by Mike Busch | Jan 1, 2020 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
When using threaded fasteners in tension, it’s all about the preload. Tightening a cylinder hold-down nut is an extraordinarily critical task. Failure to do it exactly right can result in catastrophic engine failure. Threaded fasteners are ubiquitous in aviation. Look...
by Mike Busch | Dec 1, 2019 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Don’t fall victim to an overzealous mechanic. Mark is the owner of a beautiful Cessna 185 Skywagon based in the San Francisco Bay area. Awhile back, Mark and his wife travelled to Minden, Nevada in this airplane to visit with Mark’s mother-in-law who was ill. A few...
by Mike Busch | Nov 1, 2019 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Thoughts about being temporarily booted out of my hangar. From the time I first acquired my Cessna 310 in 1987, it has been hangered at Santa Maria Public Airport. Initially, I kept it in a large community hangar. Then in 2003, after a long wait on the airport hangar...
by Mike Busch | Oct 1, 2019 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
What may you do to your aircraft without A&P involvement? More than you might think. The FAA defines who may perform maintenance on certificated aircraft in FAR 43.3. This rule lists all the usual certificated suspects: mechanics, repair stations, air carriers,...
by Mike Busch | Sep 1, 2019 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
The Friendlies are remarkably friendly to Part 91 folks Aircraft owners and pilots love to bash the FAA. We grumble and whine about all the labyrinthine regulations and requirements the Agency burdens us with, and how much it increases our complexity and cost of...
