Year: 2016 (Page 3 of 5)

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In episode #26, I mentioned briefly the importance of flight control surface balancing.

Then, the other day, I got an email requesting more information about flight control balancing and rigging.

Thank you, Ashley Blythe, for sending that in!

In this episode, we discuss paint jobs, how to tell the good ones from the not-so-good ones, and flight control surface balancing.

Check out the following video that demonstrates why control surface balance is so important… you don’t ever want to experience this kind of flutter in flight!

Here is an article by Paul New of Tennessee Aircraft Services from November 15, 2009:

http://www.tennesseeaircraft.net/keeping-your-balance/

This is a helpful and easy-to-understand article about balancing.

Here is a Piper Comanche that I flew with my son to Dial Eastern States Aircraft Painting in Cadiz, OH years ago.

They do a very nice paint job!

You can check them out at www.desapi.com

You can also see a picture on their website of this same aircraft after the paint job… it turned out beautiful!

Here is the 15 step process they use to paint an airplane:

Balancing of flight controls should be a part of every aircraft paint job!

Here are some signs of a possible “Shady Paint Job.”

1.  The aircraft painted with the flight controls installed.  How to tell?  Paint on the mounting hardware;  leading edges not painted well, due to lack of access;  areas not painted very well fwd of ailerons and rudder, and elevator.
2. Little attention to hard-to-get-to areas:  flap wells, gear wells, etc.  A really quality paint job will give reasonable attention to these areas.  Maybe not as pristine as the other areas, but total neglect of these areas is a red flag!  (Sort of like the belly not being cleaned during a wash or detailing job.)
3. Paint in places where it should not be.  (bearings, moveable controls, hydraulic cylinder shafts, etc.)
4. Inspection panels and other covers were not removed for the paint job.  (Screws painted in place.)  This is a real problem because the paint will need to be broken the next time those screws are removed.  Sometimes, old rusted hardware and cowling fasteners are just painted over.
5. No documentation of flight control balancing.  Be sure the  airframe log entry for the paint job includes this!  After controls are installed and control rods attached, you can’t tell if the balance is within specs… you are depending on proper maintenance.

Next time you do a preflight inspection, take special notice of your flight control attachments and balance weights, to make sure everything is securely attached with no excessive wear.

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That depends!

Today, I share a story about a pair of ailerons that were damaged when a Piper Cherokee was backed into the T-hangar a little too far.  We talk about the repair options for a scenario like this.

Here is a Piper Cherokee rudder we removed for repair due to 2 cracks in the trailing edge.

Are any cracks or repairs allowed on Piper flight control surfaces?

What about Cessna?

The answers may surprise you.

Listen to today’s episode to find out about some clear information that airplane owners should know.

Regardless of what kind of airplane you own, today’s show can help to point you in the right direction to get answers for your flight control surface questions.

Don’t take a chance on a questionable repair… there are too many of them flying around out there.

These patches may have been considered acceptable many years ago, but not today!  Thankfully, this is not a flying airplane… it is now being used for A&P training.

Here are a couple other repairs I found…

This one is a Cessna 310 that is now being used for A&P training.  These patches were installed on the elevator many years ago.

So, after talking about control surfaces, here are a few things you might want to consider:

1.  Take a look at your airplane… do YOU have any cracks in any of your flight control surfaces?  If so, do whatever needs to be done per the service manual… after all, even though unlikely, you don’t want to get stuck because an FAA inspector has grounded your airplane.
2. Take a walk around your airport and look at all the flight control surfaces… it might surprise you how many there are…  if nothing else, it will give you an idea of the kinds of cracks that can happen, and the places that tend to crack easily.
3. Be careful when you do your preflight inspection.  If you hear that “oil canning” effect when you move your flight controls, you are pushing too hard on it… if you must move it slightly, do it between the palms of your hands (preferably at a rib if possible), rather than grabbing the trailing edge with your thumb and finger.  (There’s good reason for that “NO PUSH” placard.)

And remember, even if you CAN legally repair a flight control surface, it must be balanced after the repair and paint are completed.

