Our guest this week is Ray Villalba of E&E Aviation. Ray is an A&P and I.A. certified mechanic as well as a pilot! Ray brings a unique and knowledgeable perspective to the podcast and answers some common questions that will make you a better pilot.
What do most pilots do wrong? How often should you change the oil? If you could only check ONE system during a preflight, what would you check? Our fascinating guest, mechanic/pilot Ray Villalba of E&E Aviation answers all these questions and more on this week's episode of Behind The Prop!
Clear prop! Number two following twin traffic on 3 mile final. JB using runway 25 on a 4-mile final.
This is Behind the Prop with United Flight Systems owner and licensed pilot, Bobby Doss. and it's co-host: major airline captain Designated Pilot Examiner, Wally Mulhearn. Now let's go behind the prop!
What's Wally. Hey bobby how are you. I'm good today. we have. I believe our fourth guest and all four guests have been very different but all help pilots who spend time behind the prop. Today we have ray Villalba with us. He owns E&E aviation and has done ninety nine percent of the maintenance work from my flight school and many of the people on this airport. Welcome to the show. Ray thank you. Thank you for having me. We get asked a lot of systems questions while the and I do and there's obviously a lot of maintenance that goes on and I spend a lot of time on the phone. I wish I actually talked to you. A little less ray but We spend a lot of time on the phone with each other and we wanted to have. Ray come talk to all the listeners. A little bit about what goes on in the world of maintenance maybe share some tips and tricks and some things that maybe people should be doing that. They're not doing on a regular basis So ready to get started. Tell us a little bit about you. Your background kind. Of all of your acronyms that are at the end of your name. So we understand what you're able to do on aircraft and stuff like that Well my my most of my experience comes from general aviation got about one year airline experience but mainly general aviation it's about twenty-two years now I I have my A&P and IA Which pretty much mainly mainly means. I could sign off. Annuals and three three sevens do What does the IA mean I think it comes up a lot where somebody said. Hey you have to have IA for that. And I don't think I think people just know of an acronym but what does that really mean it stands for inspection authorization okay and it's it's really not a certificate or license is just an authorization to sign off annuals and three three sevens which are major repairs and alterations Other than that you're. A&Ps what you really use. Why does so. Maybe I’m wrong. But I have this perception that very few. A&Ps haven't an IA not what was a very few have an. I am that true and is it hard to get her. it's it's it can be a little difficult to get For starters you gotta have Three years in the field And you got. It's only a written test but the test is very difficult for me. It is right. I'm not a good test taker but it's difficult only because they just made it that way And unless you're out there doing annuals and actually doing three three seven's you really don't need it. Your A&P mostly everything. You can do If you're working out in the industry and the airline, you'll never use the IA. In general aviation. Use it every day if you're doing annuals and major alterations and repairs Which is why a lotta. A&Ps don't get it. I got it. I have to have it because we run a shop. So we gotta sign off annuals and we do. Stc's all the time required three three seven. So that's why I have it And then again you know you got to report to the FAA When you have sure how more than you would with A&P sure we. We also share a lot of friends in common pilots both on the field and around the city You have a huge. I would say fan. Following lots of people speak very highly of your work and E&E’s work. Tell people that might not be right here around us. What kind of work. You do how you help. Pilots get their planes back in the air just a little bit in case somebody wants to fly down and have you do their annual for them. Well mainly You know we stay busy with strictly. Piston aircraft We we do so many of them you know we could turn them pretty quick We know all their quirks We know pretty much where to get the parts In a timely manner right and that's that will help keep the airplane flying which is what most owners want In pretty much, we have the crew at the shop to do it We have a person that does strictly sheet metalwork. We have one guy that does you know. It's really good at electrical so he keeps up with the electrical portions and all that combine helps. You know the shop move move a lot quicker And makes everything go a lot smoother in the long run. Saving time downtime and money for custom yeah most shops. Maybe maybe one great mechanic. But then they're outsourcing that or they're partnering with other people and that creates times in the lays and other things that that just make it more difficult obviously, a great partner to our flight school in our fleet And I think you've just brought on an engine component in the last six to twelve months or so to right where you you actually can do. The overhauls on engines. Now's at correct yes, We started Overhauling Lycoming engines. We started with the four-cylinder engines And we've been you know we went to like Lycoming factory training about a year ago Two of us went out there and got that training and we started overhauling. We started off with the four cylinders Trying