by Mike Busch | Feb 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
What aircraft owners should know about piston aircraft engine oil. This is the first of a two-part article about the lubricating oil we use in our piston aircraft engines, and we’ll be covering a lot of territory. We’ll discuss the various types of engine...
by Mike Busch | Dec 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
You’ve been doing mag checks since your first flight lesson, but are you doing them right? From your first days as a student pilot, you were undoubtedly taught to perform a “mag check” as part of each pre-takeoff runup. But do you know how to do it correctly,...
by Mike Busch | Nov 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Mechanics approve an aircraft for return to service after maintenance by signing a logbook entry, but pilots actually return the aircraft to service by flying it. Never forget that on the first flight after maintenance, you’re a test pilot…so please act accordingly....
by Mike Busch | Oct 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Pilots still seem to have a lot of misconceptions about EGT. Let’s see if we can clear some of them up. These days, pilots of piston-powered aircraft seem to be fixated upon exhaust gas temperature (EGT). Scarcely a day goes by that I don’t receive a phone call or...
by Mike Busch | Sep 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Destructive detonation and pre-ignition events can destroy your engine in two minutes flat. Know the symptoms, and act fast! At least once a year, I am contacted by an aircraft owner whose piston aircraft engine was destroyed or severely damaged by a destructive...
by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
We have the technology to prevent these failures by detecting them in the incipient phase. Last month we discussed how exhaust valves fail and why they sometimes fail prematurely. This month, we’ll shift our focus to how we can monitor exhaust valve condition, detect...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Exhaust valves are the most heat-stressed components in your piston aircraft engine, and the most likely to fail prior to TBO. Here’s what you need to know about them. I experienced my first in-flight exhaust valve failure about twenty years ago. The engine started...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Your maintenance shop’s paperwork can make all the difference between a good outcome and a nightmare. When he contacted me, the owner of a pristine turbonormalized A36 Bonanza seemed obviously frustrated: I manage to fly only 50 to 75 hours a year, but my annual...
by Mike Busch | May 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Every pilot understands the notion of “pilot in command.” That’s because we all had some certificated flight instructor (CFI) who mercilessly pounded this essential concept into our heads throughout our pilot training. Hopefully, it stuck. As pilot-in-command (PIC),...
by Mike Busch | Apr 1, 2010 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
How do we assess whether a piston aircraft engine is airworthy? Compression tests and oil consumption are only part of the story—a smaller part than most owners and mechanics think. My friend Bob Moseley is far too humble to call himself a guru, but he knows as much...
