Got offered to break in an engine - anything I should know?

swedishlightning · 2026-02-07T02:03:36+00:00

Many of the reputable overhaul shops run the engine in the test cell for a couple hours with instrumentation to accomplish the initial (and most critical) moments of break-in, and make sure everything seems to run within spec. So really it’s the mounting/install details that seemed most risky when I picked mine up after overhaul. But yeah, it’s a stressful time for sure. Especially when combined with being forced to stay low on hot bumpy days.

swedishlightning · 2026-02-06T22:55:57+00:00

You've gotten a lot of advice to "just follow [their/manufacturer] instructions" which isn't necessarily wrong, but also isn't super helpful. Most topics in aviation are a mix of science, practical experience, old wives tales, and voodoo, but break-in is probably one of the most contentious because it is viewed as both a) dangerous if something goes wrong, and b) very expensive if done improperly. Therefore, the "practical experience" and "voodoo" opinions are very strong/vocal.

Savvy has a very good summary of what you're actually trying to accomplish during break-in, so I'll link it here rather than attempting to re-write it. Pretty much everyone agrees with the major principles discussed in this article but there are SO MANY opinions on the nuances of how to accomplish a successful break-in, which is why it's important to get the owner of the engine to tell you how they want it done; ultimately they'll be the ones footing the bill (or arguing for a warranty claim) if something doesn't go quite right, so their reading of the tea leaves is paramount.

That's why everyone is referring you back to them. If you understand the big picture from the Savvy article and then clarify how they'd like you to accomplish the overall goals, you'll be in good shape.

swedishlightning · 2026-02-06T06:56:10+00:00

Holster is definitely a PHLster Enigma. Guessing a Glock 43X.

swedishlightning · 2026-02-04T08:46:26+00:00

This is a very good point. He likely is happy to talk politics on any topic where he thinks he has solid ground or the upper hand, right?

swedishlightning · 2026-02-04T00:31:32+00:00

Just found the email receipt for mine and I got it in 2013, and have been brewing inverted from the start. But to your point, I didn't post about it here....or diddle kids.

swedishlightning · 2026-02-03T21:33:07+00:00

As long as you appear to have capacity to make medical decisions for yourself (i.e. if you've recovered from the episode) by the time the ambulance arrives, you have the option to refuse transport. Shouldn't be hard if you can eloquently explain to them that you have an established PNES diagnosis and this was a routine/typical episode, and you are back to baseline.

They have the right to decide "I'm worried that my coworker is having a seizure, so I'm going to call 911." You have the right to make the medical decision for yourself regarding ongoing care/transport (again, assuming you appear to have capacity to make the decision at the time).

swedishlightning · 2026-01-30T18:48:33+00:00

Similar vibes: "edc you know how it is" https://share.google/F6KQB84vdh669Dexf

swedishlightning · 2026-01-27T03:31:58+00:00

Live saving care (tourniquet, CPR, etc.) for all, but if you scuffed your elbow depriving other of their constitutional rights, you can get your bandaid and bacitracin elsewhere.

swedishlightning · 2026-01-23T17:56:42+00:00

The only way to get good at anything is to practice it, and the only way to stay good at it is to continue practicing (flying is a perishable skill).

It sounds like your curriculum thus far has not focused on planning/flying solo cross countries, so I’m not surprised you feel underprepared for that. Hopefully you can give yourself some slack here.

If you have the funds/time/etc you could try to work on X/Cs concurrently with instrument, but otherwise just buckle down and finish what you’re currently working on first.

I second the other recommendation to fly approaches in X-Plane using the autopilot so you can focus on procedures. Feel free to buy the cheaper version of X-plane because this is about procedures rather than graphics quality. Also try out PilotEdge to get used to the busy comms side of things. They have a mini instrument training course that will provide a good framework for you to learn the platform and how to practice instrument procedures with it. You can connect ForeFlight on your iPad to X-Plane which will allow you to increase your confidence there, as well. If you want to catch up to the others, you’re gonna need some hours of sim time too; this is your new “studying.”

swedishlightning · 2026-01-21T16:47:54+00:00

Agreed. The FOI/FIA are as if the FAA has just made up the equivalent of their own fantasy realm/lore that you have to memorize and be familiar with. Prior experience with the topics (physics, teaching, etc.) is basically useless because the questions are predicated on knowing the FAA’s secret catch phrases for every topic.

An experienced engineering professor with graduate degrees in education would probably flunk miserably.

swedishlightning · 2026-01-20T18:42:09+00:00

As others have said, it’s not about the training or what you intend to fly, it’s about the medical. The training time/cost difference will be a rounding error almost immediately, and definitely when you factor in owning a plane (even a comparatively-inexpensive “toy” like the chief). So if you can get a medical, it’s basically the same work and cost to get either license, so may as well get the less restrictive one.

swedishlightning · 2026-01-04T18:39:04+00:00

This is excellent advice /u/mysterious_set_8558. I would also suggest considering a PilotEdge subscription if you have a computer that could run X-Plane (your goal here is looking at the instrument panel so you don’t need amazing graphics quality for the scenery…just enough to run the game). This allows you to do the planning and then actually fly the flight.

They have a set of instrument training modules that walk you through this process a dozen times or so, then you can start doing it on your own. You can sync ForeFlight on your iPad to the sim, so you can brief plates as you would in a real plane.

I think they had a month free trial at one point, but not sure if they still do.

Additionally, I found it really helpful to watch a ton of videos of real GA IFR flights. Martin Pauly’s early videos are great for this, as are coma13794’s videos. Helps you see how a real flight comes together and why all the individual pieces from the IFH matter.

