Magazine Articles

If your mechanic seems over-cautious and self-protective in his approach to maintaining your airplane, he has good reason. Mechanics have always been subject to FAA sanctions: certificate suspension or revocation, fines, warning notices, letters of correction, and remedial training. But...

A Highly Modified Skyhawk

by Mike Busch | July 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

How does an IA deal with a situation like this? The maintenance officer of a small flying club asked if my company would be willing to manage the maintenance of the club’s 1976 Cessna 172M. The airplane had been flying...

Cylinder Work: Be Afraid

by Mike Busch | June 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

It is nearly impossible to install a cylinder properly when the engine is on the airplane. Here’s why. I suppose it comes as no surprise to readers of this column that I’m not exactly a fan of top overhauls. I...

Scuzzy Skyhawk

by Mike Busch | May 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Why a thorough, independent prebuy examination is so essential, even for a simple 172. The prospective buyer was looking for a Lycoming-powered Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and had a budget of $35,000. He searched online and found one being offered with...

Ferry Permits

by Mike Busch | April 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles, Uncategorized

If your aircraft isn’t airworthy but you need to fly it anyway, here’s how. As every pilot knows, it’s strictly against the rules to fly an unairworthy aircraft: §91.7 Civil aircraft airworthiness. (a) No person may operate a civil aircraft unless...

Not-So-Plain Bearings

by Mike Busch | March 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

There’s a lot more to engine bearings than meets the eye. According to Miriam-Webster, a bearing is “a machine part in which another part turns.” Most aircraft have lots of them. Wheels spin on their axles with the help of...

High Oil Consumption

by Mike Busch | February 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Don’t do anything rash until you’re sure where the oil is going. A fellow named Ted phoned me to say that his 1984 Cessna T210 was in the shop for its annual inspection, and his mechanic was suggesting a $14,000...

Mechanic, Heal Thyself

by Mike Busch | January 1, 2014 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

All airplanes occasionally get sick. Even mine. Every year, I take my airplane on a big summer trip around the U.S., speaking at various aviation events and culminating with a week at EAA AirVenture. This year’s trip was 50 days...

Damage History

by Mike Busch | December 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles, Uncategorized

The term “damage history” is not well-defined. Here are some thoughts on the subject. One of my clients just had a fancy digital engine monitor installed in his airplane. During the installation, the shop hired to do the work drilled...

FAA’s War on Jugs: An Update

by Mike Busch | November 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Yikes! It’s far worse than I expected, and it must be stopped. By Mike Busch I must be losing my touch. When I last wrote about this subject 9 months ago—in the February 2013 issue of EAA Sport Aviation—I reported...

Rough Engine

by Mike Busch | November 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Understanding the underlying causes of engine roughness is the key to eliminating it. One of the most common squawks reported by pilots and aircraft owners is a rough-running engine. If the roughness can be duplicated during a ground runup, then...

Thinking Slow

by Mike Busch | October 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Why many career A&Ps are not great troubleshooters. I recently had a fascinating exchange with my friend and colleague Paul New. Paul is an A&P/IA and a truly extraordinary aircraft mechanic who was honored by the FAA as the National...

AOG Rescue

by Mike Busch | September 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

A mechanical problem away from home is every aircraft owner’s worst nightmare. Here’s how one owner dealt with such a nightmare…with a little help. On an otherwise-peaceful Saturday morning, I received a panicky text message from Mark, a Cessna 185...

“But My Mechanic Says…”

by Mike Busch | August 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Aircraft owners get lots of bad advice from their A&Ps. Ever wonder where the A&Ps get it from? “I know you’re a strong proponent of the in-flight mag check,” emailed the aircraft owner, “but I have been advised against doing...

Compression in Context

by Mike Busch | July 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Few aviation maintenance tasks are so misunderstood—and so responsible for inappropriate work and expense—as the routine differential compression test. It happens every year: We put our aircraft in the shop for its annual inspection. The IA pulls out the compression...

The Blame Game

by Mike Busch | June 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

When “stuff happens” to your aircraft, it’s not always someone else’s fault. Regular readers of this column know that I grumble a lot about “stupid mechanic tricks” made by career A&Ps who should know better. Some have accused me of...

The Redundancy Trap

by Mike Busch | May 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

The best way to protect against the in-flight failure of any aircraft component is to have two. Or is it? CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONSPART 13—AIRCRAFT ENGINE AIRWORTHINESSSubpart B—Reciprocating Engines§ 13.111 Ignition system. All spark ignition engines shall be equipped with either a dual...

A Little Dab’ll Do Ya…In

by Mike Busch | April 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Even a seemingly trivial mistake by a well-intentioned mechanic can have dire consequences. On April 19, 2005, a 1966 Beechcraft Debonair was cruising at 8,500’ on a VFR flight from Van Nuys to San Jose, Calif., when the pilot heard...

Diagnostic Tales from the War Zone

by Mike Busch | March 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Troubleshooting is best accomplished by first gathering data and then analyzing it logically. The owner of a 2005 Cessna T182 was in Key West Florida when he experienced unusual roughness immediately after engine start. The EGT and CHT on the #3...

Separation Anxiety

by Mike Busch | February 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Can we prevent these catastrophic head-to-barrel separations? On February 24, 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board issued Safety Recommendation A-12-7 to FAA acting administrator Michael Huerta, expressing great concern over 29 cylinder head fatigue failures of Titan-brand cylinders manufactured by...

How Much is Too Much?

by Mike Busch | January 1, 2013 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

There’s metal in your oil filter. Now what? “I’ve been a happy aircraft owner until this morning,” Frank wrote me. “My aircraft is in the shop for its annual inspection, and the mechanic just called to say that they found...

Red Box, Red Fin

by Mike Busch | December 1, 2012 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

How NOT to lean your engine. At my July pilgrimage to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, I had the opportunity to speak to thousands of pilots and aircraft owners on a wide variety of subjects ranging from reliability-centered maintenance to TBO...

Mini or Maxi?

by Mike Busch | November 1, 2012 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

Is your mechanic a minimalist or a maximalist? I’m an unabashed maintenance minimalist. I believe in doing only maintenance necessary to make an aircraft safe, reliable, and compliant with regulations. I believe that doing more maintenance than that is not...

Flying Efficiently

by Mike Busch | October 1, 2012 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles

In a world of $7 avgas, it’s more important than ever to get the best bang for the buck. How can we get the best fuel economy from our airplanes? Given the painful cost of avgas these days, this is...