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.  

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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.

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? 

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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.