If you have any good stories about flight control surfaces, please contact me and let me know.

deanshow@gmail.com, or use the comment button on this episode, or leave me a voicemail by using the button on the right side of the page at airplaneownermaintenance.com

Thanks, and if you like this podcast, please go to iTunes and leave me a rating and review.  I would really appreciate it!

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Do you own an airplane?  If so, have you ever changed the oil on your  engine?

The engine oil change is one of the FAA approved maintenance tasks that owners can perform on their own airplanes.  Just make sure you are familiar with the process, and have the proper tools and equipment.

Listen to today’s episode to hear a story from many years ago about an oil change that turned out bad… thankfully no one got hurt, but it was quite a fiasco, none the less.

Also, if you have not listened to episode 011, you may be interested in that one also… it’s called “Oil Changing Basics for Airplane Owners.”

Just the other day, I found some something on a Piper Cherokee that was worth talking about today… hopefully, something we can all learn from as a reminder to do all our airplane maintenance to a standard of excellence.

First of all, the safety wire tail on the oil filter was not bent back into itself… the end should be bent to avoid a sharp end.

Secondly, I was surprised to find that the filter was very loose.

Check out this video:

If an oil filter is torqued properly, you should not be able to move it at all with your hand.

The torque spec. is 16-18 foot pounds.  The bottom of that range is plenty tight, which equates to 192 inch pounds.

Along with the oil filter, another item to be checked on Lycoming engines (and some Continental engines) at the annual inspection, is the oil suction screen which is in the bottom of the oil sump.

This oil suction screen had a lot of carbon in it after about 120 hours of operation.  In this case, it might be a good idea to clean it again in 50 hours, instead of waiting until the next annual inspection.

So, after considering the story about the unfortunate oil change from many years ago, and after considering the loose oil filter from just the other day, here are several recommendations:

1.  Be sure you use a torque wrench on your oil filter.  (When torqued properly, you should not be able to tighten it any more at all by hand.)

2. For Lycomings, if you fly a lot and change your own oil, consider cleaning the oil suction screen at least every 100 hours, perhaps 50 hours if you find carbon like the one in the picture above.

3. Always do a ground runup and check for leaks after an oil change.

4. If your oil filter is difficult to loosen, when you remove it, be encouraged… that is a sign that it was torqued properly.  (Use a box end wrench or a socket… an open end wrench will round off the corners of the nut on the back of the filter.)  An automotive style oil filter tool is also a good option if it fits on the filter housing.

If you have a story about an oil change that became a problem, that we could all learn from, please send it to me.

Or, if you have any other comments, questions, or topics you want to hear about, you can:

1.  Leave me a voice message.  (Use the button on the right side of the page at airplaneownermaintenance.com)
2. Leave a comment on any of the episodes.
3. Send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks, and happy oil changing everyone!

Dean Showalter

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Yesterday, I traveled to another airport to take a look at a Bonanza that had not flown in over a year due to an engine problem.  Specifically, it would not idle.

Continental fuel injected engines must be set up properly per SID 97-3G, in order to achieve optimal performance.

You can find this information here if you would like to take a look at it:

http://www.ramaircraft.com/%5CService-Bulletins-and-ADS%5CSID97-3G.pdf

One problem with this engine was that the mixture control was not hitting the full rich stop at the fuel control on the engine.

Another problem, and perhaps the biggest reason it would not idle properly, was a huge induction leak, due to the induction coupling between cylinders 2 and 4 being installed beside the gap, rather than over the gap.

With this induction leak, the engine was too lean at low RPM to run properly.

After fixing these issues and adjusting the idle mixture, the engine idled very nicely.

Now, that Bonanza is ready for a fresh annual inspection, then a complete fuel system setup per SID 97-3G, and then it can go flying again!

A good place to have SID 97-3G performed is Tennessee Aircraft Services, Inc.  This shop is run by Paul New, a well known A&P / IA, who was selected in 2007 as the FAA Maintenance Technician of the Year.

Here is an excellent article that Paul wrote about the importance of Continental fuel system setup:

http://www.tennesseeaircraft.net/tcm-sid97-3e-again/

Take your airplane to a shop where they specialize in this procedure.  (They do a lot of them, have the proper equipment, and have a reputation for doing excellent work.)

