A reluctance to take the controls

unicate writes:

Have a look at some owner-maintained aircraft. My engine, and the
engines of most friends I have who own their own airplanes, are almost
spotless, and none are new. If you don't keep them clean, how can you
see if there are new leaks or anything out of the ordinary?

I don't know. I'm not an engine mechanic. But it seems like every
engine I ever see is covered with oil or grease or something. I do
wonder where it all comes from (something must be leaking if it gets
all over the exterior), but mechanics don't seem to find it odd.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
I don't know. I'm not an engine mechanic. But it seems like every
engine I ever see is covered with oil or grease or something. I do
wonder where it all comes from (something must be leaking if it gets
all over the exterior), but mechanics don't seem to find it odd.

I don't know what engines you're looking at, but all the aircraft
engines of airplane owners I know are clean, and our mechanics
definitely take issue with any grime/grease/oil on the engine. Again,
how would you know if something's there that shouldn't be if it is
covered with grime?

Shirl