by Mike Busch | Sep 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
The rules about flying with inoperative equipment are complicated, and have changed a lot. Here’s the latest. Is your airplane squawk-free? I know mine isn’t. At any given point in time, you’ll find a yellow Post-it Note on the instrument panel of my 1979 Cessna T310R...
by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
If your certificated aircraft needs a replacement part that’s ridiculously expensive or downright unobtainable, the FAA will allow you to produce one yourself. The 1960s and 1970s were the biggest years for production of piston GA airplanes. By the peak production...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles, Uncategorized
The care and feeding of aircraft batteries. Last month, in Part 1 of this article, we discussed the construction, chemistry, types and characteristics of lead-acid aircraft batteries. This month, we’ll talk about the care and feeding of those batteries, including...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Sensitive and fragile compared to their automotive brethren, aircraft batteries need TLC if you don’t want to be left stranded. Aircraft batteries are the Rodney Dangerfields of general aviation. They get no respect. We let them sit unflown for weeks at a time,...
by Mike Busch | May 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
We often treat the words “safe” and “airworthy” as if they were synonyms. They’re not. On the landing roll, something didn’t feel right. The Cessna pulled strongly to the left. The pilot had to apply full right pedal and some right brake to keep it on the runway. As...
