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.
26
"When it starts to talk to you it's time to rep...
TBO myths, preflight techiques, on-condition maintenance, and lean of peak
55 min
27
"The people who design these airplanes don't wo...
Some problems are easy to fix, if you can reach them
68 min
28
"Full rich is horrendously rich"
Fuel issues dominate, featuring problems with set-up, leaning, and more
66 min
29
Live from Saturday Airventure 2024
A live audience tries to stump Mike, Paul, and Colleen
49 min
30
"Mechanics are the surgeons of aviation"
Cooling issues, getting along with your mechanic, and approved data
71 min
31
"I've had grass stains on my prop"
Engine teardown after a prop strike, preflight procedures, using the boost pump, and oversquare
72 min
32
"Placard it inop"
Leaky struts, leaky brakes, and a leaky defroster
67 min
33
"Don't pull the throttle back until you want to...
64 min
34
"Don't do that!"
Throwing away an engine that's hard to start
63 min
35
"I have permission to get an airplane."
The challenges of tying down, major or minor, fuel pump problems, and more.
62 min
36
"I'm against throwing a part at something"
How much oil burn is too much?
62 min
37
"You become the supervisor of your maintenance"
62 min
38
"Don't split the case halves"
Oil leaks don't always come from the case
59 min
39
"This guy is on his own, he's a test pilot"
The best plugs, advice for a Van's customer, and is carb heat necessary?
63 min
40
"Let us know how the exorcism goes"
Ridding an engine of it's demons
57 min
41
"The breather is a slobber pot"
An engine that won't quit, oil temps, tuned exhausts, and ELT batteries
53 min
42
"Think of the prop control as a gear shift"
Valve lapping, oversquare, and the basics of leaning
50 min
43
"Major and minor is in the eye of the beholder"
Can you make your own electronic components? The experts discuss.
59 min
44
"It's not good form to jam the throttle forward"
How to use a borescope, best throttle practices, and keeping water out of the tanks
58 min
45
"We call it an Italian tune-up"
Valve clatter, damage history that isn't, why POH numbers change, and more
54 min
46
"Use whatever time runs the slowest"
When the tachometers don't agree, which one do you pick?
55 min
47
"You can't fully pickle it"
A curiously rough running engine, another that's cursed, and one that needs to be preserved are on the agenda.
65 min
48
"Cleaning injectors causes more problems than i...
55 min
49
"Why don't you just fix the problem?"
Cold-weather flying, radio issues, and how to become an A&P
61 min
50
"It's not the mechanic's job to make flying che...
A wonky compass, lean of peak advice, and liabilities of being a mechanic
55 min