Simple & Cheap Tricks for your plane

Great going, guys. I'll contribute:

- Abrasive-free handcleaner works like a dream on underside, inside
engine compartment, even under the floor during annual.

- PVC chocks can be filled with survival goodies: if needed, shatter
against a rock.

- Pledge towelettes, a lil' spray bottle with water, some cotton tee
paint rags (sold by box at Home Depot), comprise the ultimate
window-cleaning kit. Use bare hand with spray bottle first. Then, a
quick swipe with the Pledge, a lil' more water, and buff. Remember to
only wipe up/down!

- Track oil consumption along with your flight hours: use the blank
column in your logbook to record tach time, preflight oil quantity.
Guess when oil change is due, write across top of page, ahead in the
logbook. When oil is added, identify the event in your "oil" column
with a circle containing the number of qts.* Then, when filling out
your lab form, you can easily tally hours, qts consumed.

- No seatback pocket is complete without a heavy-guage freezer
ziplock bag, cheapee brown cotton gloves, a chem-light. Gloves can be
worn during fueling, preflight. Bags contain barf, if it comes to
that. Chem-light is a flashlight for emergencies at night for which
batteries are never a concern. 'Will bath cockpit in a warm, Hunt For
Red October glow.

- Velcro a carbon monoxide detector to the sidewall in your luggage
compartment. Those little plastic tags with an orange dot don't work!
Well, they might for a few months, and then you forget... I hung mine
by the EXHAUST PIPE of my car, and it STILL didn't change color! My
cheapee detector has identified TWO exhaust leaks to which I was
oblivious. Plus, it has a voice warning, which when tested, really
impresses passengers.

Okay, I'll stop. This thread has reminded me how much talent is out
there. Great job!

A

*Trivia question, RE oil: What do a turkey deep-fryer (1' dia.) and
the 777 Rolls Trent engine (16' dia.) share in common? Ans. The same
amount of oil is needed for operation of each: 16 qts.

ANDY'S HANGAR http://webpages.charter.net/andyshangar/