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...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“During an attempt to dial the prop flange of the Lycoming O-540 in my 1968 Piper PA-28-235 Pathfinder, it was noticed the crankshaft would chatter while rotating it slowly,” Frank said in his initial post to a SavvyQA ticket. “My mechanic says ‘it feels like...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Piper introduced the PA-28-235 Cherokee Pathfinder in 1963 as its competitive answer to the Cessna 182 Skylane. Powered by a 235-hp Lycoming O-540 engine with a gross weight of 2,900 pounds, it could “lift anything you could close the doors on.” In 1972, Piper...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Jim, Jack and Gene are members of the faculty at Indiana University in Bloomington. They are also partners in a 1968 Cessna 177 Cardinal based at Monroe County Airport (KBMG).The Cardinal was first introduced by Cessna in 1968 as a successor to the venerable 172...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Mac owned an A36 Bonanza for ten years, but he’d sold it and was now looking to move up to a twin. His online research uncovered a promising purchase candidate, a 1980 Beechcraft E55 Baron, and he knew he’d need a thorough prebuy to find out if this airplane was...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
Doug and Andy lavished their 1969 Cessna 182M Skylane with both love and money. Two years ago they’d treated her to a zero-time Continental O-470-R. To make sure they were treating the new engine properly, they’d upgraded their engine monitor to a spiffy new...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“Would you please take a look at my October 21 flight?” Matt posted on a SavvyAnalysis ticket. Matt owns a Glasair Sportsman 2+2 powered by a Lycoming YIO-390-EXP experimental engine. “At about 50 minutes into the data, I was doing a preflight mag check,” Matt...
by Mike Busch | Dec 7, 2023 | Savvy Stories
“I’m having a problem with the radios,” Charlie reported to his SavvyMx account manager Eric Svelmoe. “They’re stuck on receive mode. Both have the RX indicator illuminated and putting lots of background static in my headset continuously.” Charlie had...
