H. Paul Shuch is a Light Sport Repairman with Maintenance ratings for airplanes, gliders, weight shift control, and powered parachutes, as well as an independent Rotax Maintenance Technician at the Heavy Maintenance level. He holds a PhD in Air Transportation Engineering from the University of California, and serves as Director of Maintenance for AvSport of Lock Haven.
I want to buy a small portable tire inflator that I can keep in the trunk of my car so I can drive out to my tie-down and inflate the tires on my light sport when the pressure gets a bit low.
I found a nice unit on Amazon for about $40. I asked the seller about an extension for the power cord, and they asked for more info on the plane. To ensure that the unit would meet my need. Their responce:
We are sorry our air pump can't inflate tires on airplanes even though the tire pressure on your plane is not high. This air pump is designed to inflate balls, bicycles, motorcycles, and small or medium-sized car tires.
Please buy a professional machine that can be used to inflate tires on airplanes.
Can anyone recommend an economical unit I can buy?
I'm sure if the unit in question can inflafe motorcycle tires, it's perfectly capable of inflating tires on an LSA. Air is air, after all. I suspect the vendor hears the word airplane, and immediately worries about liability issues.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV [email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
drseti wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 7:10 am
I'm sure if the unit in question can inflafe motorcycle tires, it's perfectly capable of inflating tires on an LSA. Air is air, after all. I suspect the vendor hears the word airplane, and immediately worries about liability issues.
Thanks, Dr. Seti. I will purchase the one I was looking at.
Many manufacturers are afraid of lawsuits. NGK makes the sparkplugs that are used in Rotax engines. When you buy spares from them, they come in a box displaying a picture of an airplane in a circle, with a diagonal slash mark across it. 3M makes a product called Propeller Leading Edge Tape. You can buy it from Sporty's Pilot Shop. In the package is a warning label: "not for use on aircraft propellers." Everybody is gun-shy.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV [email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
If you really want to go cheap I have found that a bicycle pump from Walmart works great for less than $20. The tires are small and the pressures are low so it is a very easy job for a pump.
I used to haul my mini-compressor out to pump up my tires. One day I needed some air and didn't bring the compressor so I stopped by the local Walmart and picked up a cheap pump thinking it was for a one-time use. It works so well I will never bring the compressor again. I now have a compact, lightweight air source that I can leave with the plane and not worry about someone stealing it.
Dave C wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 9:29 am
If you really want to go cheap I have found that a bicycle pump from Walmart works great for less than $20. The tires are small and the pressures are low so it is a very easy job for a pump.
I used to haul my mini-compressor out to pump up my tires. One day I needed some air and didn't bring the compressor so I stopped by the local Walmart and picked up a cheap pump thinking it was for a one-time use. It works so well I will never bring the compressor again. I now have a compact, lightweight air source that I can leave with the plane and not worry about someone stealing it.
Thanks, but I already ordered one. It was only $32 and free shipping. The recommended pressure on my mains is 40 PSI which is higher than my car. The nosewheel is 32.
Dave C wrote: ↑Thu May 12, 2022 9:29 am
If you really want to go cheap I have found that a bicycle pump from Walmart works great for less than $20. The tires are small and the pressures are low so it is a very easy job for a pump.
I used to haul my mini-compressor out to pump up my tires. One day I needed some air and didn't bring the compressor so I stopped by the local Walmart and picked up a cheap pump thinking it was for a one-time use. It works so well I will never bring the compressor again. I now have a compact, lightweight air source that I can leave with the plane and not worry about someone stealing it.
Thanks, but I already ordered one. It was only $32 and free shipping. The recommended pressure on my mains is 40 PSI which is higher than my car. The nosewheel is 32.
My Sportstar tires are only inflated to about 15 psi so it is very easy to pump them up.
