For the pilot comfortable with basic mechanical tasks and aware of the rules and regulations, this can save time and money. Beyond that, performing basic tasks helps us learn what makes these little birds tick.

In years past, professional pilots spent a significant part of training learning about their airplanes’ inner workings. U.S. Air Force aircraft systems training focused on how each system operated, its location, required pressures, temperatures, and voltages. The training included a field trip to the airplane, usually led by a bright, young maintenance technician who got into the nitty-gritty of how everything worked—and might fail. Each pilot had an opportunity to get their hands greasy, ask questions, and visualize how the jet worked.

The best part of this experience was watching and learning from the amazing airmen and sergeants who maintained these aircraft. Watching how they approached their jobs with skill, patience, and the ever-available technical order as a guide set the example for how quality aircraft maintenance should be performed.

Today, the airframe and powerplant (A&P) field faces a severe staffing shortfall. As a result, your local aviation inspector or mechanic may gladly share with you the proper way to maintain your airplane. And if you are handy and want to get your hands dirty, you could save a few dollars and free up the A&P for more complex jobs. Consulting an expert before you turn a wrench is well worth the time.

So, where do we start?

Step 1: Check Rules and Regulations

The first step is learning what is legal and what is not. Appendix A to Part 43 provides the basic list of 31 tasks (29 tasks if a hot-air balloon is not in your hangar) that an owner-operator may perform. Advisory Circular 43-12A provides additional guidance on applicable do’s and don’ts.

The tasks listed in Part 43 range from simple items such as replacing bulbs, updating databases, and troubleshooting landing light wiring, to more complex items like changing the tires, oil and filter, or servicing hydraulic struts. Some exotic items include replacing side windows, prefabricated fuel lines, and hoses, not including hydraulic lines. Some of these would seem to require a level of expertise beyond what the basic home mechanic might want to attempt. Decide which of these tasks you want to tackle and which are better left to professionals. To answer this question, let’s ask our local A&P for help.

Step 2: Consult Your A&P

Before you open the cowling, it’s a good idea to talk with your A&P and assess the task you want to perform and your basic mechanical skills. For example, if the job is changing an airplane tire for the first time, ask if you can watch them do it on a similar airplane. Unlike cars, airplane tires come complete with inner tubes.

These require careful installation and application of a dry lubricant to prevent pinching. Most GA tires have marks indicating where the tire should be located regarding the valve stem. And, let’s face it, jacking up an airplane is not like jacking up a car. Watching your mechanic and asking questions is a great way to spend an afternoon, and it might help you get the job done right the first time. You may also decide this chore is better left to the A&P—that’s OK too.

• READ MORE: What Does it Take To Become an A&P?

Important safety tip: YouTube provides a trendy way to learn about all sorts of maintenance procedures around the house, car, and even changing airplane tires. However, these videos should be taken with a grain of salt. The YouTube presenter may be an expert—but they may not. If you have questions, ask an A&P.

Step 3: Assess Your Tools

Airplanes require specialized tools. An oil change on an automobile requires a drain pan, an oil filter wrench with a belt on the end, and a socket wrench. Add a funnel and a few quarts of oil, and you are home free. Changing the oil on your trusty Cessna 172 will require a hose for the quick drain (if one is installed), containers for the old oil, an oil filter wrench with a six-sided wrench for the nut, preferably with a torque setting, and a set of safety wire pliers. By the way, getting the safety wire just right is both an art and a science, requiring practice.

Don’t forget a filter-cutting tool to inspect for metal. And then there is the matter of where all that oil goes. In most cars, it just drains into the pan. In most tightly cowled GA aircraft, the filter is mounted at a 90-degree angle to the ground against the firewall. If you fail to catch the oil, it will find its way into every nook and cranny of the engine compartment, and you will be smelling it for a while. Other tasks require special tools as well.