to get that perfected before we move onto the next one but mainly to help you guys right the flight schools. I can't wait for my next engine to cost less. Yeah, all right so with that. Let's talk a little bit about maintenance And as a as a pilot in one who kind grew up in this fly school in this field. I think I thought I knew a lot when I got my private. Now look back. I know. I didn't know much at all We we talk a little bit for recording about eight days and what. What's the responsibility of a private pilot to know about those ADs. Obviously, we graduate a of people while he gives check rides. What would what would you recommend to a person that gets that certificate that they should be doing and thinking about as as it relates to ADs and flying other aircraft because assumingly. I've trained at a school. I flown their plans nominee. Kind of get away from that nest the fleet. What should I be thinking about doing with those. Those aircraft as it relates to ADs. First foremost well you You want to know what the ADs. Apply to their aircraft flying. They all have different ideas out. Apply to it to them You know obviously if if you're in a fly squeaking mostly Cessna and pipers The Cessna have a real common one. Which I’m sure a lot of these students and Examiners seeing the logbooks and his seat track AD well that only applies to the pipers. I'm sorry to the Cessna’s not the pipers So if you're flying piper you know you won't have to worry about that but there can be another Ad you gotta worry about. We spoke earlier about the new idea that came out with the with the wing spars. That's one you need to know if you're going to fly piper but not a Cessna so you see the difference. So if you're going into a Beechcraft one type of aircraft you pick up the logbooks in you know. Make sure you know what ADs these are recurring Normally time based in some form or others at an accurate statement summertime-based calendar time tack time this new one that we were talking about is factored hours After the initial five thousand hours So they all have different Timeframes and the best place of look that up is in your books Some logbooks have any AD list. Some don't But mainly in the log book entry. Try to try to find the last annual and see which ADs are going to be coming up do or which ones are doing what what are they. What are they effect on the airplane. Right whether it's a seat track like we talked about or wing bolt or an ignition switch Just pick a log books and and and learn what's going on with that aircraft.
Ad wise you. Don't they I mean. Of course. I did it for the check right I I was a steward of where the hundred our tablets and I knew where that was and I read that sticker off very proudly to my examiner pilots. I see renters coming in here on a fairly regular basis and they'll rent a new aircraft and I’ll never see them stop by the the the the room where we keep all those logbooks right and I think that they should feel safe. That we've done our due diligence and we're doing some of that. Would you get in a plane that you never liked the logbooks and take off and fly that someone said it's good. Don't worry about it no. I look at the logs. So I guess that's the key right is no those things in from an AD perspective. Some of these might not be like you said in nature the track thing something that Cessna’s implemented that we needed to make sure that the track works locks in the can't come off that track right. Obviously, that AD is created because it happened at some point. And they're they're doing something for safety and then we had an odd engine so that that engine had an AD necessarily wasn't the aircraft but with that engine replaced and that would leave with that engine right so it's very possible that a plane could have AD one year and then not an ad after that AD that that item was replaced. Yes, that is correct so you need to know your stuff is a release date. Ease anything to ask about. ADs and those sorts of things Wally. Not I do have one question for your ray when when you do. An annual on the airplane is there any kind of entry that you make Into any kind of a FAA database that says aircraft one two three four or five has had an annual on You know February first. Two thousand twenty-one not into an FAA database. Know it all goes into into the logbook But again we go back to the question of the IA. Responsibilities you gotta keep a copy of that entry you may for two years okay. Same goals for three three seven You keep that three three seven for two years So when the FAA comes over and asks you for you. Have you have a copy of it. I I just wonder with the advent of ADSB. If if that's something that is coming down the road with big brother looking at us, they know that this aircraft has had an annual. Maybe today so it's good to the end of this calendar month year from now and if on February first of two thousand and twenty-two. ADSB sees this airplane flying around and it doesn't have a current annual. I I wonder. I wonder if that's coming. Because the technology is there will Wally just introduced more expense all airplane owners worldwide. But it does seem to make sense and it would be something that I can see a government agency wanting to tag to another another little bot- on that ADSB. Be for sure now. So ray we talk a little bit about ADs. I think of all these private pilots graduate. Like I did think they know a lot about aviation When they really don't know much but they this licensed to practice. What do you think those pilots should doing as it relates to maintenance what what should they