Vic Syracuse
Vic is a fixed-wing and helicopter commercial pilot, CFII with ASMEL/ASES ratings, an A&P/IA, DAR, and EAA technical advisor and flight counselor. Passionately involved in aviation for over 40 years, he has built 11 aircraft and logged over 10,000 hours in 72 different kinds of aircraft. Vic volunteers as a Young Eagle pilot, has his own sport aviation business called Base Leg Aviation, and has written two books on aircraft prebuy and condition inspections.
Alternator Woes
I had the opportunity to address a couple of alternator problems this past week, and the irony is that they were on two of...
Cracked Landing Gear Weldment
Landing gear sockets should be checked regularly for those who fly off of grass and certainly after a hard landing. Using a bright light...
Loose Intake Pipe
Sometimes the intake pipes on Lycoming engines can come loose. This will cause an intake leak, usually indicated by a rough idle and higher...
Avionics Dropout
In this case, the non-builder owner stated that the avionics, including his EFIS, would intermittently drop out while in flight and sometimes even on...
Worn Out Manifold Hose
Almost all rubber hoses have a shelf life. Most are around eight years. The symptoms were fluctuating manifold pressure readings, and the hose completely...
Disintegrated Drive Coupling
Ever wonder why the standby alternator or vacuum pump isn’t working? There is a drive coupling that is designed to break if something becomes...
Bad Indication or a Real Problem?
How many of us have seen an unusual engine temp/parameter indication and wondered if it was really the engine or a faulty reading? The...
Cracked Exhaust
Exhaust cracks can be insidious, although sometimes they leave a gray-looking residue. Use a bright flashlight and inspect them every time the cowling is...
Missing Safety Wire
The jam nut on this flap motor is required to be safety wired to prevent the nut from coming loose. There is a lot...
Homebuilt Aircraft Council Awards Hats to First-Time Builders
The Homebuilt Aircraft Council this year introduced a new hat to recognize first-time aircraft builders bringing their aircraft to AirVenture for the first time....
In Case You Missed it
Power In a Box
Self-contained digital power distribution systems make for simplified installations and circuit health monitoring.
Error Chain
CozyJet dead-stick. Losing an engine was the least of the problems. It was a brake fire that almost destroyed this one-of-a-kind homebuilt.
Hose Protection
Ishmael Fuentes shows you how to protect and cool the hoses in your engine compartment by making a firesleeve.