by Joe Godfrey | Sep 18, 2023 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
When I taught in the classroom one of my favorite scenarios was teaching software. Typically I would introduce a concept, give examples of its application in the real world, and then show the students how to do it in the software. Inevitably, in a group of 25...
by Mike Busch | Sep 1, 2023 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
A maintenance-aware owner is the last line of defense against maintenance errors Corey owns a 1978 Bonanza A36 and is quite involved in its maintenance. He does his own oil changes and other preventive maintenance. He even bought his own borescope and uses it to keep...
by Joe Godfrey | Aug 11, 2023 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Years ago my wife got a set of books as a gift. It’s the series devoted to sweating the small stuff in life. I guess the gifter thought she needed help prioritizing. They’re on the bookshelf in her office still shrink wrapped – so much for sweating....
by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2023 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
If you ask FAA lawyers what a regulation means, the answer might surprise you We’ve all studied the regs. If you’re a pilot, you’ve spent hours poring over Part 61 (pilot certification, ratings, currency) and Part 91 (operating rulese, owner responsibilities), both of...
by Joe Godfrey | Jul 14, 2023 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
I have written about this before, every two years since 2015, and with lots of new clients and some new services since last time, it seemed like a good time for a biennial review. The comedians are fond of saying, “Timing is everything.” I think the quality of the...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2023 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
How reliable and valid is the almighty compression test? Each annual inspection begins with a moment of terror when the IA removes the top spark plugs and takes a compression reading of each cylinder. We hold our breath awaiting the verdict. If the numbers are good,...
by Joe Godfrey | Jun 16, 2023 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Judging from the ratings, I’m not the only one that just finished watching Succession. I’m an only child, and often wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Granted, it’s fiction, and granted it’s a supremely dysfunctional family, but...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2023 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
When it comes to maintenance problems, the FAA might be able help you but only in very limited ways. My April column, titled “Booted Out of Annual,” related a true story of a Bonanza owner who put his plane in the shop for its annual inspection, got into a...
by Joe Godfrey | May 12, 2023 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Most of the time engine data is an important tool for helping us with powerplant management during a flight, and choosing efficient options when maintenance is needed. If you’re a regular Puzzler reader, you’ve seen lots of examples of that. But every once...
by Mike Busch | May 5, 2023 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
THERE ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH A&PS TO MAINTAIN OUR GA AIRPLANES “The annual I scheduled more than a year ago got cancelled on a five-week notice,” read a recent post to the Beechcraft Bonanza Owners Facebook group. The unhappy owner went on to say that it was going...
