Ask the A&Ps

By AOPA

What's Ask the A&Ps about?

Experts Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling answer your toughest aviation maintenance questions. Submit questions to [email protected]. New episodes are released the first and fifteenth of every month.

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Ask the A&Ps episodes:

04.15.2024
"You become the supervisor of your maintenance"
Can you fly a turbocharged airplane lean of peak? Absolutely! This episode, Mike, Paul, and Colleen describe how to do it. Email [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join Full notes below. Mike...
04.01.2024
"Don't split the case halves"
A light oil mist on his windscreen has one caller concerned he needs to split the case. Plus, Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle cold cabins, tire changes, and horsepower calculations. Email [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Join...
03.15.2024
"This guy is on his own, he's a test pilot"
A Vans customer wonders what to do next, and a 172 pilot asks if carb heat is really necessary all the way to the ground. Plus, the best spark plugs, and a vexing gear issue are on tap for Mike,...
03.01.2024
"Let us know how the exorcism goes"
This episode Mike, Paul, and Colleen help an owner with an engine that randomly dies after 2100 rpm. Plus, the role of avgas as a lubricant, prop governor issues, and getting back into maintenance. Email your question to [email protected] for...
02.15.2024
"The breather is a slobber pot"
Mike, Paul, and Colleen help an owner raise his oil temperatures, explain the rules around ELT battery replacements, debate the merits of a tuned exhaust, and help an owner whose airplane won't quit. Email [email protected] for your chance to get...
02.01.2024
"Think of the prop control as a gear shift"
This episode Mike, Paul, and Colleen debunk myths, describe valves that are eligible for lapping, and cover the basics of the red box and leaning. Email [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community...
01.15.2024
"Major and minor is in the eye of the beholder"
With everything going electronic in the cockpit, will owner-produced parts become a thing of the past? Plus, Mike, Paul, and Colleen talk about their least favorite magnetos, deferring maintenance, and more. Email [email protected] for a chance to be on the...
01.01.2024
"It's not good form to jam the throttle forward"
Why you shouldn't jam the throttle forward launches this episode. Also, Mike, Paul, and Colleen help an owner with high oil temperature, advise a builder on engine modifications, help ease the mind of an owner with water in his tanks,...
12.15.2023
"We call it an Italian tune-up"
Mike, Paul, and Colleen help an owner with a bad lifter that shows itself after oil changes, guide an owner through a change his maintenance schedule, discuss what constitutes damage history, and take a guess at why POH numbers change...
12.01.2023
"Use whatever time runs the slowest"
Prop hubs that were nearly scrapped, how to properly measure the oil level, semi-synthetic oils, and tachs that don't agree are on tap for this episode. Email [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation...
11.15.2023
"You can't fully pickle it"
This episode is all about engines--how to fix one that runs rough, how to save money when buying one, why one went bad so quickly, and how to preserve one during a build. Email [email protected] for a chance to get...
11.01.2023
"Cleaning injectors causes more problems than it solves"
How far can you go with preventative maintenance? The hosts discuss this, plus oil-soaked plugs, a strange fuel smell, morning sickness, and more. Email [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Full notes below: Lamberto has a 152 with oil...
10.16.2023
"Why don't you just fix the problem?"
How cold is too cold the fly? Mike, Paul, and Colleen answer this question, and help an owner solve radio problems, advise an owner to fix his probes, and describe the process to become an A&P in the latest episode....
10.01.2023
"It's not the mechanic's job to make flying cheaper"
A compass that works on the ground but not in the air leads to a fun debate between Mike, Paul, and Colleen. Plus, the basics of lean of peak (again), jailbreaking a Rotax, and the liabilities of being a mechanic....
09.15.2023
"Inspections are an imperfect process"
While one owner has too much of a good thing and lots of shops to choose from, another is second-guessing if the massive check to the cylinder shop was necessary. In this, our first crack at twice-monthly episodes, Mike, Paul,...
09.01.2023
"Don't attack anything with tools"
Did Paul give us the definitive guide on how to hot start an airplane? Try his technique and see what you think. Also, unnecessary cylinder removals, a faulty tach, and a letter writer and guest who question if burping is...
08.15.2023
Live from Airventure 2023
Live from EAA Airventure 2023, check out our second in-person show. The questions come fast, and everything from proper leaning to oil leaks is covered. Can Oshkosh-goers stump Mike, Paul, and Colleen? Full notes below: The first question has Colleen in stitches....
08.01.2023
"My airplane is so clean you can eat off it"
How to start an airplane, whether or not to wash an airplane for an annual, flying through smoke, and high TITs are all on tap for this grab bag of an episode, as Mike, Paul, and Colleen take your toughest...
07.01.2023
"The only that thing that can cause CHT to rise that fast is pre-ignition"
In two separate but similar incidents, owners want to know whether their cracked spark plug insulators caused pre-ignition or if detonation ruined their plugs. Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle those questions, and many more. Email [email protected] for a chance to...
06.01.2023
"I'm a total turbocharging bigot"
Paul and Colleen broadcast from Dayton, Ohio, for Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, and together with Mike, do their best to help owners suffering with engine problems, mysterious cold air leaks, improper fuel indications, and more. Send your questions to [email protected]...
05.01.2023
"Pop that cowling off and squirt away"
A grab bag of unique questions come at Mike, Paul, and Colleen this month, including whether to buy new or overhaul, how prop stops work, what happens when you reduce from wide open throttle, and avoiding tiedowns. Submit your question...
04.01.2023
"This is a classic infant mortality failure"
With two important airworthiness directives recently issued for Continental engines and Cessna Cardinals and 210s, Mike, Paul, and Colleen dig deep on the surrounding capacity and safety issues. Then they take calls on the limitations of engine monitors, and how...
03.01.2023
"The airplane looks like it's having brain surgery"
Mike, Paul, and Colleen debate the difference between a bribe and incentive pricing, discuss how much carbon in the oil filter is too much, counsel an owner how to keep his alternator belt on, and reveal what's in their go-bags....
02.01.2023
"You may have to go to a different shop"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen give an owner the ammo he needs to not overhaul his engine prematurely, help console an owner with super hot cylinders--maybe, console another with super cold cylinders, and give cover to a pilot who...
01.01.2023
"There are critters living in there"
Did you know things live in jet fuel? These are the fun things you learn being a mechanic. Mike, Paul, and Colleen enlighten us on this strange fact, and tackle questions on leaning, burned exhausts, puddles of oil, and how...