In light of today’s episode, here are some things you can do as an airplane owner if you have any engine issues, or if you just want to confirm things are as they should be:

Remove cowling for access to engine controls.

1.  Check engine control rod end bolts… should not be able to rotate with fingers.

2.  Move all engine controls and verify they hit the stops at the engine when moved both directions.  Not familiar?  Get help and have someone point them out to you.

3.  Turn prop through in reverse direction of rotation and listen for any hissing sound, which could indicate an induction leak.

4.  Visually look for any induction system leaks or chafing areas.  

5.  If you suspect any issues with your Continental fuel system, take it to a reputable shop that has the proper equipment and experience for the task.

PLEASE, if you find this show valuable, go to iTunes and leave a rating and review for this podcast… that way, perhaps other airplane owners can find out about it.

Contact me with any questions or comments either here on the website or by email:  deanshow@gmail.com  (my favorite way would be for you to leave me a voice message by clicking the button to the right.)

Thanks!

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Thanks to my wife, Maria, for joining us on the last episode!

Now, today she is back to ask me some questions about some of my pet peeves related to airplane maintenance.

Here is my pet peeve list that we talk about in this episode:

1. When maintenance shops will not allow owner-assisted annual inspections.
2. When airplane owners don’t want to fix things.
3. When the airplane paperwork and maintenance records are a wreck.
4. When pilots buy more airplane than they can handle or afford.
5. When pilots and / or mechanics try to act like they know more than they do.
6. When airplane owners make unfair judgments about maintenance procedures.
7. When airplane owners get over-charged for maintenance.
8. When airplane owners don’t do enough in-flight troubleshooting.

Well, there’s my list, and I hope it motivates you as an airplane owner to:

1. Take part in an owner-assisted annual inspection.
2. Fix known discrepancies as soon as possible.
3. Organize your maintenance records.
4. Only buy airplanes that you can keep well-maintained and fly often.
5. Be a humble aviator.
6. Be gracious when you don’t understand a maintenance procedure, and ask questions.
7. Be willing to pay a good price for excellent maintenance.
8. Check all systems regularly, in flight, and gather as much information as possible when something goes wrong.

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE… click that button to the right, and leave me a voice message if you have any questions or comments.

OR, send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks for your help today Maria!

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This week I’d like to introduce my wife, Maria.

It’s a great time to have her on the podcast, since we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on May 18, 2016.

After we were married in 1991, we moved to Tennessee, where Maria worked as a home health nurse to put me through aviation school.  Thanks Maria!

She’s got some great stories from our time in Tennessee!

If you listen to today’s episode, you’ll hear a few of those.

Although Maria is not a big fan of flying, she does make a fantastic copilot!

Maria has been a huge encourager for me in my aviation career… I couldn’t have done it without her!

Happy anniversary Maria!  I love you Baby!

Let me know how you liked today’s episode.   You can leave a comment at the top of this post, or leave a voice message with the button on the right, or send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks!

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Engine Oil Leaks

In airplane maintenance, engine oil leaks are a common thing to deal with.

Today,  we talk about how to discover where the oil leaks are coming from,  and what may need to be done to fix them.

In today’s episode,  I mentioned some good friends, Bill and Colleen Whiteford.   To read the story of how Colleen went from learning to land the Cessna 310, to getting her private pilot certificate, go here to see the full article:

http://www.twincessna.org/forum/pastissues/Oct2013-Final.pdf

Although you may need help in fixing oil leaks, you as an airplane owner can do A LOT to help troubleshoot and discover where those leaks are coming from.

We also talked about installing improved fiberglass reinforced rocker cover gaskets on Continental engines.  Take a look at the CSO Beech post to read about them and find out where to get them:

CSO Beech link:  http://www.csobeech.com/GeeBee-ValveCoverGaskets.html

And, as mentioned in today’s show, here is the link for Aircraft Magneto Service:

http://www.aircraftmagnetoservice.net/

Listen to today’s show to find some pitfalls to avoid, and some tips for troubleshooting those frustrating oil leaks.

