I do a lot of the regular (read: “preventive”) maintenance on my airplanes. For example, I’ve gotten oil changes down to a fine art and usually can perform all the related hands-on tasks in under 30 minutes, including safety-wiring the new filter. I typically drain the used oil overnight, though, and let each plastic bottle of fresh oil drain into the crankcase for a few minutes, to get that last drop. Some call that lazy; some call it cheap. I call it minimizing the amount of motor oil contaminating the plastic recycling stream.
I perform other tasks, too. I’ve refurbished interiors, changed tires, installed new brake pads, replaced failed light bulbs, rebuilt engine monitor harnesses and many other tasks, in part because I can, in part because there’s no maintenance shop on my home airport and in part because I have trust issues with people working on an airplane I fly. That lack of trust has strong roots in seeing some truly hacktackular stuff over the years. I’m also cheap.
