Take out your pilot logbook. Have you logged fewer hours this year? A slow economy will do that. Making the decision to pump that disposable income — don’t you love that term? — into your airplane’s fuel tank can be difficult, especially when the disposable-income pool isn’t what it used to be. Yet if airplanes aren’t flown, airplane maintenance costs almost always increase. When money’s tight, something has to give, and it’s usually flying time.
Do-It-Yourself Airplane Maintenance
Key Takeaways:
- Aircraft inactivity, often due to economic constraints, paradoxically increases maintenance costs over time due to issues like engine rust and seal degradation; therefore, flying regularly or properly pickling an engine is crucial.
- Owners can significantly reduce maintenance expenses by performing permitted preventive maintenance tasks themselves, including oil changes, tire replacement, lubricating the airframe, cleaning, and updating avionics databases.
- Any owner-performed maintenance must strictly adhere to FAA regulations (FAR Part 43), utilizing manufacturer-approved methods, aircraft-quality parts, proper record-keeping, and crucially, seeking mentorship from an A&P mechanic and ensuring all work is inspected for safety.
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