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 due to lots of consistent flying in the past couple years.
Since the airplane had been in Florida before it was sold, there were multiple areas of corrosion to clean and repaint. Just the other day, it was “spotty green,” as we had primed the bare spots in preparation for paint.
In this week’s podcast episode, we cover the first 30 squawks… we’ll continue through the list in another episode.
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… these placards are important!
Find out in today’s episode why the placards were unreadable, and also hear about the other squawks that were discovered on an A36 Bonanza during annual inspection.
If you have a crazy story of something you discovered after a new interior was installed in your airplane, please let me know… I may do an episode in the future about airplane interiors, and things to be aware of.
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!
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