JSBOUGHER wrote:
Hey all, long time lurker with a question. I just got an offer for a 3
yr posting far-far away (half a world actually, just heard they got
their first private aircraft). Anyway, looks like I'll be parking my
beloved Velocity for quite some time - not willing to sell her and
their are only a few I'd trust her with and leaving her with them
hasn't worked out. I plan to pull and hang the wings and have the
engine pulled, crated and pickled. What I don't know about is the
interior and avionics. I have a beautiful Garmin 430 and audio, a nice
JPI engine monitor, an ADI Pilot II with battery backup and some other
goodies. I also worry about mold issues with the interior. I live in
Ohio, so we see pretty big swings in temps/humidity. I've considered
paying a local teenager to pull/place a couple of the of the
rechargable humidity control do-dads to protect the interior, but
really worry about the avionics. Should I pull the stack and put it in
my parents basement? What about the AH, TC and DG, do their bearing go
bad if they sit for 3 years? Anything else I should be concerned about
or haven't considered? All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,
Jeff

Having pickled my own airplane once. I can speak to this.
Having the engine well preserved is a very good idea. This is usually
your single largest investment.
Pull the avionics and when it is dry like this winter wrap them well and
seal the bags. some desiccant cannot hurt. A Basement is not really a
good place unless it is humidity and temp controlled.

The battery is likely to be right off after three years. It needs to be
cycled or it will stagnated and not hold a charge.

Pull your axles and brakes. Apply LPS-3 or equivalent to all surfaces
including the rotors. Pack the bearings well and put them in plastic bags.

The gyros do not like sitting for extended periods and will likely have
to be overhauled after storage. My HSI had to be sent out after one year
it would not track properly.

Michelle