• READ MORE: 5 Attributes of a Top-Notch Maintenance Provider

All landing gear struts are not created equal. Most Cessna nose struts can be inflated with a simple air or nitrogen line (nitrogen is preferred). However, more than a few Piper owners have discovered that once they deflate their main struts to add hydraulic fluid, they need a specialized pump attached to the air or nitrogen line. Each time you move the slide on the pump, the strut inflates a bit. Deflate the strut without a strut pump and it stays deflated. The moral of this story is to find out what specific tools and talents are required before you begin, rather than having to ask the mechanic to rescue you after the fact.

Step 4: Check Your Parts

Airplane parts must be FAA/PMA (FAA parts manufacturer approval) approved, except for homebuilt aircraft. While the $25 PAR 36 LED light on Amazon may seem an exact match for your landing light, its place is on your pickup. The $350 FAA/PMA version is required for your certified airplane.

The manufacturer of the FAA PMA part has subjected it to tests for installation on an aircraft. Parts for a homebuilt plane may look identical and cost hundreds of dollars less, but they are not legal for your type-certificated Cessna, Piper, or Cirrus.

Step 5: Aluminum vs. Steel

Airplanes are constructed of light but strong materials. The aluminum in the cowlings, wings, and fuselage is designed to sustain significant structural loads. However, when a stainless steel screw is overtightened in an aluminum surface, the opportunity to strip the screw threads looms large. Spark plugs are the number one offender on this list. Overtightening or cross-threading a steel spark plug in an aluminum cylinder head is an expensive mistake. Additionally, steel and aluminum behave differently under heating, so an anti-seize compound is applied to keep the two metals from binding and making removal a problem.

Spark plugs, oil filters, and other items come complete with specific torque values to help us find the sweet spot between too loose and the dreaded stripped-thread scenario. Tighten these with care.

Step 6: Logbook and Test Flight

Once the preventive maintenance is complete, a suitable airframe and/or engine logbook entry is required. Your A&P can help you. Your signature and certificate number complete the entry. Before signing, it might be a good idea to consider getting another pilot or mechanic to review your work to ensure you did not miss a step or leave a tool in the airplane.

A short test hop, while not required, makes good sense for many maintenance tasks. However, if you have just spent a long, hot day changing the oil, cleaning spark plugs, or changing a tire, this might not be the best time for a test flight. Go home, get a shower and some chow, and come back in the morning when the air is cool and you are rested. Look for leaks, lost tools, or loose wires, then close the cowling and enjoy the test flight.

The freedom to own and fly our airplanes, and perform preventive maintenance, is really special. Learning what makes our airplanes tick can make us better pilots, save a few bucks, and extend our airplanes’ lives. Spend time with your A&P. Watching these professionals at work, following a few rules of the road, and not being afraid to ask for help will go a long way. And knowing that you performed the work, and took the time to do it properly might make you a more confident, knowledgeable, and competent pilot.

Fly safe!

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine. 

The post Pro Tips for Private Pilots: Care for Your Airplane appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Like so many others, we hangar the bird and treat the airplane’s wings, fuselage, and tail feathers to an internal spray corrosion treatment regimen every couple of years. I make sure to fly the airplane no less than once a week, and each time, get the engine up to operating temperature and keep it there for at least 45 minutes.

However, I wondered how I might protect our precious radio stack from the ravages of moisture and salt. 

I have had issues before with humidity and other kinds of electronic gadgets. Over the years, I found that when we left our musical instrument amplifiers idle in a humid environment, the rheostats would corrode at their contact points, resulting in a loud crackling noise when the volume was turned up or down. Thankfully, a little contact cleaner sprayed into the works, and a vigorous rotation of the volume knob usually cleared up the situation. And come to think of it, I had the same experience with the intercom volume and squelch controls on our Cessna.  

• READ MORE: Affordable DIY: Hands-Free Flashlight

Our instrument panel contains the full spectrum of avionics history, from that 30-year-old intercom system and three light marker beacons,  to a couple of venerable King KX 155 NavComs, and more recently a digital transponder, IFR GPS, and autopilot. I noticed that each time I opened the boxes containing these new digital toys, the first thing that fell out was a little pack of silica gel commonly referred to as a desiccant. When these valuable little devices are being shipped, the manufacturers take the time to protect them from excess moisture. At this point my trusty co-owner, co-pilot, and spouse, observed that they made this kind of humidity absorbing desiccant for closets, footlockers, and even entire rooms. A trip to the hardware store was in order!

