by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles, Uncategorized
The care and feeding of aircraft batteries. Last month, in Part 1 of this article, we discussed the construction, chemistry, types and characteristics of lead-acid aircraft batteries. This month, we’ll talk about the care and feeding of those batteries, including...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Sensitive and fragile compared to their automotive brethren, aircraft batteries need TLC if you don’t want to be left stranded. Aircraft batteries are the Rodney Dangerfields of general aviation. They get no respect. We let them sit unflown for weeks at a time,...
by Mike Busch | May 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
We often treat the words “safe” and “airworthy” as if they were synonyms. They’re not. On the landing roll, something didn’t feel right. The Cessna pulled strongly to the left. The pilot had to apply full right pedal and some right brake to keep it on the runway. As...
by Mike Busch | Apr 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
How to ensure that nothing is coming apart inside your crankcase. I’d been working with a Bonanza owner in Memphis for several weeks helping him chase down a problem with his Lycoming engine. Yes, Lycoming—the aircraft was an A36 with a Machen conversion to a...
by Mike Busch | Mar 1, 2011 | EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, Magazine Articles
Contrary to popular belief, more maintenance isn’t necessarily better. Often it’s worse—a lesson that was learned during WWII. I’ve written at length in prior issues of EAA Sport Aviation on the subject of Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), the scientific and...
