The previous owner had put some clear packing tape over the wing root
vents for winter flying, and when I peeled the stuff off it took paint
with it, leaving me with spots of bare metal.

Man, that seems like a stupid (but functional) way to block an air
intake. I'm not an owner, though. Is there a "correct" way to do this?

The correct way to solve a cabin air leak is to replace or repair the faulty
duct or flapper. In our case, a previous owner had actually *removed* the
flapper control for our fresh air ducts, which meant we were relying on the
little ceiling mounted louvered ducts to shut off outside air. Not good.

When the outside air temp is below 10 degrees, ANY infiltration is
noticeable. Thus, we ended up replacing the missing flapper control, the
flexible ductwork, control cable, AND the ceiling plastic.

Since this is a giant pain, some people take the easy and cheap way out.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"