Harmony Aviation

02/17/2022

After two years of pandemic insanity, finally, we’re back to fine-tuning and balancing fast movers like this TBM700.

10/05/2019

This is the first post unrelated to Aviation that I’ve ever made here. Still, it does still have a vibration component so that’s good enough for me.

https://www.facebook.com/100021687317234/posts/498077040925202/

06/14/2018

While balancing an A36 today I stumbled upon “The Millennium Phenom” that believes it’s the Falcon from Star Wars. Read all about it here: https://www.avbuyer.com/articles/interviews-case-studies/the-millennium-phenom-embraer-s-100-jet-is-on-a-mission-90781

05/10/2018

What an honor to perform my balancing act for such a refined beast.

04/11/2018

As winter's finally relenting, I kicked off the 2018 balancing season with these two awesome examples of Beaver fever. Working with Two Brothers Aviation we applied our exclusive/proprietary balancing methodology together. Theirs is the only shop I know of in the lower 48 where these tail slappers can be coaxed towards this degree of turbine-like smoothness.

12/20/2017

It appears that Pratt & Whitney is finally taking prop balancing seriously. Nonetheless, they could've titled this webpage/article promo for their new vibe sensing and monitoring system "prop balancing for dummies".

"Your aircraft’s propeller is an integral part of your powerplant. Whether you’re an operator striving to improve passenger comfort or a medical mission pilot aiming to keep patients stable, you want to minimize aircraft vibrations caused by your propeller."

Well Duh! This is basically what I've been harping for over a quarter century.

New digital propeller vibration trend monitoring systems are changing the game. P&WC's FAST™ solution (Flight Acquisition, Storage, and Transmission), for instance, makes propeller balancing much simpler and more accurate.

12/08/2017

Once upon a time ... unbalanced prop vibration was a good thing ... it reassured pilots that the engine was still running.

12/17/2016

And Thank You Mr. Bob Starr for the being such a great guy!

10/06/2016

Just another reminder how dangerous props can be. In my line of work (fiddling with them constantly) I have to regard every prop as 'hot' all the time.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Pilot-Struck-by-Airplane-Propeller-Gillespie-Field-138340604.html

09/27/2016

Twenty five years ago I started Harmony Aviation after a Piper Tech Rep informed me that Dynamic Prop Balancing would prevent spinner bulkhead cracks. Too bad these owners had to learn the hard way before they contacted me. Some Cessna bulkheads are over $1500 with a three month wait. Ouch!

07/10/2016

A rare pic of the prop balancing maestro himself posing with his very cool subject of the day -- A Bellanca Super Viking, built from the salt of the earth, decades ago but only forty miles away in Alexandria, MN. Suffice to say, she's purrrrrring much more happily/softly/smoothly now after Doug's magical caress -- a precise tuning and 'Harmonizing' spin-balance (after a recent prop overhaul at Maxwell Prop Shop).

07/06/2016

Balancing this Lancair IV P today I learned from the owner (a seasoned NetJets pilot) all about how tricky they are to fly well. All that Speed may make flying it a challenge, still, this fast mover delivers more knots per dollar than just about any other aircraft in its class -- pressurized single.