This ‘ol Piper Apache served me very well to get my MEI training and check ride done. Listen to the audio for this episode to hear how my check ride went… it was a challenging one! This part of the podcast is toward the end. This episode also covers something we did for our son Seth around the time of his birthday… we found someone to take him for a helicopter ride! It was truly an amazing day! The post “240 – MEI Check Ride Struggles” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintenance.com ..read more

Note: Scroll down to see who I unexpectedly met in Florida this past week! Now for the Prebuy… it was some months ago, and I did a prebuy inspection on a nice airplane on behalf of the buyer. I also became good friends with the owner / seller, for which I was grateful, because sometimes these can end up being sticky situations. The owner / seller (who is a really great gentleman) seemed to think his airplane was nearly perfect, and there should be very little wrong with it. And by all means, it was a very nice airplane indeed. So much so, that if I was buying it, I’d be thrilled! Nevertheless ..read more

This podcast episode includes the following: Update on my CFII check ride from March 8, 2024 A description of several maintenance items on a Piper Cherokee Some emails I received from podcast listeners, some encouraging me about my check ride, and some sharing inspiring stories of what they are doing in their aviation journeys… I love hearing about what you guys are doing! Two resources I recommend for people who are about to take a check ride: One is an article in the March 2024 AOPA Pilot magazine titled “Impress the Examiner” by Catherine Cavagnaro. The second one is something our friend L ..read more

My CFII checkride is in three days! Yikes! I’m excited, and I have a few butterflies as well… I just hope they are friendly butterflies Today’s podcast episode is about checkrides, and some encouragement for all of us to move forward with whatever that next step is… whether it’s a private pilot certificate, an instrument rating, or something else. If you’re thinking about getting a new pilot certificate or rating, I encourage you to go for it! Let me know how things are going… I always love to hear from you guys! The post “237 – Checkride Butterflies!” appeared first at AirplaneOwnerMaintena ..read more

Check out this spare parts case my friend Bill created! Although you might not want to carry that much extra stuff in YOUR airplane, it still might be worth thinking about some items to have in case of emergencies. This podcast episode will include the following: Some feedback from others about spare parts. A story about a communication blunder I made a while back. Update on getting my CFII. And… some fun laughs and goodbye’s from my little grandson! Enjoy the show, and leave me a message if you like! The post “236 – Spare Parts and Tools to Carry in Your Airplane” appeared first at Airplan ..read more

The paint was eroding on the King Air 350 prop blades. After a lot of research for paint and new Hartzell decals, I was ready to begin. Here’s where I bought the prop paint and new Hartzell decals: aerotouchups It was important to NOT get paint on anything other than the prop blades… Finally, after finishing the black and gray paint, it was time to paint the white stripes (my favorite part and the part that makes the whole blade pop!) I was very happy with the end result: Always consult your maintenance manual before painting prop blades. It’s also a good idea to check in with your favorit ..read more

I’ll get right to it… I think it was because one of the brushes in the heater combustion fan motor was severely worn, and when the motor / combustion fan did not run, the heater did not light. Here’s a comparison of the old brushes and the new brushes I just installed: (The 2 old brushes are on the left.) This episode also includes the nose gear support structure rivets that needed to be replaced: Now you might be wondering, “What kind of airplane is this?!” It’s an Aerostar… a great airplane, but like all airplanes, it does take some maintenance. And one area that needs to be inspected clo ..read more

Mike Garcia has become a good friend over the past year or so. Recently we completed his annual inspection together, and he really enjoyed working on his airplane while learning more about what’s under the surface! Mike was my guest on the podcast this week, so be sure to listen to the audio for that conversation. Mike’s wife is also learning to fly, and one of their favorite ways to use the airplane is flying from Virginia to New Mexico to see family! And of course they take their favorite companion, Rama along on these trips as well! Now for all you maintenance geeks out there, you might ..read more

Be sure to scroll down to see how my Maui Gold Pineapple plant turned out! (It’s been growing in a pot here at our house for a very long time Now for this week’s podcast: I had the opportunity to do an annual inspection on Ben’s Piper Comanche, and he sent me this photo after he flew home when the work was completed… thanks Ben! Ben and his wife, along with their A&P, had recently put a ton of work into the engine change. Just looking at the engine, you can see the great attention to details that makes it look amazing: In this episode, I talked about some highlights from the inspection ..read more

In this week’s podcast episode, you’ll hear about: King Air flying. Listener feedback from the last episode on “Phantom Cylinder Cracks.” The latest annual inspection I’m involved in. … and a few other things! I’m in the midst of an annual inspection on a Piper Comanche. I might talk more about this one in a future episode, but for now, I mentioned two strange things about this airplane in this week’s podcast: The first strange thing was the oil quick drain kept seeping after I drained the oil and closed the drain valve. I was perplexed when oil was collecting on the bottom cowling and seepi ..read more