General Aviation

A magneto failure on our Cessna T182T Turbo Skylane ended my very first assignment as a survey pilot and forced us to take an airliner back home. Things certainly did not go as planned, but looking back, I learned quite a lot from that short adventure. Before we talk about the failure and the lessons

The gap between the freedom aircraft manufacturers sell and the reality of owning, maintaining, and operating a private aircraft.   Aircraft manufacturers tend to sell us on the dream of aircraft ownership. The freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, in your very own aircraft.   You fly your family to your holiday

Aircraft Engine Leaning Explained: From Basic Mixture Control to Advanced Leaning Techniques Aircraft engine leaning is one of the most misunderstood topics in aircraft ownership and operation. The reasons are multi-layered, but certainly include a lack of knowledge, proper guidance, and the persistence of inherited rules of thumb and old wives’ tales. Why Is Leaning

Reactive aircraft ownership rarely happens because of one bad decision. Without structure, small inefficiencies, dependencies and poor decisions compound until the aircraft stops delivering the freedom, capability and enjoyment it was supposed to provide. Why Do Aircraft Owners Eventually Give Up? Aircraft ownership usually begins as a source of freedom, purpose, and meaningful experiences. Yet

What a Pitot-Static Failure Taught Me About Returning an Aircraft to Operation After Maintenance Back in 2019, I lived in Wiener Neustadt and worked as a flight test engineer, pilot, and head of flight operations at a local design organisation specialising in ISR installations. Besides preparing, executing, and post-processing flight test programmes, and performing survey

Worse Situations Now Can Lead to Better Situations Later Two years ago, I was sitting on the couch in my apartment watching an episode of Modern Wisdom, hosted by Chris Williamson, featuring Alex Hormozi: Be Ruthless About the Life You Want – Alex Hormozi (4K) You may be familiar with both Chris and Alex. Chris

Why You Should Not Skip Aircraft Engine Pre-Heating Just Because Other Pilots Do Proper aircraft engine pre-heating begins with understanding what you are actually trying to achieve. You are not simply warming the oil or making the engine easier to start. You are preparing a cold-soaked mechanical assembly, made from different materials with temperature-dependent clearances,

Aircraft Reliability Is an Ownership-System Outcome Cancelled flights, diversions, missed appointments, unplanned layovers, and the quiet dread of wondering whether the aircraft will be ready when you need it. Aircraft reliability is not only a maintenance issue. It is shaped by the way the aircraft is selected, equipped, stored, operated, monitored, and maintained over time.

Why Intelligent Pilot-Owners Often Chase Symptoms Instead of Root Causes. A while ago, I gave a workshop for a local flight club on the ownership and operation of Continental- and Lycoming-powered aircraft. During the workshop, we discussed an issue with one of their aircraft.   They reported an elevated oil temperature that had been increasing

Regulation may explain part of aviation’s slow progress. But the deeper reason many aircraft owners are still flying decades-old technology lies in a business problem first identified by Clayton M. Christensen. Industries’ outsiders often believe aviation represents the pinnacle of technology and innovation. At first glance, that assumption makes sense. Aircraft use high-quality materials, operate