be. I guess seeking understand more sticking to learn more about They can't just jump in these planes and follow magenta line Foreflight and be safe like what would you be recommending to someone that. Does that get their private pilot certificate. Ticket like we talked about earlier You know learn learn the the aircraft a little bit more a little bit more depth You know learn more about it systems. You know figure out what's really happening under that engine cowl so they learn a little bit about the engine. And what's going on in the engine How deep do they need to get. I mean there's gotta be some sort of a balancing act where they don't need to be a mechanic but at the same time, they need to be a a steward of the equipment right. What would you, I guess. Explain to me a little bit of a depth that you would think you would be happy to see a private pilot understanding. Well it's I. I would be happy. if know. they'll be able to like for instance the piper warrior. Open the side cowl. Be able to point to almost every component in the engine Right that's a good starting point there which we talked about. We see a lot. Some of these New pilots can identify several components in the engine And I think that's important especially you're going to be flying behind that machine. Oddly enough they can diagnose a bad mag really well but they can't they just know to call it a bad bad mag. So why if someone's at home listening any of the show and they think okay. I'm going to take raise advice
Heed his warning. I'm going to learn some stuff. What do you think a pick list of items. I should be able to open that. Cowing point that to be able to and then seek to understand those items I've seen I’ve I’ve seen a lot of different scenarios right. I've I’ve opened the cowling one time. And and you know guy doesn't know where mag is Can't tell what they always asked. What's this little grey. Hose that's running to to the cylinder. Well that's your ignition lead that not a hose That's ignition leads That kind of stuff fuel pump. The carburetors important. Because you know you throw gets attached to it and you make sure You know figure out what's what's really happening in your air box. The carb heat situation You know what's really what's really happening when you pull that lever, I hate to admit it but it probably a year ago now that you showed me the flap on the air box. That was really the flap that is we talk about this flap when the other one gets frozen over this one just works but until you really see it and touch it and know it. You really don't know it right all right we we kind of memorize know this stuff for check ride stuff but we should know what those things are. So magneto pump some of the the leads running to the cylinders We talked about the carburetor. Maybe the heater shroud which goes round and stand at. There are big holes in it. That's that's a good one because he gets You get guys that got carbon monoxide detectors in their airplane in the cockpit in the. They say he's going off. I don't know why well you should know why because you're coming from right So yeah that's a good one. The where he's coming from the engine compartment In obviously an alternator belt, we should be able to see the alternator alternator belts. Yeah, those all-good items. You should not a mechanic with maybe a steward of the components. In if I. If I was intrigued about what is an alternator do then. I obviously watch a short video on YouTube to figure out what all does Or listen to the problem. Sure we'll do more systems podcast in the future but Anything about the engine. And what's under that counting that you think someone should be thinking about Wally now. I just I I look at it more from. An operational standpoint If this symptom presents itself in flight or on the ground You know what are what are you dealing with a I guess one question. I would have to ask you Ray is want to pilot comes to you with a with a discrepancy. What do you want from the pilot. You just want the pile to tell you. What the symptoms are you want their self-self-diagnosis or which may or may not be correct. Yeah, we really like to know the actual symptoms are right. And the more you can describe on the on the symptom better You know y- the mag check for instance the common one You know the did you try to clear it out or not And he didn't clear The engine turnoff was just running rough. What how many rpm as it drops one hundred two hundred or did drop five hundred Those kinds of that kind of stuff is will. We really would like to see. And how about video is that. Is that helpful to you. I mean we all have a video camera in our back pocket. You know that is a. That's the biggest thing right now and we. We love videos. You got you gotta like you said you got it in your pocket. Use it use all available resources. You got The pictures Whatever you can to make it easier to to to diagnose it or troubleshooting or you know understand what what's really happening because we get a lot of inner midst of as bobby knows You know but if we see a video on on on what's happening and we can't duplicate it on the ground you know. We may be able to pinpoint something. The pilot hasn't been able to pinpoint and we might know where to go or we might say. Oh we seen this before this. This part took care of the problem. That kind of scenario so obviously we need to know. Learn more about the engine and the components of the engine. I would assume you would relate that all systems I think if I put myself in my shoes and I know my sixteen-year-old son drives a car with a backup camera.
