by Mike Busch | Dec 11, 2023 | Savvy Stories
The exhaust valve is by far the most likely component of a piston aircraft engine to fail catastrophically in flight. When an exhaust valve fails, combustion ceases in the associated cylinder. The engine loses power and starts running rough. In a single-engine...
by Mike Busch | Dec 11, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Marc was the owner of a 1974 Cessna 414 who recently came to the conclusion that it was more aircraft than he really needed, with a voracious appetite for fuel and an overabundance of moving parts, many of which are fabricated from unobtanium or unaffordium. So, he...
by Mike Busch | Dec 11, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“I flew my Skylane about three hours from Pompano to Tallahassee to drop off my daughter,” Alvin posted on his SavvyAnalysis ticket. “After refueling, I taxied out to take off for home. Although the plane performed beautifully on the flight to Tallahassee, on...
by Mike Busch | Dec 11, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“While I was replacing the worn spark plugs on my Bonanza today, I used my borescope to look at the exhaust valves,” Nick posted to a new SavvyQA ticket. “It looks to me as if the #1 & #3 exhaust valves are beginning to show some asymmetrical coloring. What do you...
by Mike Busch | Dec 11, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Time Between Overhaul (TBO) is a strange concept. The FAA, in its infinite wisdom, requires aircraft engine manufacturers to publish TBOs for their engines, but doesn’t require aircraft owners to abide by them. An owner is free to continue flying behind the engine as...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“Requesting analysis to understand the possible root causes on this engine start,” Willy posted at the beginning of his newly-created SavvyAnalysis ticket. “I hadn’t run my 1966 Beechcraft Bonanza V35’s engine for two weeks, and when I started it I noticed that EGT #3...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“Welcome to SavvyPrebuy, Mark!” Savvy’s technical director Jeff Iskierka posted to the newly-opened prebuy ticket. “ We’re delighted that you have hired us to manage a prebuy examination of this 1949 Stinson 108-3.” Mark lives in the Pacific Northwest, and this...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
A few minutes after noon on Saturday, James Watson A&P/IA heard his smartphone beep to alert him to an incoming text message. The message read: “N1357B is AOG at O59. Engine lost power. Had to make an emergency landing. Phillip 503-708-1212.” James was the on-call...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Jack is an Albuquerque-based pilot looking to purchase his first airplane. Despite his being a first-time buyer, he had his heart set on buying a piston twin. (Apparently he didn’t read Mike’s 1997 AVweb article Do You Really Want a Twin? which makes a...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“There appears to be a spike in the #5 CHT on the most recent flight of our SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad,” Mark wrote on his SavvyAnalysis Pro ticket. “The plane seemed okay afterwards, but the #5 EGT is now running higher than normal. Could you take a look, please?” Savvy’s...