Full disclosure, what follows is not backed up by any scientific studies, rather is a product of backyard engineering and a little experience. 

Purchase number one consisted of a “closet hanging moisture absorber” designed to hang in your closet next to your clothes and catch the absorbed water. The top of the bag contains the water absorbent material, and the bottom section is a clear plastic bag to catch the water. These come in a variety of sizes and are manufactured by several companies. 

As it turned out, the plastic hook at the top of the dehumidifier was a perfect fit for the polished Cessna control yoke shaft. These come in packages of from three to eight, and usually last a couple weeks during the high humidity season. 

Purchase number two consisted of a bright red plastic bucket. Reading the instructions on the dehumidifier carton, we learned that the water catch bag would not leak, and no other precautions would be required. Having always thought that Murphy’s Law was incredibly optimistic, the $5 bucket seemed a good purchase. The rest was easy. Hang the bag on the passenger side control yoke shaft, place the bucket squarely below the bag on the floor, close the doors and let the magic happen. 

Well, not so fast.

Unless I wanted to dehumidify all of Northeast Florida, it made sense to check the door seals for a good fit, close the fresh air vents, and make sure the cabin was relatively sealed off from the elements.

The unscientific results are in. I have not had a repeat of the intercom system corrosion issues, the bag and bucket are easy to remove and replace before and after each flight, and the bag fills up on schedule as promised. Oh, and the inside of the Cardinal is much drier, and smells even better.

The cost of this unscientific dehumidifier: about $5 a bag plus the bucket. Peace of mind: priceless!  

The post Low-Cost DIY Hangar Projects: Aircraft Cabin Dehumidifier appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Top of the list is the GI-issue, 90-degree D-cell flashlight, complete with replaceable red and blue filters. However, these are a bit heavy, require a strap to clip to, and replacing the filters is a bit clumsy.  The heavy metal Maglites, all the rage a few years ago, are very bright, very strong, and perfect for self-defense, as well as illumination. However, Maglites, like so many others, require one hand to hold them while juggling checklists, baggage doors, and flight controls with the other.

Then, there are the myriad of available LED lights. Most have the same problem. Lighter than the Maglite, they still leave the pilot one-handed. The only solution to these problems is the Cyclops light. You know, the LEDs that strap to your forehead. These are effective, less than comfortable, and hardly a style statement. 

• READ MORE: DIY Tow Bar Upgrades

Then one day, while cruising the local hardware store (my favorite errand!), I came across a wonderful little product. For the princely sum of around $20, I picked up an LED work light that you hang around your neck. This nifty little product features a flexible neck strap that connects two LED mini-lights, each powered by an AA battery. Each light has both low and bright settings, and each can be independently positioned up or down through approximately 45 degrees. It looks like these are manufactured by one or two companies and then branded in different colors along with many of the popular tool brands. 

Eager to try my new light, I went out for a night flight, and voilà, during preflight the two lights illuminated the airplane, leaving hands free to hold the checklist and open the required panels and doors. However, once I jumped in the airplane, the white light was simply too bright and took a toll on my night vision. So, what was I to do? 

A trip to the local auto parts store (my second favorite errand!) produced a roll of translucent tail light tape for about $5. This self-adhesive red tape is meant to repair tail lights, and the adhesive is designed to stand up to the rigors of heat, cold, snow, and rain on the back of your automobile. Add a pair of scissors to cut a couple of three-quarter-inch red squares and tape over one of the lenses, and the night vision problem is solved. I use both the white and red lights for preflight and the red light for inside the cabin.

The two-level light settings are really helpful, and the red tape dramatically softens the interior light. Now, when I fly at night, I just place the light around my neck, ready for use at a moment’s notice. The light is comfortable and easy to use. Total cost: $25. Better light, hands-free, and night vision preserved. Priceless! 

