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I can see it now. FAA mandating an annual inspection application in the likes of MedExpress. Question 1: Has the airplane "ever" been non-operated for 3 months or longer without being preserved? For an affirmative answer, mechanic must submit all documents proving there is no interior rust...

Well, a pitted cylinder can still have perfect compression readings because differential compression is done at TDC. It doesn't catch pitting that is lower down the cylinder. Same way a compression test wouldn't catch a cam lobe problem because the valves are closed at TDC. I owned an airplane...

I totally agree, but does a mechanic do a thorough interview with all owners and previous owners asking them how they operated their airplane the entire life of the engine?

How can a mechanic see rust on the interior (inside) surfaces of an engine during normal maintenance? I am thinking about the notorious Lycoming camshafts that get rusty. Not even X-Ray vision can see that. Pulling cylinders off to look for rust on the camshaft is not routine.

If you are trying to build time, get something slow. The longer it takes to make your 170nm trip, the more time you get. Look at some of the options with a Rotax 912. With a low power setting and possibly auto gas, they are going to be the least fuel cost per hour. Total time doesn't include...

At 85, you have earned your whining privileges. Your wife deserves to whine too.

I have a HP color laserjet cp1215. I have had it for at least 15 years. I buy off-brand toner cartridges for around $10 each. I usually get at least 5k pages out of each cartridge.

The standardized 17 digit vin on all vehicles became law in 1981. Carfax will only work with the 17 digit standard.

I used to rebuild & restore 911 Porsches. At that time, 911s & 930s were hot on the stolen vehicle list. I would find them at the insurance salvage auctions with little to no damage, and all the way to completely stripped to the bare shell. Often times, the thief that stole and stripped the...

If you don't have the expertise to evaluate the extent of damage, or the quality of the repair, I would not recommend buying a rebuilt salvage, or even any vehicle that has prior damage history. Insurance salvages a vehicle when it is not economically repairable. A minor fender bender would...

And search DWI

The best insight is going to be had by searching this forum for DUI. Especially pay attention to all comments from bbchien & Lbfjrmd.

For sure, there are airplanes flying that have questionable maintenance history. Non-compliance with ADs and other mandatory items is not acceptable. The grey area are the items that are subject to the mechanics judgment. On the 2 photos, I would be concerned about the fuel lines, but the...

There are some shops that can be over scrupulous too. I remember when a friend brought his C150 to a shop that was highly recommended. They gave him a estimate for annual that was more than the plane was worth. He asked me to look at the squawk list they provided. One of the items was...

Why did they ask you if you were a pilot? How would they know that you lied? Are you sure you weren't already on the watchlist before this incident?

I love the smell of new leather. Old leather, not so much.

Problem Solved. Stop buying everything from China and start making the machines in our own country. We will all be working for the machines.

Those rivets are easy to change because a rivet squeezer can be used instead of bucking them. The correct term is not a rear bulkhead though. Piper calls that the rear fin spar. Touch up with zinc chromate primer first, then paint.

If you are building the deck yourself, make sure you look at the crown. Install the boards with the crown up. The installer didn't do that on mine and I had to redo it when many of the boards started cupping.

The rounded edges of the 5/4 looks nicer. Also, when I compare the common treated 2x6 to 5/4 deck boards, the deck boards seem to have fewer knots and overall better grade of wood. For my boathouse and pier, I was able to buy 2x6 boards with the rounded edges from a marine lumber yard. The...