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

Month: July 2020

150 – John and Leslie Caubble’s Aviation Journey!

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 a timely message for all of us! Listen on your favorite app, or click here for the Fly Maui HI website.

To learn more about John and Leslie and what they’re doing, check out the following links:

https://www.flymauihi.com/

https://www.thealoha360.com/

https://www.ultimateairmaui.com/

https://www.hawaiipineapplestore.com/

You can also find flymauihi and thealoha360 on Instagram.


New resource for Cessna 172’s: I’ve put together an easy-to-use list of common Cessna 172 parts, with part numbers. I’d love to send you a copy, and you can find it here:

AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com/172parts

Even if you don’t have a 172, take a look at it, and let me know what you think… I might consider making a similar resource for some other types of airplanes as well.


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149 – Cessna 172 Q & A with John and Leslie Caubble

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 join me for this episode, rather than me talking about these questions by myself.

In a future episode, we’ll have them back again to talk about their personal aviation journey.

Thanks, John and Leslie, for being a part of this episode!

To learn more about John and Leslie and what they’re doing, check out the following links:

https://www.flymauihi.com/

https://www.thealoha360.com/

https://www.ultimateairmaui.com/

https://www.hawaiipineapplestore.com/

You can also find flymauihi and thealoha360 on Instagram.


I thought this might also be a good time to provide a free resource for owners and operators of Cessna 172’s… it’s a list of commonly needed parts, along with part numbers.

It’s completely free, and I’m confident can save you some significant time and frustration… grab a copy at the following link:

Click here for a free copy.

Check it out, and let me know of any items you think should be added. Thanks!


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148 – $200 Annual Inspection with Jim Weir

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 some time to talk with me for the podcast. Thanks Jim!

In talking with Jim, I discovered he does a very thorough, AND very efficient annual inspection with the carefully selected owners he works with. He does this by maximizing the involvement of the airplane owner, and by requiring a very specific process of preparation before he even puts his eyes on the airplane.


Jim Weir has been involved with aviation for many years, and has a wealth of wisdom and experience to share with us.

Although the following picture may have been a few years ago, Jim is still very much full of life and energy… I discovered that the day I spoke with him!

And somehow, I’m guessing Cindi has been a very significant part of Jim’s success in aviation and in life 🙂


In the following picture, Jim ties down his Cessna 182 in advance of a thunderstorm on the way to Oshkosh (Iowa City) in 2002.


And here’s a fun picture: Jim has collected a coffe cup from Oshkosh, every year from 1974 to 2019!


I have to admit, Jim’s approach to annual inspections is not for everyone, but for the owners of small planes who want to be deeply involved in the process, it’s certainly a fascinating option to consider, especially if you’re anywhere near the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to travel clear across the country to visit Jim in person and see his operation… I would LOVE that, for sure!

Thank you Jim, for talking with us in this episode! Keep up the good work!

You can learn more about Jim at rstengineering.com

This is also a good place to learn about HOW Jim does an annual inspection… the key is, it’s an “inspection” and not “fixing discrepancies.”


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147 – Aram Basmadjian and His V-Tail Bonanza

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 wife and daughter in his 1962 P35 Bonanza.

He’s also the chief flight instructor at a local college, which allows him to use his skill and passion for teaching pilots effective procedures for instrument flying.

And one of these days, I’m hoping to make a trip to Pennsylvania to have Aram work me over in the flight simulator!

Aram is also a phenomenal organist, and is Vice President of Sales at Allen Organ Company in Macungie, Pennsylvania. According to the website, “Aram Basmadjian is one of the most accomplished organ virtuosos in America.” Wow, well done Aram!

I heard years ago that musicians many times make really good pilots, and I think that’s certainly true in Aram’s case.

So back to the Bonanza, Aram shared some really great tips and thoughts in this episode, and here are a few highlights:

  • Be involved in the maintenance of your airplane!
  • Plane Logix is one good solution for digitizing your maintenance records.
  • When digitizing your maintenance records, transcribe them yourself because you will learn so much valuable information.
  • Good quality maintenance is expensive… be prepared for it.

And finally, Aram shared something really interesting about his specific airplane… for the first 200 hours or so of his airplane’s life, Larry Ball’s name is in the records because he flew the airplane. Larry is well known for his time as the “Bonanza Program Manager,” and for his books, “Those Incomparable Bonanzas,” and “They Call Me Mr. Bonanza.”

Very interesting indeed. Everywhere Aram goes, he seems to attract a lot of interest in his Bonanza. It is indeed a great airplane.

Here are some links where you can learn more about Aram along with his Bonanza and his aviation adventures:

Website for N62BS

Aram’s YouTube channel

You can also contact Aram at his email: aram{at}n62bs{dot}com

Thank you Aram, for sharing part of your story with us in this episode!


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