Pilots will spend a not-so-small fortune on aircraft and avionics, but they are notoriously frugal when it comes to maintenance. This is often manifested in a reluctance to throw out anything that might be useful again someday. You probably know a pilot who has a part off of a (insert name of aircraft here), although he or she hasn’t owned that type of aircraft for decades.
Jon Hansen, patriarch of the Hansen Air Group, demonstrated his commitment to this pilot version of recycling at the Sebring LSA Expo when he pulled out a tin can that dates back to the 1950s.
“It used to hold pistachios, I believe,” he said, holding the can, which is rusty and covered in duct tape. He uses it to hold odd replacement screws and fasteners. “The more modern cans are made of cardboard and they are destined for obsolescence,” he said. “This can has been around for decades. It’s been filled, dumped out and filled again.”