12.01.2022
"You have two options and a top overhaul isn't one of them"
Adam flies a Piper Warrior owned by his friend. On a recent flight he experienced some morning sickness that he was able to resolve. On a subsequent flight the owner had morning sickness as well. The owner is considering a...
11.01.2022
"All engines deserve an engine monitor in their Christmas stocking"
Engines are the focus this month as Mike, Paul, and Colleen talk about valve failures, valve springs, burned valves, and more. And of course we had to have a leaning question. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to...
10.01.2022
"We're card-carrying members of overthinkers anonymous"
Making new parts, protecting parts, replacing parts, and identifying bad parts is the theme of this month's episode. Plus, a spirited discussion on fuel selectors. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to be on the show. Full details below: Greg...
09.01.2022
"I'm a choir boy in the church of lean of peak"
Because it's impossible to make it through an episode without discussing leaning, Mike, Paul, and Colleen hit it from two sides this month. A debate about inoperative equipment, and why mechanics reach for the pressurization cart first. Submit your questions...
08.01.2022
"I don't have a baby monitor on the engine"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen take questions from owners with round engines, fabric, fire-breathing aerobats, and more. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to get on the show. Full notes below.... Bruce has an a Continental O-300 and recently...
07.28.2022
Live from Airventure 2022
Introducing our first live show from EAA Airventure 2022! Join along as Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle questions on the spot from the audience at the AOPA Program Pavilion.
07.01.2022
"I'm a reformed shock cooling worrier"
Is shock cooling myth or reality? Can you run lean of peak with a carbureted engine? These questions and many more come at Mike, Paul, and Colleen in this month's episode. Send your questions to [email protected] Full notes below: Jerry has an...
06.01.2022
"EGTs are imaginary numbers"
Oil all over the nose, cylinders that are too clean, and bush propeller repairs. Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle it all this month. Submit your questions to [email protected] for a chance to be on the show. Adam wonders what to do...
05.01.2022
"Use the TLAR system. That looks about right"
From the seemingly benign--what tire ply to use--to the extreme--hitting 500 degrees on a cylinder--Mike, Paul, and Colleen face it all this month. And we mean all, like Ron's 172 that produces a loud bang exactly two minutes after shutting...
04.01.2022
"Your airplane may look like the molting hide of an animal"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle questions about inexpensively improving aircraft paint, cylinders that are too cool, low compression readings, and a magic floatplane that burns less fuel with its floats fitted. Plus, the ultimate stumper, an airplane that...
03.01.2022
"We don't check the accuracy of your fuel gauges"
You may think an annual inspection includes a verification of the accuracy of your fuel gauges, but you'd be wrong. Nor does the IA check the accuracy of your tach or any other number of instruments. This information comes to...
02.01.2022
"You'll ruin a set of clothes for sure"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen talk fluids. Danny has an oil leak, Steve has a fuel leak, and Jeff is puzzled by guidance on which oil to use. Plus, a question from a maintenance newbie, looking ahead to overhaul,...
01.01.2022
"It's not our job to be the safety police"
Mysterious metal in the filter, reporting an owner to the FAA, when to change ELT batteries, and the elusive perfect hot start. This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen handle some of the toughest questions in aircraft ownership. Submit yours to...
12.01.2021
"That little cap doesn't hold the wings on"
Ever wonder what you're looking for when you preflight a Cessna with those small oil doors? So did our caller this month. Mike, Paul, and Colleen also field questions about a burned valve, winterizing for cold-weather ops, how to do...
11.01.2021
"Only a CFI would ask a question like that"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen dive into questions about valve failures, tracking engine times, aging engine accessories, and worrying cylinder head temperatures. Plus, a question that could only come from an instructor.
10.01.2021
"Compression readings are garbage"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle everything from radio gremlins to the big questions of aviation, such as an overall maintenance philosophy and the reliability of our aircraft. Send your questions to [email protected] for a chance to get on the...
09.01.2021
"Why can't we do something simple like clone an engine?"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle questions big and small. A pilot wonders why aircraft engines are so expensive, a young student knows there must be a better way to clean an airplane, and owners tackle concerns over increasing...
08.01.2021
"There's no free lunch in aviation"
Broken rocker arms, metal shards in the valve cover, and oil in the cylinder, oh my. This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen focus on listener engine problems, give some guidance on mods for an experimental builder, and bust an oversquare...
07.01.2021
"An oil filter inspection is non-invasive, unless you're an oil filter"
A savvy owner wonders how to trust her airplane with no logbooks, a Cessna pilot is curious if he's getting all the power he paid for, and Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle an unruly governor. Send your questions to [email protected]
06.01.2021
"About the half the time, reported cracked cylinders aren't cracked"
This episode Mike, Paul, and Colleen debate shock cooling, help an owner set his stall warning tab, debunk unapproved equipment myths, give an owner advice on breaking in new cylinders, and more. Submit your questions to [email protected]
05.01.2021
"Heavy detonation is normally a self-correcting event"
This month owners look to settle arguments with their mechanics over tire wear and avionics glitches, one pilot tries to determine myth from reality on keeping fuel tanks topped off, a pilot learns his oil pressure problem isn't a problem,...
04.01.2021
"I don't see anything that makes me want to attack the engine with tools"
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen cover the basics of oil analysis, corrosion proofing, fuel selector play, how to pick an overhaul shop, and prop people. Send questions to [email protected].
03.01.2021
'If it moves, squirt it with something'
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen tackle a number of questions about oil. Where it should be, where it shouldn't be, and why it isn't where you last added it. Plus, a jet pilot is grounded by tires.
02.01.2021
'We just saved your engine'
This month Mike, Paul, and Colleen delve into must versus should. Must you open all those inspection ports, is the prop and governor overhaul mandatory, and should one owner retorque his cylinder after a re-installation mistake? Send your questions to...
01.01.2021
"Did you float the dog?"
This month Mike, Colleen, and Paul revisit sticky valves, diagnose shimmy dampers, give a bit of career advice, and talk about what right looks right on throttle response. Plus, silly pilot tricks with animals! Send your questions to [email protected]