Finally, if you have any noteworthy stories about fixing oil leaks, please send me a brief description of your experience… maybe your story will be useful for a future podcast, and it just might help one of your fellow aviators.

You can contact me by any of these 3 ways:

Click the button on the right side of the page.

Shoot me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Use the comment button at the bottom of this post.

Thanks!

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April 15, 2016

As an airplane owner, have you ever tried to troubleshoot and fix a landing light or nav light yourself?

If not, why not give it a shot?  In most cases, the process is fairly simple.

Today, we talk about some simple steps to take when you have a landing light or nav light that’s not working.

And the good thing is, this is FAA approved “Preventive Maintenance!”

Nav lights are easily accessible.

Be careful not to drop the lens when removing that one little screw!

And this one has two lenses to be careful with and make sure they don’t fall when you take the screw out.

Here is a typical reading of what you should see when checking a ground circuit… this is direct continuity, with little to no resistance.  Notice the multimeter is set on the ohms setting.

Even this much resistance could indicate a problem… perhaps some corrosion or a loose connection.

This indicates not continuity,  and could indicate a broken wire.

To check for power (voltage) at a landing light or nav light (or any other component for that matter,) set the multimeter on the DC voltage setting (2 clicks to the left of the ohms setting… see the previous picture.)  Then turn the battery master switch on and turn the light switch on.  Then, this is what you should see if you have a 24 volt airplane.  (It may vary a little depending on the condition of your battery, and whether or not it is fully charged.)

And this is about what you should see if you have a 12 volt airplane.  (This one is a little low… preferably you will see at least 12 volts at the power terminal for a light.)

If this weeks topic has prompted any questions, please leave a comment or hit the button at the right and leave me a message.  Or as always, you can send me an email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks!

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April 1, 2016

When it comes to starting airplane engines, there are lots of opinions.  It might be worth taking a new look at your technique.

Whatever your procedure is, your engine should be treated with as much care as possible.

How about asking these 4 questions:

1.  Why not try starting your airplane engine with the throttle all the way back?  It makes for a much gentler start.
2.   Which looks more professional… a nice gentle and smooth start, or an abrupt start with an immediate roar to 1800 RPM?  That one’s easy!
3. Will your engine run smoothly with the throttle all the way back?  It’s a good idea to check this occasionally.
4. Does your engine need any idle adjustment to make it run properly?

In today’s episode, I talk about my favorite procedures for starting both a fuel injected engine, and a carbureted engine.

Here is the old, FAA training video that I mentioned in today’s podcast.  And for me, it’s one more reason why it’s a good idea to get in the habit of starting your airplane engine with the throttle all the way back, in the closed position.

In this case, if the throttle had been all the way back, this incident would likely have been avoided.

Last week, I mentioned finding an engine thru stud loose, and the cylinder base nut broken… well, it turns out the engine needs a tear-down inspection due to not knowing how long the engine was run like that and needing to verify no internal engine damage has happened.

Here is that engine:

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March 25, 2016

The Monster of Complacency can:

1.  Terrify us with surprise when something happens unexpectedly.
2.   Cause us to overlook a potentially dangerous situation.
3.   Sometimes, it can be deadly.

Do you know what a “Rumble Strip” is?  If not, listen to today’s episode to find out.

Whether you are a pilot, mechanic, or both, one way to guard against complacency is to assume you missed something, and it is your job to find it.

Here is the part that I had never seen broken before, in all my years of working on airplanes:

If you are familiar with Bonanzas, you may recognize this as the pin that fastens the retract arm to the wing fitting.  This is an A36 Bonanza… congratulations for visiting the website, because I did not identify the type of airplane in the podcast.

Here is a view with a little more context of where we are looking in the gear well.

… and then the cylinder base nut that I found missing / broken:

Here are both ends of that stud:

Don’t be complacent… expect the unexpected!

Listen to today’s episode to find out 4 ideas of things you can do as an airplane owner, pilot, or mechanic, to be proactive in fighting complacency.

One last thing:

If you have a question you would like answered on a future show, please leave a comment below, or send me and email at deanshow@gmail.com

Thanks!