Ask the A&Ps
Experts Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling answer your toughest aviation maintenance questions. Submit questions to podcasts@aopa.org. New episodes are released the first and fifteenth of every month.
1
“Is this like pulling a mattress tag off?”
Borescope primer, torque tales, manufacturer nonsense
52 min
2
"The owner can't do maintenance because the own...
A guide to owner maintenance, slipping starter adapters, and more
47 min
3
"You're going to give him nightmares"
Rust on new cylinders, creative leaning, manifold issues
53 min
4
"He has a piston with a smiley face on it that'...
How many hours are too many?
40 min
5
"Just be sure you lube it with something"
Wood wings, generators, and pre-emptive engine overhauls
41 min
6
"If you go to 76 percent, the wings will fall off"
Electronic ignition, creative mods, lean of peak
48 min
7
"It's one of the few accidents where you get to...
Fuel indication problems, high oil temps, gear motors, and corrosion
49 min
8
"Being an aircraft owner is the hardest job in ...
Spark plugs, aircraft records, lean of peak, and circuit breakers
48 min
9
"That's an urban legend"
Keeping cool (and warm), plus oil composition and lean of peak
47 min
10
"More time to fly, less time to turn wrenches"
Flaming exhausts, lean of peak, and unnecessary maintenance
46 min
11
"You have a lot of splaining to do"
How to cycle the prop, cam spalding, and inop parts
50 min
12
"Mechanics can be ornery sometimes"
54 min
13
Live from Airventure 2025
The audience questions come fast at the AOPA tent
44 min
14
"That'd be like putting grease on the road"
Grease options, lean of peak temps, break-in, composite cracks
59 min
15
"That's one way to flat spot a tire"
Parking brakes, valve guides, and preflight gotchas
39 min
16
"An airplane with no engine is worth nothing"
Oil issues cause problems for owners
58 min
17
"You have to cart mogas around like a homeless ...
Fuel flow, mogas, and overhaul concerns
60 min
18
"You have license to go zorching around"
58 min
19
"Continentals burn valves and Lycomings stick v...
69 min
20
"My airplane is a flying experiment"
Engines go bang, stick, and hold on to oil this episode
63 min
21
"They put all their maintenance records on napk...
Picking the right aircraft logbook, Continental bulletins, lead scavenging, and ADs
59 min
22
"Keep torturing those airplanes...and students"
Shutting down engines, electrical problems, and more
52 min
23
"Shame on you for even thinking about it"
Lead deposits, turbo tips, setting engine monitors, and trading good airplanes
55 min
24
"If that doesn't work you've got the flame thro...
Engine vibrations, getting the bugs out, leaning for takeoff, and flap problems
62 min
25
"Your airplane is on a full-time IV drip"
Oil pressure and temperature issues, compression test benefits
66 min