What's Ask the A&Ps about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Ask the A&Ps episodes:

"You become the supervisor of your maintenance"

"Don't split the case halves"

"This guy is on his own, he's a test pilot"

"Let us know how the exorcism goes"

"The breather is a slobber pot"

"Think of the prop control as a gear shift"

"Major and minor is in the eye of the beholder"

"It's not good form to jam the throttle forward"

"We call it an Italian tune-up"

"Use whatever time runs the slowest"

"You can't fully pickle it"

"Cleaning injectors causes more problems than it solves"

"Why don't you just fix the problem?"

"It's not the mechanic's job to make flying cheaper"

"Inspections are an imperfect process"

"Don't attack anything with tools"

Live from Airventure 2023

"My airplane is so clean you can eat off it"

"The only that thing that can cause CHT to rise that fast is pre-ignition"

"I'm a total turbocharging bigot"

"Pop that cowling off and squirt away"

"This is a classic infant mortality failure"

"The airplane looks like it's having brain surgery"

"You may have to go to a different shop"

"There are critters living in there"

"You have two options and a top overhaul isn't one of them"

"All engines deserve an engine monitor in their Christmas stocking"

"We're card-carrying members of overthinkers anonymous"

"I'm a choir boy in the church of lean of peak"

"I don't have a baby monitor on the engine"

Live from Airventure 2022

"I'm a reformed shock cooling worrier"

"EGTs are imaginary numbers"

"Use the TLAR system. That looks about right"

"Your airplane may look like the molting hide of an animal"

"We don't check the accuracy of your fuel gauges"

"You'll ruin a set of clothes for sure"

"It's not our job to be the safety police"

"That little cap doesn't hold the wings on"

"Only a CFI would ask a question like that"

"Compression readings are garbage"

"Why can't we do something simple like clone an engine?"

"There's no free lunch in aviation"

"An oil filter inspection is non-invasive, unless you're an oil filter"

"About the half the time, reported cracked cylinders aren't cracked"

"Heavy detonation is normally a self-correcting event"

"I don't see anything that makes me want to attack the engine with tools"

'If it moves, squirt it with something'

'We just saved your engine'

"Did you float the dog?"