154 – If I Looked at YOUR Airplane, What Would I Discover?

Airplane Owner Maintenance - By Dean Showalter

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 could use some attention. We’ll save the Archer for last.

First, a Cessna 172:

I noticed the fuel strainer (gascolator) was safety wired backwards!

The same Cessna 172 also had a small oil leak… I later discovered the rocker box oil return fitting was loose and needed to be resealed:

The bottom cowling was telling a story about that oil leak… it’s always a good idea to look for oil in the bottom cowling and then try to determine where it’s coming from:

Second, a Beech Bonanza:

No pictures for this one, but here are a few things I found on this one:

• No copper safety wire on the emergency exit window pins.
• No safety wire on the fillister head screws in one of the ruddervator hinge brackets.
• One loose ruddervator hinge bolt.
• One worn ruddervator thrust bearing.

Listen to the audio for more details on this one.

And third, a Piper Archer:

One of the brake hoses was leaking – the nut was only finger tight!

The cabin door hinge pins were worn and the door was hitting the frame when closing. New pins and some shim washers fixed the problem.

The carb heat door shaft grommets were worn:

The left cowling pin bushing bracket was loose:

And finally, the fuel primer nozzle was really dry and stiff:

I always love to discover things on airplanes that need attention.

What about you? Could you benefit from having me look at your airplane? Send me an email to explore the options. dean{at}airplaneownermaintenance{dot}com

Or, go ahead and set up a Facetime consulting call and we can look at your airplane together and discuss any issues you might have:

Schedule a FaceTime call with me in 2 simple steps

1. Go to my calendar and pick a time spot that’s good for you.

Click here to schedule a time.

2. Go to my PayPal link and make a $100 payment.

Click here to pay $100 in PayPal.

On the scheduled day, I’ll call you and we can discuss and examine your airplane concerns. (Many prefer FaceTime for this.)

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Other resources mentioned in this episode:

PilotWorkshop.com – This is a great place to help you stay sharp as a pilot… be sure to sign up to receive the “Tip of the week,” a short, 2 minute or less, valuable tip to make you a better pilot… and it’s free!

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