Time between overhauls (TBO) is a strange concept. The FAA requires aircraft engine manufacturers to publish TBOs for their engines, but doesn’t require aircraft owners to abide by them. You are free to continue flying behind your engine as it remains airworthy. Yet many owners and mechanics start getting nervous as they see tach time approach published TBO.
In his monthly article for AOPA Pilot, Mike Busch offers advice about what should drive the decision to overhaul. Spoiler alert - it isn't TBO.
Every time your cam rotates those lobes wear just a little more. They're built to take a lot of spins, but sadly, pitting, spalling, corrosion and lack of lubrication from infrequent flying are more likely to cause trouble for your cam than an excess of spins. But if clues are there, the month's Puzzler asks which engine data parameters should we look at and what patterns should we expect to see?
This month, analyst Joe Godfrey looks at recent data from two Cessna 182s and a Mooney M20E.
Cirrus is badly backlogged on replacement CAPS parachute kits for older-model CIrrus SR20s and SR22s, and that owners of these aircraft who are approaching their 10-year CAPS replacement date would be wise to get their orders placed six months in advance or risk being grounded for months.
Webinar Archive: What Airplane Should I Buy?
For reasons not yet precisely clear, the past year has seen an extraordinary number of airplanes bought and sold. That includes lots of first-time buyers who often start looking for more airplane than they need. They’ll find an older Mooney or Cessna 210 that seems like a lot of airplane for the money. They’ll notice that many piston twins are being offered for sale at lower prices than high-performance piston singles and be tempted to buy a twin. Lots of choices, some potential pitfalls.
In this webinar archive, Mike offers advice to those looking to trade up, trade down, buy or sell.
Mike Busch's first book - Manifesto - has been on Amazon's aviation maintenance bestseller list continuously since first being published in July 2014. In typical no-nonsense style, it lays out the basis of Mike's “minimalist” maintenance philosophy for owner-flown general aviation aircraft.
We're delighted to announce that Manifesto is now available as an audiobook, priced at just $5.99.
Read by Mike himself, it's 2 hours and 26 minutes long and can help you save a small fortune on maintenance costs while ending up with a safer, more reliable aircraft.