Managing oil streaks. spills and leaks
If you rent aircraft or are undergoing training, you must've come across evidence of an oily surface, or belly of an aircraft or even as far back as oil on the tailskid or tie down point. There is an addage that says a leak as such is not a problem, it is the change in the leak that should be concerning. The sad truth is that many rental pilots just ignore this and move on. Changing this attitude is a task and must become a culture for it to be self-sustaining. Is also an excellent example of the level of airmanship, b ut it also reflects on general knowledge and exposure. So, what must you do if you observe evidence of engine oil on an airframe. Identify sources of oil Clean the evidence Monitor the recurrence of the evidence The bottom line is, that if you don’t clean up any oil that you see on the airframe, how would you know if the leak is bad? Most evidence seen on airframes from my experience, is due to pilots spilling oil in the cowling when trying to top up eng...