How frequently should a plane fly?

[gprellwitz]

Okay, we're going to be caring for a friend's plane by exercising it regularly. But we're still paying for fuel and oil, winter is coming up, and we have jobs! While we'd love to fly daily, it just ain't going to happen.

Is there a minimum amount a plane should be flown to help prevent deterioration? It's a high performance, non-complex single. I've been told that just running the engine on the ground is bad, because it doesn't heat up enough. I'd also expect the same would be true for just pattern work. I guess my starting point would be 60 minutes at >= 55% power weekly. Overkill? Not enough? Would semi-weekly be sufficient? (Wx in the winter can be a real problem.)

 

[timwinters]

With or without camguard?

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Fly it long enough for oil to reach its operating temp but don't forget to lean it

 

[HighFlyingA380]

I'm no expert, but at my FBO, if a plane didn't fly for a week, our MX guys would approve an hour on it. They didn't specify pattern vs. XC, but I always took it away from home. But yeah, up to normal operating temp for a few minutes should be sufficient.

 

[frfly172]

Once a week long enough to get the oil temp. Up.

 

[somorris]

It looks like you already know the answer, Grant. About an hour a week. Not just for the engine, but also for the avionics and to blow out any water in the wings/fuselage.

 

[sourdough44]

I don't have scientific data to back up my regimen, but I use 30+ flight minutes minimum every 2 weeks. Yes, it's usually more than that. I use a bit of Camguard, for what it's worth.

 

[poadeleted20]

Lycoming says to fly their engines so they get up to 165F oil temp for at least 30 minutes at least ever 30 days, and probably better at least every ten days to two weeks. Note that you can't get the oil that hot for that long by ground running without cooking the cylinders.

 

[rbridges]

seems like the consensus for the lycoming mooneys over at mooneyspace is an hour or so every 2-3 weeks to help keep oil on all the moving parts. Generally what everyone else is saying, hot enough to get the oil up to operating temps.

I use camguard for better or worse, and there are some who think this may buy a little more time between starts.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I don't understand how not running damages the engine.

 

[rbridges]

I don't understand how not running damages the engine.

I'm no expert by any stretch, but I do know the mooney lycoming engines are prone to corrosion issues.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I don't understand how not running damages the engine.

I'm sure there's more ways than this, but:

1) Over time, the film of oil left on engine parts will drain off and dry up. Not only does that eliminate any protection from corrosion that the oil was providing, it also means a horrendous amount of wear the next time the engine starts.

2) Moisture produced when the engine runs may condense inside the engine after it cools, promoting corrosion - Especially when that oil film gets a chance to go away.

Running the engine coats everything with oil again, and boils some of that moisture. Personally, I open the oil cap every time after I fly to allow the water vapor and other gaseous nastiness to escape rather than sitting inside my engine.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Okay, we're going to be caring for a friend's plane by exercising it regularly. But we're still paying for fuel and oil, winter is coming up, and we have jobs! While we'd love to fly daily, it just ain't going to happen.

Is there a minimum amount a plane should be flown to help prevent deterioration? It's a high performance, non-complex single. I've been told that just running the engine on the ground is bad, because it doesn't heat up enough. I'd also expect the same would be true for just pattern work. I guess my starting point would be 60 minutes at >= 55% power weekly. Overkill? Not enough? Would semi-weekly be sufficient? (Wx in the winter can be a real problem.)

Ideally, weekly at least.

I feel your pain on the winter weather - I had to go about 6 weeks last year because on the few good days, there was so much ice (with big deep tire tracks through it) thanks to inept county maintenance that I couldn't get the plane out of the hangar.

 

[Henning]

5-18 hrs a day, 4-7 days a week.

 

[NoHeat]

I'm sure there's more ways than this, but:

1) Over time, the film of oil left on engine parts will drain off and dry up. Not only does that eliminate any protection from corrosion that the oil was providing, it also means a horrendous amount of wear the next time the engine starts.

2) Moisture produced when the engine runs may condense inside the engine after it cools, promoting corrosion - Especially when that oil film gets a chance to go away.

Those are the two main reasons that I've heard.

 

[rbridges]

5-18 hrs a day, 4-7 days a week.

that's a 1040 to 6552 hours/year. seems reasonable.

 

[poadeleted20]

I use camguard for better or worse, and there are some who think this may buy a little more time between starts.

An excellent choice if it's going to sit more than 10 days or so between flights and you're not using an oil that already has an additional corrosion protection package in it (like Exxon Elite).

 

[poadeleted20]

I don't understand how not running damages the engine.

I'm no expert by any stretch, but I do know the mooney lycoming engines are prone to corrosion issues.

Mooniac got the mechanism right, and the reason it's a bigger problem for Lycomings than Continentals is that Lycoming puts the camshaft at the top of the crankcase where it's more susceptible to moisture deposition by condensation than the lower-mounted camshaft in a Continental.