The post Affordable DIY: Hands-Free Flashlight appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

If you are lucky enough to fly a large screen glass cockpit instrument display, your checklist may be contained in the pilot’s cockpit screen at the push of a button. If so, you may have the best of both worlds. Most of these electronic checklists are easily modified and are located in the pilot’s line of sight. Similarly, many of the iPad navigation applications have checklist options that perform the same function. Depending on where the iPad is located these can help balance the inside/outside visual scan as well. However, many of us, flying more vintage airplanes, are not so blessed. So, what is a budget-minded pilot to do? 

• READ MORE: DIY Tow Bar Upgrades

As long as the airplane or propeller is not moving, having the paper checklist in hand is the way to go. But once we start moving, our eyes need to be outside the aircraft, clearing for obstacles, traffic, and wildlife, while we maintain strong checklist discipline. As usual, someone had already thought this problem through. Taking a page from the big iron, some Boeing models feature the Before Takeoff through Landing Checklists mounted right on the control yoke. So, while the jet is in motion, a glance down at the yoke is an additional reminder for the pilot flying the jet of how the checklist is progressing. Hmmm, could we do something similar? 

Well, many singles have a little unused panel real estate available that could host a compact before takeoff through after landing checklist. The higher on the panel, the better. Next step, make a mockup of your checklist on MS Word, and size it to fit the available space. Take your paper mockup to the local trophy/engraving shop, and—after a bit of explaining and the exchange of a few bucks—they will turn it into a stylish plaque to place on your instrument panel. Attach it to the panel with a little double-stick foam tape, and you have your pre takeoff through landing checklist, in plain sight of you and your copilot. Oh, if you think that you might want to add an item or two to the checklist, ask the engraver to maintain your file so that cutting an updated version will just take a few minutes. 

My experience is that this increases the likelihood that we actually use the checklist. Adding this easy-to-use checklist to your flight deck does not absolve pilots of the responsibility to carry the POH and a copy of the manufacturer approved checklist. Instead, it supplements these important documents in an easy-to-use format. Total cost, less than 50 bucks! Increased visual clearing, situational awareness, and more frequent checklist use, Priceless! 

The post Try These Low-Cost DIY Hangar Projects appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

As a current Cessna Cardinal—and former Piper Warrior—owner, I was not satisfied with the tow bars available for these popular aircraft. In the case of the Cessna, the spring-loaded towbar connects to two lugs, one on each side of the nose strut, and snaps together to allow the pilot to maneuver the airplane. 

The Piper tow bar snaps into two holes on the front of the strut, and then when the spring is released, the tow bar is locked in place. The problem is that the tow bars, if released, can dig into the fiberglass of the nose wheel fairing, leaving significant scars. So, what is a pilot to do?

A trip to the local hardware store (one of my favorite journeys) produced the following ingredients. 

First up, an 8-foot length of foam PVC pipe insulation. This looks like a gray/black pool noodle and comes in various diameters. Best of all, it is pre-split down one side to allow it to slip over the pipe. 

Second, a package of medium-length (color coordinated?) snap ties that are used to hold electrical wires together. By the way, snap ties and duct tape should be a part of every aviator’s toolbox. 

Once back at the hangar, a set of wire cutters and a box cutter complete the kit. 

You’ll need to measure the portion of the tow bar that may come in contact with the nose wheel pant. For Cessnas, these seem to be two sections about 8-10 inches long. For the Piper, a foot or so on the center post near the two-prong connector will do. 

Cut the PVC pipe insulation to match, and then secure the sections to the tow bar with the snap ties. And voila, you now have a padded tow bar that will protect your fiberglass and paint, even if you lose your grip and drop it. 

Total cost: about 15 bucks. Keeping your nosewheel fairing bright and shiny: Priceless!

Do you have tips for simple, cost-effective upgrades that help you care for your airplane? Send us a note at editor@planeandpilotmag.com.

The post DIY Tow Bar Upgrades appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.