Is shock cooling myth or reality? Can you run lean of peak with a carbureted engine? These questions and many more come at Mike, Paul, and Colleen in this month's episode. Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org Full notes below: Jerry has an RV-4 with a new battery but the original alternator. When he starts the engine and then turns on the alternator, he sees a big amperage spike. He tested turning on his alternator before starting, and sees the same spike. That piece of information is critic...
Jul 01, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Oil all over the nose, cylinders that are too clean, and bush propeller repairs. Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle it all this month. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to be on the show. Adam wonders what to do after a prop overhaul left him with a huge puddle of oil and some shaken nerves. His plan is to remove the newly overhauled prop and send it to the manufacturer. Paul questions whether it was an install error because a seal between the shaft and the prop seal can be bro...
Jun 01, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 22
From the seemingly benign--what tire ply to use--to the extreme--hitting 500 degrees on a cylinder--Mike, Paul, and Colleen face it all this month. And we mean all, like Ron's 172 that produces a loud bang exactly two minutes after shutting down. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org Full notes below: Larry has a turbonormalized Beechcraft Bonanza. When it came time to replace his tires he decided to go to with 8 ply, but he later researched and found the type certificate specified 6 ply. T...
May 01, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 21
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle questions about inexpensively improving aircraft paint, cylinders that are too cool, low compression readings, and a magic floatplane that burns less fuel with its floats fitted. Plus, the ultimate stumper, an airplane that can't turn left. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org Full notes below: Eric has a Pitts with an unusual problem. When he turns left the engine starts to sputter, and when he turns right the rpm increases. They initially suspect...
Apr 01, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 20
You may think an annual inspection includes a verification of the accuracy of your fuel gauges, but you'd be wrong. Nor does the IA check the accuracy of your tach or any other number of instruments. This information comes to a pilot undergoing a first annual. Mike, Paul, and Colleen also tackle oil loss and temperature issues, why we stop our engines with the mixture, and the difference between a major and minor alteration. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to be on the sh...
Mar 01, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen talk fluids. Danny has an oil leak, Steve has a fuel leak, and Jeff is puzzled by guidance on which oil to use. Plus, a question from a maintenance newbie, looking ahead to overhaul, seeing double on batteries, and a pesky propeller governor problem. Submit your question to podcast@aopa.org for a chance to be on the show. Full notes below: Dash has a T-34 and is wondering about the implications of having two 12-volt batteries in series, rather than one 24-volt ...
Feb 01, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Mysterious metal in the filter, reporting an owner to the FAA, when to change ELT batteries, and the elusive perfect hot start. This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle some of the toughest questions in aircraft ownership. Submit yours to podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to be on the show. Full episode notes: Brian asks how one is to know when the ELT battery runs for more than an hour or has reached 50 percent of its life. FAR 91.207 requires replacement on these conditions. Short answer: you do...
Jan 01, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Ever wonder what you're looking for when you preflight a Cessna with those small oil doors? So did our caller this month. Mike, Paul, and Colleen also field questions about a burned valve, winterizing for cold-weather ops, how to do an in-flight magneto check, and whether you'd really run out of fuel before oil with a leak in the gauge line. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Dec 01, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 16
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen dive into questions about valve failures, tracking engine times, aging engine accessories, and worrying cylinder head temperatures. Plus, a question that could only come from an instructor.
Nov 01, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle everything from radio gremlins to the big questions of aviation, such as an overall maintenance philosophy and the reliability of our aircraft. Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to get on the show. And please take our survey to tell us how we're doing. You can find it at https://aopa.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZSqTKSpaOTVjdI?Referral=APS
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle questions big and small. A pilot wonders why aircraft engines are so expensive, a young student knows there must be a better way to clean an airplane, and owners tackle concerns over increasing compressions, throttle lag, and avionics. Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org And please tell all of us at AOPA how we're doing on podcasts. Take a short survey: https://aopa.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZSqTKSpaOTVjdI?Referral=APs
Sep 01, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Broken rocker arms, metal shards in the valve cover, and oil in the cylinder, oh my. This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen focus on listener engine problems, give some guidance on mods for an experimental builder, and bust an oversquare myth. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Aug 01, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
A savvy owner wonders how to trust her airplane with no logbooks, a Cessna pilot is curious if he's getting all the power he paid for, and Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle an unruly governor. Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Jul 01, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This episode Mike, Paul, and Colleen debate shock cooling, help an owner set his stall warning tab, debunk unapproved equipment myths, give an owner advice on breaking in new cylinders, and more. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Jun 01, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
This month owners look to settle arguments with their mechanics over tire wear and avionics glitches, one pilot tries to determine myth from reality on keeping fuel tanks topped off, a pilot learns his oil pressure problem isn't a problem, and Mike, Paul, and Colleen describe why detonation is a self-correcting event. Submit your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
May 01, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 9
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen cover the basics of oil analysis, corrosion proofing, fuel selector play, how to pick an overhaul shop, and prop people. Send questions to podcasts@aopa.org.
Apr 01, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 8
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle a number of questions about oil. Where it should be, where it shouldn't be, and why it isn't where you last added it. Plus, a jet pilot is grounded by tires.
Mar 01, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen delve into must versus should. Must you open all those inspection ports, is the prop and governor overhaul mandatory, and should one owner retorque his cylinder after a re-installation mistake? Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Feb 01, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This month Mike, Colleen, and Paul revisit sticky valves, diagnose shimmy dampers, give a bit of career advice, and talk about what right looks right on throttle response. Plus, silly pilot tricks with animals! Send your questions to podcasts@aopa.org
Jan 01, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Mike, Paul, and Colleen talk about why lean of peak if beneficial. Also, the hosts tackle questions on sticky valves, how to properly break in an engine, oil consumption, and more.
Dec 01, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Snake oil, cranky turbochargers, oil issues, camshaft rust, and more in this month's episode. Plus, a new owner tries to stump Mike, Paul, and Colleen on propeller rpm checks.
Nov 01, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Corroded control cables, the right oil for engine break in, pesky fouled plugs, and just how far can you push back on your annual. Paul, Mike, and Colleen handle all these topics and more in this month's episode.
Oct 01, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Checking an airplane for aerobatics, engine failures due to oil starvation, mysterious airplane vibrations, and why replacing cylinders could be a bad idea. Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle these topics and more in this month's episode.
Sep 01, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 1
New from AOPA, it's a podcast featuring you, the pilot and aircraft owner. Experts Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling answer your aviation maintenance questions. Subscribe today to catch all the episodes.
Aug 10, 2020•2 min
