Home grown maintenance solution... will it work?

Roger · #1 05-21-11, 10:05 AM

One suggestion: A lot of people that fly around the "Islands" always carry a spare inflated tire with them, and the appropriate wrenches. It's a lot easier to just change out a main, and then get the other one fixed when able

mhudsonbsme · #2 05-21-11, 11:54 AM

As far as air supply, just carry a small high pressure compressed canister of inert gas with a regulator. Small, simple, and won't drain your battery.

n86121 · #3 05-22-11, 12:19 PM

STARTING
One way to never have a flat battery is to buy a small 24 volts solar trickle charger that can either fit under the windscreen, or hang across the cowl.

I did this with a small boat I kept in Hatteras, because I was paranoid about making sure the bilge pump could always pump out whatever storms might hit the area, while I was sometimes not in the area for weeks. It will keep the batteries topped off forever.

When I had a helicopter, which I routinely took into plasces without any services available, I replaced the battery every two years, regardless. If you fly up to a picnic on the side of a mountain, it could be awkward leaving your date with the bears, while you walk out to find rescue.

I just replaced my GILL battery with a Concorde. Being a nerd I noted it had a lower internal impedance (could deliver more current) and more imporantly, somwthing like 40% more capacity than the Gill. 14Ah vs 10 Ah. A standard marine boat battery has more like 75 Ah, so the capacity of aircraft batteries is tiny in comparison.

LOW TIRE
A tire and jack sounds like one solution. For a low tire in the boonies I agree with the compressed gas cylinder. I bought a small item some years ago which would take a CO2 cartridge and use it to pump up a tire. Handy and small and never wears out. Still available in bike shops for <$10. Google CO2 inflator.

FLAT TIRE
If you have a leaking tire, as in FLAT, then maybe that fix a flat good one can buy in auto stores. If you are in the middle of nowhere and just need to get home, you can deal with the goo later, when you get back to civilization.

D