In The News

Reciprocating Engines Engine First Reading the “Aircraft for Sale” advertisements can be interesting and misleading. As aviation-oriented people, we are conditioned to look for certain bits of information which we believe will allow us to evaluate the product offered for sale. In the case of airplanes, this information can generally be segregated into three categories – airframe, avionics and engine. There does seem to be information on engines which cannot be emphasized too strongly. Engine information is [...]

Aircraft records that have been lost or destroyed are a highly debated subject. Some say that 30% to 50% of the value of an aircraft resides with the maintenance records. Whether this is accurate or not, they represent value and should be treated with care and respect their value and impact on your aircraft. Occasionally, the records for an aircraft are lost or destroyed. In order to reconstruct them, it is necessary to establish the total time [...]

The purchase of an aircraft represents a major commitment that should be approached carefully and cautiously, especially when buying a used aircraft. For many aircraft owners, it represents the largest single lifetime investment next to buying a home. Quite often, the purchase price of an aircraft approximates or exceeds the price of a new home. Particularly when buying a used aircraft, it is wise to have the selected aircraft inspected by a qualified person or facilities before [...]

How Do AD’s Effect your Aircraft Operation? An Airworthiness Directive (AD) is an important tool used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to communicate unsafe operating conditions relating to aircraft and aircraft equipment to aircraft owners. A primary safety function of the FAA is to require the correction of unsafe conditions found in an aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, rotor, or appliance when such conditions exist or are likely to exist or develop in other products of the [...]

Question: Why should an owner/operator consider an Hourly Cost Maintenance Program (HCMP) Answer: An HCMP has many different benefits depending on the owner/operators needs. In all cases an HCMP for the airframe and powerplant remains as one of the more savvy investments that helps plan for budget when confronting a major maintenance event. An HCMP evens out maintenance costs for routine, regular and preventative maintenance requirements that all owner/operators may have. There are various HCMPs to consider; [...]

Maintenance means the preservation, inspection, overhaul, and repair of aircraft, including the replacement of parts. The purpose of maintenance is to ensure that the aircraft remains airworthy throughout its operational life. A properly maintained aircraft is a safe aircraft. Although maintenance requirements vary for different types of aircraft, experience shows that most aircraft need some type of preventive maintenance every 25 hours or less of flying time, and minor maintenance at least every 100 hours. This is [...]

Corrosion can be a devastating enemy of aircraft engines, particularly those in planes that are flown infrequently or placed in storage for an extended period of time. New engines or those with new or freshly honed cylinders after a top or major overhaul are of special concern. In areas of high humidity, these have been instances where corrosion has been found in such cylinders after an inactive period of only a few days. Once these cylinders have [...]

US Congress 2020 Cares Act creates “special tax refund from prior years” window of opportunity for purchases of business aircraft during 2020. The Covid 19 pandemic presents challenges for businesses trying to navigate the economic contraction caused by it. However, for those considering purchasing an aircraft for business purposes, Congress placed a special stimulus provision in the CARES Act to encourage such purposes be made before year end 2020. The Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act [...]