Why Airplane Reliability Matters More Than You Think

Another month-long excursion with mechanical issues rears its head.

Les Abend

Friday, February 20, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The author summarizes maintenance on his Piper Arrow in an Excel spreadsheet with the date and airframe time. [Credit: Les Abend]

Key Takeaways:

The author's personal general aviation (GA) aircraft frequently experiences mechanical issues and in-flight failures, including critical systems, which starkly contrasts with his 34-year airline career where serious emergencies were rare.
GA pilots are solely responsible for ensuring their aircraft's airworthiness and addressing maintenance, with the author's plane typically needing repairs every 25 flight hours on average.
The article questions the subjective definition of aircraft reliability, noting that while older GA airframes can be durable, their aging accessories and systems are often a source of recurring problems.

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As we descended through the dingy, gray cumulus, a glance at the standby attitude indicator revealed a familiar problem. The instrument was beginning to show a pronounced bank despite the wings-level status displayed on the Aspen electronic PFD.

Cringing, I forced myself to look at the far-right side of the instrument panel. Yup, the suction gauge needle indicated almost zero, occasionally jumping to the right in an attempt to display momentary signs of life. We were losing the vacuum pump that powered the standby attitude indicator.