Prepare for some opinions….helmet on….I will try not to offend the easily offended
Anyway, I've been on a mission to learn more about engine monitors. Here are my results after talking to some interesting folks, I wanted to get some real data. Some non-biased non-pilot data (no "this one time" war stories) Where did I go? I work at a research university with a lot of big heavy hitters in the aircraft insurance/risk assessment industry. I wanted to see what the results are when you follow the money/risk/accident data. More specifically, I wanted to know if my insurance premium could be negotiated down if I had an engine monitor.
Anyway, engine monitors, specifically, multi probe CHT/EGT's
Do they help identify trends and save on fuel and diagnosis mx costs…YES
Are they the sole and only source to predict a dying engine….NO
Will they give you a 1-2 minute "prediction of a catastrophic failure with no other clues…Maybe, but its all luck. Will an extra 90 seconds help? Maybe. Your engine is quitting anyway..Airmanship prevails
Are they a safety feature and a must NEED for single engine IFR/MTNS….WELL, insurance risk assessment say no, there is no correlation between engine monitoring and hull loss/loss of life/liability? In fact, perhaps the reverse might be true. If you had an engine monitor, would you more likely fly in thick soup/night/mtn/IFR? If no engine monitor, perhaps wait until morning? What is more risky?
So what does this say? If you install an engine monitor, your risk doesn't go down, neither will your premium.
You need to decide why do I need an engine monitor? Ask yourself, to save your life or perhaps give you the "confidence" to fly in night/IFR/MTNs in a single engine….wait, false confidence perhaps…again an engine "monitor" does just that…monitors
I'm not bashing on engine monitors…they are cool and it is on my wish list someday…They do tell you info about the health of your engine. But all too often, if your engine is sick, you should know through other sources of info…and may save you money…save money yes, reduce risk, no.
In the end, airmanship always prevails…always looking for a place to land even when she's purring like a kitten and giving yourself some altitude and options…