for frayed, chafed, or broken wire. Check for visual discrepancies like cracks or corrosion. Use this time to get to know things behind the panel—you are not here all that often. There is a fair amount of dust and debris that collects behind instrument panels. Give everything a thorough cleaning and use a high-powered light and inspection mirror to see those hard-to-reach places. Another good ex- ercise is to replace any loose or damaged hardware. Stripped screws, bro- ken lock plates, and cracked brackets are common occurrences. Again, use this time to correct any and all issues you find. As a mechanic, one cannot “unsee” problems once they arise. Now that everything is prepped, we will move forward. What Comes Next Alright, sports fans, we have come to a stopping point. Yes, I know you want to keep going, but Corey is doing this after hours, and he has a family and a full- time gig to attend to. Trust me when I say you don’t want to rush aircraft mainte- nance. Even so, it is important to make steady progress. Just like anything in life, your repetition creates your reputation. Don’t rush or skip steps, and always stick to the maintenance plan. I asked Corey to share his next steps. Here are some maintenance actions that are forthcoming in the refurbishment: • Install the new avionics panel. • While I had the interior out, Corey pulled all the old fiberglass insulation and discarded it. He is planning on upgrading to a better and newer soundproof- ing insulation. While the airplane is down for maintenance in one area, you can always use that time to perform additional upgrades. • Next, Corey will need to install GPS antennas and wire them up. We will fol- low this process with him as well. • We removed the old automatic direction finding (ADF) system. After remov- ing the old antenna, we will have to patch the hole made from it. • Lastly, we still need to remove the vacuum system. That’s it for now, folks. Stay tuned as we keep working on Corey’s Cessna 172 project. Don’t forget we are also tracking Stephen and his Saratoga. There is still so much to do. Take care and stay safe! Richard Scarbrough is a US Navy Veteran, A&P Mechanic, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University alumni. His experience ranges from general and corporate aviation to helicopters, business jets, and commercial airliners. Former owner of a 145 repair station, he currently has an aerospace product management role and is a member of the T-C-Alliance. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @RScarCo.
It’s important to accurately tag components as they are removed.
Oasis Aviation manufactured and delivered the wiring harness, and it looks fan- tastic. The team even created and provided a wiring diagram. This will assist Co- rey with the installation of his replacement equipment, and it will become part of the aircraft technical documents to be retained for future reference during main- tenance events. Once inspecting it, Corey loosely installed the new wiring har- ness. Also, the avionics trays are installed loosely. Once the harness is cleaned up, he will secure them in place. Next, it’s time to wire in the circuit breakers and fasten the routing. This is ac- complished with zip ties and a stand, making everything nice and tidy. This will ensure everything stays in place when the new components are installed. It takes more time on the front end but will pay dividends in the long run. Oftentimes, mechanics will race through removals and not take proper pictures or notes. This is a mistake. While in the area, go ahead and do an impromptu inspection. Look
With everything removed, it’s a good time to check behind the panel for anything that might need cleaning or repairs.
Now that everything is prepared, the next step will be the installation of the new panel.
6 Aircraft For Sale | May 2024
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