by Mike Busch | Jan 1, 2021 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
The spark plugs in most piston aircraft engines are still powered by 120-year-old technology. My airplane’s piston engines utilize a magneto ignition system. If you’re flying a certificated airplane, chances are good that yours does, too. The fact that we’re still...
by Joe Godfrey | Dec 6, 2020 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
It has been a while since we took a look at sticky valves. I’m not going to write about why valves stick and how to keep it from happening, although I have a great resource for that. Earlier this year Mike Busch wrote an article for AOPA Pilot called Why Valves...
by Mike Busch | Dec 1, 2020 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Rigid baffles and flexible baffle seals are critical in keeping your engine cool. The Cessna T210 owner was clearly frustrated with his new engine installation: “I recently had my engine rebuilt and had a new baffle kit installed. The CHTs for cylinders #5 and #6 are...
by Joe Godfrey | Nov 13, 2020 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Recently a client submitted engine data with an erratic EGT trace. It always makes sense to check the connection first, but in this case it looked like a failing probe. When we reported this, he said that he suspected it failed because he hadn’t been flying much...
by Mike Busch | Nov 1, 2020 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Maintenance-induced problems are common, and it often an experienced pair of eyes to diagnose them. Elko Regional Airport (KEKO) is located in northeast Nevada at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level, and is known for its competitive avgas prices. It’s pretty...
by Joe Godfrey | Oct 16, 2020 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
I live in California. I moved here from Chicago in 1983. It’s probably safe to say that Californians think about earthquakes every day. Most days it’s a fleeting thought then you go about your life. But when you feel a rumble it becomes top of mind again....
by Mike Busch | Oct 1, 2020 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
There’s a lot more to piston aircraft engine oil than you might think Friction and wear are caused by fracturing of “micro-welds” between moving surfaces. When it comes to piston aircraft engines, the role of engine oil is complicated. It lubricates moving parts to...
by Joe Godfrey | Sep 19, 2020 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
I’ll go out on a limb and say that priming the engine is not a precise science. Every POH has instructions, but experience often suggests that some engines like a little more and some a little less. What happens to the excess fuel if the pilot over-primes?...
by Mike Busch | Sep 1, 2020 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
What if your airplane breaks and there’s no one to fix it? Being a dyed-in-the-wool technology freak, I drive a Tesla Model 3. It has been a superbly reliable vehicle that doesn’t require maintenance very often. When I take my Tesla to the dealership for maintenance,...
by Joe Godfrey | Aug 14, 2020 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Thanks to the virus, I think we’re all logging more flight simulator time lately. I was talking with a game-designer friend about sims and haptics. To save some of you running to the dictionary, haptics are kinesthetic cues given by electronic devices. Like when...
