by Mike Busch | Oct 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
What to do about uncomfortably high CHT For decades now, I’ve been preaching that the two keys to piston aircraft engine longevity are avoiding extended periods of disuse and managing CHT. If you allow your engine to sit unflown for weeks at a time, you risk internal...
by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
This cutting-edge technology could revolutionize GA maintenance. The exhaust valve is the most likely component of a piston aircraft engine to fail catastrophically. When one fails, combustion ceases in the cylinder, the engine loses power and starts running rough....
by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
If your A&P seems over-cautious and self-protective, there’s good reason. By Mike Busch Mechanics have always been subject to FAA sanctions: certificate suspension or revocation, fines, warning notices, letters of correction, and remedial training. But enforcement...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
When piston airplanes are fueled with Jet A, bad things can happen. On March 2, 2008, a turbonormalized Cirrus SR22 was destroyed when it crashed shortly after takeoff in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, killing all four people aboard. Shortly after the aircraft departed from...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Lessons learned from geriatric engines. Time Between Overhaul (TBO) is a strange concept. The FAA, in its infinite wisdom, requires aircraft engine manufacturers to publish TBOs for their engines, but doesn’t require aircraft owners to abide by them. You are free to...
