Mitchell Flying Service Monitors Engine Trends with DynaVibe

Matthew Mitchell operates Mitchell Flying Service, an agricultural aviation operator based out of Perry Municipal Airport (F22) in Oklahoma.  Mitchell has been flying since 1990 and puts about 250 to 300 hours per year on his Grumman Ag-Cat, for which he has two TPE-331 engines that he rotates as needed.  The rigors of agricultural aviation have shown Mitchell the value of keeping the prop on his Ag-Cat in good balance, which is done using a DynaVibe GX2. 

Anytime something changes with the prop, such as maintenance or mounting the prop after an engine change, Mitchell likes to have a dynamic balancing performed.  “It is essential to have the prop balanced,” states Mitchell.  Doing so eliminates vibration caused by propeller assembly imbalance, which reduces wear on the engine, airframe and instruments.  Dynamically balancing a propeller is an excellent preventative maintenance approach that can help eliminate future engine problems that might otherwise ground an operator.

Another significant benefit to using the DynaVibe GX2 is the vibration survey capability it provides. “DynaVibe checks other vibration ranges besides the propeller,” says Mitchell.  “It’s a good way to keep an eye on the engine, because you may not feel a vibration that DynaVibe can detect.”  Anytime Mitchell puts an engine together, he likes to have a baseline vibration analysis done. This allows him to do trend monitoring on the engine with DynaVibe to monitor the health of that engine while it is in use.  Regular vibrations surveys can help operators like Mitchell to identify problems before they cause a shutdown or result in a failure.

The DynaVibe GX2 is a dynamic prop balancer and vibration analyzer that can improve performance and maintain engine health. To get your own DynaVibe GX2, visit the RPX Technologies online store, enter your email address below or simply call us at:  405.896.0026.