And it actually. Is that automatic stopping feature for twelve-thousand-dollar cars. Pretty fancy right helped. Never open the hood though. I don't think he'll ever open the hood. What what does that young man going to see when he gets to plane. He's never going to think to open the hood right. We we have to know these systems differently. they get a a low the low tire indicator on that car and they call dad like the mechanics of fixed. That they're never going to still probably fix those items in a car. These younger kids have a different. You know. I fixed my own car when I was growing up. You probably did the same for yours. Today we're flying these planes. What should they know about the other systems. What would you if you if you had to pick three things that you really thought pilot seek to understand. Not just fuel and electrical. What parts of those do you think that they should really understand. And go seek to read books and POHs. is and all that onto to really know the systems. You brakes is another one. That's an important one you know All these aircraft have they operate the same type of brake but they're kind of different On on your aircraft here your successes only have to master cylinders your pipers if you have breaks on the right, you're going to have four five if you include the hand brake In that's that's stuff kind of stuff you need to look out for. Cessna you know you probably won't see hydraulic fluid leaking on the co-pilot side with Cessna. But you will on on the co-pilot side of piper because there's a master cylinder So those are the items you need. You need to understand. You know if you're going into a retract gear you know figure out what kind of retract system you got electrical, hydraulic completely mechanical You know just understand what's really going on. What's really moving that gear and the key thing on that one I as I’ve I’ve we've had multiple retract aircraft at this school and I think kind understood them all and I know I’ve been through the emergency procedures on all of them but I don't think I really understood what happens when they don't really work right there. If there is. I won't solve on the emergency but some sort of failure in the system. What's really going to get that gear down and most systems have something like that but instead of just practicing it you should really seek to understand the the facts and the troubleshooting thereof We you wouldn't want to compound the problem by not knowing how to resolve it right. I guess is my point on any system Anything to add to that in general your systems guy. Wally probably knows better than most. Well one thing. I you know I think we’re were victim of our own success in you know cars today work pretty well Back in the day You know we were getting our first car bobby. We probably changed our own spark plugs. Every few thousand miles And so we knew it. A spark plug looked like. I'll ask a lot of people in a ground portion of a check ride Have you ever seen a spark plug and usually the answer is no so I do have one in my bag. That I say will you. Here's what a spark plugs looks like. They never seen it. I haven't thought about that. You know my son won't ever he'll never take spark plug out of a lawnmower right or anything like that's where I learned really how magneto works learned how I really knew how lawnmower a single cylinder engine worked. Yeah, that's taken away for most of us. nowadays. I mean my son. I don’t mow the lawn. But even now I think most people have an electric lawnmower. Believe it or not some of. That's were losing touch with some of that. Yeah, I think that's a great point. We might have an electric play one day. But it's still a way off. I think so. We talked a little bit before we recording the spark plugs in in the magneto. We've done a good show. I think on the ignition system in that whole check but how how. How important is it to you right. Someone knows how to clean the plugs. If they do have a rough running engine during the ignition slash magneto check. It's important because you could be stuck somewhere where there's no help And you know we've done it in the past here through like Wally said the cameras and all that we've actually been on facetime and we've helped people clear plugs And I to me. It's important because it'll save. It'll save a lot of time in the long run right We don't have to go out there and we don't have to hunt for a mechanic If for you if you're planes broke down somewhere you know your whole schedule gets out of whack So yeah, it's kind of important to learn those kinds of Tricks of the trade as we call them So I guess steps in order like I would look at my POH. Didn't have that. I mean I’m probably going to turn to the internet I always wonder. Should I believe what I read on the internet right. But where would I assume as a mechanic and a friend to others you would help someone walk through it on their particular aircraft or provide some