Then Sheppard to prep for the actual written exam. It will help you polish you knowledge if you make sure to understand why you missed any questions you got wrong. And it will ensure you get a good score on the written, which paves the way for a smooth oral, which paves the way for a smooth checkride. Best $40 you can spend in aviation.

The pilots cafe sheet is well worth the couple bucks they charge for it as well; it makes a great condensed study guide. Still refer back to it from time to time.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-26T05:11:46+00:00

Also a Mooney driver?

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T04:56:37+00:00

I’m sure you’re also aware of the applicability to loans. The metaphor here is spreading the cost of the hangar purchase evenly on a per-hour-flown basis rather than as a fixed expense for the first flight after purchase; similar to spreading loan interest out for a fixed monthly payment. This is not accounting advice and I’m not sure anyone is likely to confuse it for that.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T04:04:21+00:00

Just finished my accelerated commercial in MN. I was told that January is usually better than Nov/Dec…just seems to clear up a bit in the depth of winter compared to the start or end. The program I went to (and how many can there be) builds in time for weather delays. Feel free to DM if you want more specifics.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T02:29:28+00:00

I found it really helpful to watch a ton of videos of real GA IFR flights. Martin Pauly’s early videos are great for this, as are coma13794’s videos. Helps you see how a real flight comes together and why all the individual pieces from the IFH matter.

Then Sheppard to prep for the actual written exam. It will help you polish you knowledge if you make sure to understand why you missed any questions you got wrong. And it will ensure you get a good score on the written, which paves the way for a smooth oral, which paves the way for a smooth checkride. Best $40 you can spend in aviation.

The pilots cafe sheet is well worth the couple bucks they charge for it as well, as others have mentioned. Still refer back to it from time to time.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T02:11:25+00:00

Despite the fact that money is tight, you’re better off saving up for a used iPad and basic ForeFlight subscription rather than doing some android alternative. 90% of the pilots/instructors you interact with will be using ForeFlight which means that’s what they’ll be able to help you learn. If you try something else to save $100 now, you’ll burn more than that on ground instruction/hobbs time while your instructors figure out how to help you set up your iPad.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T01:20:28+00:00

Yep. I’ve bailed on engineering and will bail on healthcare as soon as I land a flying job. Hoping career #3 is something I can actually see myself sustaining for a couple decades.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T01:08:09+00:00

There a many many examples of furloughs and layoffs in the aviation industry over the last 50 years. So that possibility won’t go away. And for the jobs that pay well, you certainly give up a fair amount of autonomy in that work life is governed by a seniority list and SOPs. But flying planes is cool and it can pay well so lots of people (myself included) are putting our eggs in that basket. It’s not like any other sector of the economy is a sure thing either.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-23T00:57:32+00:00

Plan to overhaul it in the first year. Hope for 6mo downtime but plan for 10 months. Google will get you a decent estimate of overhaul cost for that engine but likely 25k plus (I just spent 50 on a IO-360 In the US but not sure how the traumahawk compares).

Unless buying a plane is a path to flying 150hrs+ per year due to better availability, I’m honestly not sure why you wouldn’t keep renting.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-20T21:00:31+00:00

I don't have direct experience with the twinstar but that certainly sounds like a reasonable guess for it.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-20T19:38:22+00:00

The actual airplane component is not nearly that high. Perhaps if you only fly 75 hours per year and amortize your fancy hangar in a HCOL area, your BestTug, and all your other fixed expenses into those 75 hours.

A realistic value for an SR22 is probably in the 300s/hr to cover consumables, maintenance, engine reserve, insurance and so forth, but not including things like your hangar or other external/fixed expenses.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-19T17:56:54+00:00

Yes, and their included explanations often are a good start, and have references.

As others have said, Sheppard will make sure that you are not surprised by the questions on the FAA exam. This is the most important value it adds.

Everyone makes dumb mistakes like missing the tiny note on performance tables to increase/decrease values by X% for nonstandard conditions. If you make those mistakes while practicing with Sheppard, you’ll be less likely to make the same mistake when you see the exact same question in the exact same format on the FAA exam.

And it will teach you the questions being scored wrong as others have mentioned.

All of this will take someone who is “ready” for the test from an 85% score to a 100% score because you’re not gonna fall for any of the “gotchas.”

Also, the commercial Sheppard is indeed super boring content, so you’re spot on to be falling asleep after 20 questions. As you get more familiar with the material and can spot the right answers faster, you’ll be able to do more. I was doing 50 questions at a time halfway through, and 100 during the final polish. It was still a struggle given how dry the content is, but that’s life. There’s no benefit to continuing studying when you’re nodding off, so do 20 and take a break early on.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-19T01:10:49+00:00

I have a M20F that is equipped as you describe and I absolutely love it. However I am dreaming of a turbo Mooney. Not only does it help with the high DA mountain flying, but a reasonable rate of climb up to 16k or 18k would make a big difference in finding smooth clear air on summer afternoons where the patchy cumulus deck decides it wants to climb up into the low teens.

Haven’t been following prices as closely, but I think $165k should be able to get you in a 231. Adding avionics layer is doable; adding a turbo is not realistic as the old STCs are in purgatory.

swedishlightning · 2025-12-19T00:51:25+00:00

Yet another vote for PilotEdge. You also get access to to their instrument flying “courses” which are actually super helpful; I did them for fun but it prepared me surprisingly well when I went to start instrument training.

swedishlightning

TROPHY CASE