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Danny,
As a APS attendee, I could not
possibly disagree with you more on the value of attending this course. I
have easily saved several times what I spent to attend, not only in decreased
fuel burn over the years since, but from the knowledge I gained in reading and
troubleshooting your engines through techniques they teach in how to read what
your engine analyzer is telling you.
One example is the technique to do an
occasional mag check at altitude before you begin a descent. On two
different occasions, that check revealed a rough engine on a single ignition
source. On two mags, I couldn't feel any roughness, so wasn't aware
anything was wrong. Once I felt it on the mag check, my analyzer told me
which cylinder wasn't firing. Once on the ground, I repeated the check and
all plugs worked OK. It was the altitude that caused the
affected plugs to arc. Without having to go to a shop, I
replaced the affected plug and was good to go.
Another thing that happened to me
was a slightly clogged fuel injector. From my APS course, I was able to
diagnose the problem, pull the affected injector and clean it
myself.
I don't now what your FBO charges per hour
to troubleshoot and fix engines, but I've saved myself a wallet
full of dollars on this kind of stuff and my guess is that any other APS
attendee will tell you the same thing. The real intangible though is that
if you make a habit of using the techniques you're taught in that class, your
engine will go longer before needing a top end or
overhaul. The corporate knowledge of the instructors in that class is
unbelievable and they'll make you understand everything they teach. For
me, it was an investment that keeps on giving.
Skip Slater
N540ES
I’m not convinced of the ROI for
spending $995 on this course in my particular case. As an example, for my LNC2
with an IO-360, if I burn 9 gph running ROP and 8.5 gph running LOP (best case
scenario), how long does it take to recover the expense? To keep it simple,
let’s say I spend $6/gal. So, that’s $995 x gal/$6 / 0.5gph = 331.7 hrs, or
about 3 years of flying. So, the question becomes, is it worth all the hub bub?
Again, for me, I think not. For you guys with the high burn rates, maybe so. But
what is your actual hourly saving and is it worth the additional stress on your
engines for the potentially much lower TBO? You decide and your mileage may
vary.
Danny
Miller
N 38° 43'
25.7"
W 77° 30'
38.6"
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