guidance I soon oh yeah, all the time We we've gone. We've we've helped people On their aircraft that they're operating or they own show show them stuff they didn't know they never seen before Only because we're in them so much and and we've been around for so long But you know. I always tell everybody. Call your mechanic. You know There's a lot of good sources out there I don't know if you guys have heard of mike bush From savvy aviation excellent source and he puts a lot of great information on all his webinars that he does You know sign up to to their emails where you were you get the the says. There's a new webinar coming out. Listen to it is worth the time. Because he gives a lot of good information And that in you know. Get to know your mechanic. I tell all my customers and all my all the people. I know that are flying instructors. I've told them plenty of times. You know come down to the shop You got questions. We'll try to answer it It gives you the opportunity to see You know the airplane without the cowling on It gives you an opportunity to see what the inside of the wing looks like Stuff that you won't see here in your hangar. Yeah, I love the jump at the chance. You have a plan on. Jack's I’m coming down to look at it just because it's a very different view for sure you see stuff and I tell them that. All the time You know like we talked about earlier if you if you doing an emergency extension on a piper. It's it's real simple right. You press a lever and ship free fall. But if you're transitioning to bonanza, you're not going to like doing an emergency extension in a real emergency so go go practices while it's infra new. You know I I wouldn't have a problem if the owner of the aircraft asked me. Can I do an emergency extension on my aircraft will make sure he could he could do it But on the ground that when you got to do the first time in the air and not know how what not know what to expect right or be in IMC lot of other factors going on. That would not be the time to do it for the first time for sure. So few rapid-fire slash questions. We've we've we hope will spark a nerve with mechanic if you if you could only preflight one thing before you went on a flight and you're your pilot yourself and we're this isn't don't don't get to this one thing and that's how you start your pre-flights everybody listening but if there was one thing you're going to look at and you can only one thing I know. It's a tough debate. We want to look at four five. But what's the one thing you check. Before he took off. I would say I would check the fuel level in the fuel quality. I think I think it was Wally who wants said. There’re three things you really need to check on when you're going to do something in related to emergency and that's check the fuel number one number two make sure you have enough fuel and then three make sure the fuel is where it's going to help you get to where you're like. Oh obviously fuels the big one. I guess I’ll give you a little break. We'll be the second thing. That's what I thought I. I think when we were before we started recording till while they obviously the oil. I guess I need guests to start. It's it was empty or or not but you sure what take off with a gallon. So I think fuel oil but there are a lot of things like there should be. There should be no shortcuts to the preflight obviously now It's our chance to find these things. Why it's on the ground This is an interesting one. What what's what's one upgrade. We're talking about these older aircraft's seventies and eighties For the most part pipers and Cessna’s. And that's probably the the the plane that most people own if they own plane. What's the one upgrade. You think that owners aren't doing for some reason they just don't this. What would you do to a Cessna or a piper. What's the one little upgrade. You think we should all be doing well aside from from Avionics obviously that. I think that should always get upgraded as as time changes right but mainly Now that we got the use of like Wally mentioned a phone in our pocket right now you know we got a company out there. That'll put out real good engine monitors. Now you're flying around with a flight engineer. Pretty much like they did in the in the old days in the airlines right Those engine monitors offer a lot of information. it's helped us in the past trouble shoot problems You could download data from it. Take it home and see what your engine was doing during your flight So to me. That's important because you could catch a lot of issues before they really happen. in in and I think that's you know all this stuff expensive right. That's why we don't do a lot of people. Don't do it but I think if you're going to upgrade to an old aircraft and you got decent radios You got a good engine you know. Spend the money on a- on an engine monitor cause it's a flight engineer at the at the end of the day interesting that when I would thought of right off the bat.
