By Byron Maynard
President, Lincoln Skyways, Inc. (916)730-0788
No matter what we do, everything we own is under constant attack. The earth will eventually consume whatever we create. As pilots and airplane owners, this is particularly true. Our planes are made from light weight materials, one of the many requirements for flight. Metal rusts, aluminum corrodes fiberglass cracks and delaminates, and composites, well we are not sure how they will fare over time. We know that composite planes cannot be painted dark colors due to the harmful effects of heat. Having a composite plane sit outside in the desert heat year after year will probably be detrimental to the airframe over time, just like moisture is to aluminum.
So what can we do? Really, about all we can do is slow the effects of this harsh environment we call earth. Keeping your plane in a hangar for one really helps preserve an aircraft. But even a hangar is not enough by itself to keep a plane in good condition. Recognizing a problem before it becomes a problem is the key. Over time, we have all known aircraft owners that have had drive-by annuals done. These are also known as pencil-whipped annuals. But by doing quick, nonintrusive annuals, they may be missing their best opportunity to spot trouble before it becomes more costly. A lot can happen in a one year span, even flying less than 100 hours.
Consider an all aluminum plane that has a corrosion issue that isn’t identified until it becomes serious. The options at this point are punishing. Reskinning a structure can be very costly and time consuming. When we spot the onset of corrosion in an aluminum aircraft at our shop, we clean the affected area and then treat it with ACF-50. ACF-50 is a great corrosion inhibitor / lubricant that creates a barrier between aluminum structure and water. If you can keep water out, you stop the spread of corrosion. We use a sprayer at our shop to disperse a fine mist of ACF-50 into an aircraft structure. A good ACF-50 application lasts up to a year which coincides with the time frame of an annual inspection.
Consider a crack in your aircraft’s aluminum skin or structure that goes unnoticed. If the crack is allowed to run, it can mean a much more costly repair down the line. Cracks, spotted early on, can be stop drilled in some cases. Doublers can be added to strengthen the affected area. If the crack is too far gone, a reskin and other key structural replacement maybe in order. Again, a thorough annual can spot trouble before it becomes bigger trouble.
Our engines are also under constant assault from corrosion. At the shop, we all too often see the effects corrosion has on camshafts in engines that are run infrequently. A pitted camshaft will lead to spalling, and when severe enough, leads to an engine tear down. If you run your aircraft engine less than once per week, consider adding CamGuard to your oil to defend against the effects of moisture.
Your tires, door seals, window seals, etc are also under attack, mostly from UV and other environmental factors. Applying a good UV vinyl and rubber protectant on a regular basis is a good line of first defense. I like Meguiars or Mothers Vinyl and Rubber protectants, both of which provide UV protection. With the prices for tires and rubber seals escalating over the years, making them last as long as possible is just a good idea.
Consider one item that makes for a pleasurable flight, a clean windshield. Yet, many pilots often ignore this critical part of their aircraft. I like to us Plexus Plastic Cleaner on mine. It contains wax which seals your windshield, preventing pitting, discoloration, and cracking. The cost to replace a windshield is substantial. And given the abuse our windshields take on every flight, a little care is in order.
Look, there are no magic answers to keep our aircraft in great condition. About the best we can do is defend. If we let our guard down, Mother Nature will continue her onslaught, and this translates into larger repair bills.