and I was trying to figure out what it is… if you know, please leave me a voice message over there on the side of the page, or send me and email to dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com and let me know what it is. I have a guess, but I’m not totally sure.

Thanks everyone, and have a great week!

Dean Showalter

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