What do you think, I guess. What is your biggest pet peeve of as a mechanic and I’m assuming that's coming from pilots not not the one job you hate to do the most on an airplane but what's your biggest pet peeve is a mechanic that pilots say or do or bring to you as far as the the aircraft itself. you know we get some aircraft in there that You know they. They treated like an old car. And that's one of my biggest pet peeves because even though it's an old airplane with an old paint job in interior you still keep it clean You know keep it washed you know. Wash all off the belly every once in a while, You know take care of it as if it was a brand new one Only because like with everything else you know you can't you can't really expect the dirty aircraft right. You got a you know. Half an inch of oil and soot from the engine exhaust on the belly. You know we you know. We can't see what's going on on their all that right. We have rivet heads. That are missing that we can't see or or you could catch at a preflight But while it's dirty we can't see it right now. That's one of my one of the small pet peeves have The other the other pet peeve. I have is you know. Just the normal routine maintenance You know we got. We got a lot of owners and operators that you don't want to do it you know for instance you know all teams. We got guys that don't like doing fifty our oil changes You know they want to just keep going to the next annual whether they fly hundred hours or not. They want to just change the oil once a year to you know that kind of stuff. I think I’ve asked you this in the past because we've had this discussion and we do all of our fifty hours at this school. And I think it's an important an important act that we do do it. But it's more that it's for the the life of the aircraft in the life of the the hopefully the person flying that plane but if you own your own aircraft and you were flying it, we'll call it twelve hours a month. How often would you change the oil in your aircraft. Every thirty-five hours or six months there you go so that comes from a a pretty trusted resource right there thirty-five hours or every six months and I guess the last question before we wrap and then we'll if you have anything else, I will talk about it but the last question is what's the biggest mistake then. Maybe harsh word. But what's the biggest thing you see pilots doing that. They should be doing. So if you're watching people start planes on my ramp or you're watching people do run-ups like what's the one thing. You just shake your head out over and over all day. The you see people doing that are flying these points. I will say just starting that engine up and not giving it a chance to warm up and reading it taken the throttle and pushing forward and that rpm just goes up high without the oil getting the chance to get hot. And I see that all the time You know just you know. Sometimes it happens. You know because they've opened the throttle too much. Or but what I see is that even though they've done it They're sitting behind the behind the engine and they're hearing it happened and they don't do anything about it just sits there and keeps on revving point then I can. I can sit here and hear a plane on my line at about fourteen hundred. Rpm's and it's not changing its change and like what are they doing. You know and I think what happens. I've probably been there. You start the plane and it's got it’s at an rpm and you figure that's idle you flown in a while. You're not hearing it all but man please go to either let the oil get in the cylinders get warmed up and then then you can give it a little bit more throttle right Is there something about we. I know I passionate about leaning something about leaning the aircraft on taxi or the. You think pilots don't do enough of or causes a lot of these magneto or spark plug problems.
Yeah, the the actual leaning we see a lot of A lot of Pilots that don't actually lean the engine They just keep before rich and mainly you know. Sometimes they just don't they weren't taught that or they just don't understand why but yeah. I always say lean For taxi we're going to a field that's one hundred- and fifty-feet above sea level. This that might be a little different for other airports or other cities it does But if you're at sea level. I would I would think you should lean it for sure but You should lean it no matter where you're at to the right to the right level for your cetera. Anything else to add ray We really appreciate you coming on today but anything else to add to pilots to maybe help them be better as it relates to aviation in any flavor. Yeah, you know you talk to your mechanic You know use use everything that's out there than that you that you could use to learn about your aircraft Like I said earlier you know. I know me tell. All my customers are welcome to stop by water to open up They're welcome to come see what we do. They're welcome to call anytime and ask any questions. They want You know. Use whatever's out there from reputable sources like savvy aviation This kind of us all that information And whatever you don't understand call your mechanic and and talk it through with him I'll be more than happy to help anybody that that that needs it when they come into the shop But just use what you got out there Especially your mechanic. And what is your website if people wanted to learn more about you just EEaviation.com correct correct so if you want to learn more about ray shop and his team of people. He's got a really good website with a lot of information about everybody out there. Check it out at. www.EEaviation.com. And if you ever have future maintenance needs. I'm sure ray would be happy to talk to you and take some of that on as always stay behind the prop fly safer. Thanks for checking out the Behind The Prop podcast. be sure to click subscribe and check us out online at BehindTheProp.com behind the prop is recorded in Houston, Texas. Show creator and host is Bobby Doss. Co-host is Wally Mulhearn. This show is for entertainment purposes Only. and not meant to replace actual flight instruction. Thanks for listening and remember: fly safe!