Michigan Aviation Blog at KPTK
Articles for pilots, aircraft owners, and operators at Oakland County International Airport (KPTK), covering fuel, maintenance, avionics, and FBO topics. Practical guidance from Michigan Aviation at Oakland County Airport.
Use this general FBO checklist to compare fuel value, maintenance access, ground support, crew needs and overnight arrangements at KPTK and across Southeast Michigan.
Four inspection programs appear in FAR 91.409, and the aircraft category and how it is operated decide which one applies. How each works, who can sign it off, and which your aircraft needs.
Published paint prices and downtime by aircraft class, what custom options add, why prep fills most of the schedule, and how Michigan winters change the planning.
The 14 steps of a full strip and repaint, what a complete inspection checks for hidden corrosion, and how temperature and humidity affect curing, with published phase timings and a handover checklist.
Engine certification decides the grade, not the airframe. Which engines burn Jet-A and which need avgas, what the wrong fuel actually does, how misfueling is prevented, and what to ask any FBO about fuel quality.
A used part is only worth buying if its paperwork, markings and condition all agree. Here is the order to check them in, what each document actually proves, and the conditions that make a part scrap regardless of price.
Water, microbial growth and particulates are the three contaminants most likely to reach your tanks. Here is how each one gets in, what a sump check actually tells you, and how to keep fuel clean through a Michigan winter.
Williams scored 9.40 for authorized service centers, the highest rating any turbofan OEM earned in any category. Here is what that means for Citation owners in Michigan.
Lycoming and Continental set different temperature thresholds for engine preheat. Here is what piston owners should know before a cold-weather start in Michigan.
Type I removes ice. Type IV keeps it from coming back. Here is what pilots should know about deicing vs anti-icing, holdover time, hangar deicing, and which fluids actually fit which aircraft.
A seven-step checklist for securing business-jet Starlink and cabin Wi-Fi: passwords, network ownership, segmentation, VPN use, updates and access policies.
Garmin AXIS in the panel and Mobile Clearance Delivery on the tablet point to the same trend: a more connected, digital general aviation workflow. What it means for pilots, owners, FBOs, and flight departments.
Garmin Pilot’s August 2026 update adds a redesigned Flights page and a new Mobile Clearance Delivery capability for eligible IFR flights. Here is what the digital clearance workflow means for pilots, FBOs, and flight departments.
Garmin’s new AXIS Flight Display System changes the panel upgrade conversation. Here is how AXIS compares against both G3X Touch and G500 TXi, and which owners should be weighing all three.
Garmin’s new AXIS Flight Display System is creating buzz among owners planning a panel upgrade. Here is which aircraft Garmin is targeting at launch, why AXIS is getting attention, and how to evaluate whether it may fit your airplane.
A Citation lives and dies by departure reliability, and that single expectation explains which parts matter most. A look at the components Citation operators replace most often, grouped by what gets used daily, what the calendar forces, and what has to be current before the jet can legally depart.
A turboprop asks far more of its systems than a piston twin ever will, and the parts list reflects it. Walking the airplane system by system, from the engine and start cycle to the gear, the ice and cabin systems, and the propeller, shows owners exactly where turbine wear tends to land.
Different aircraft categories create repeat demand around certain wear items, inspection-driven parts, and system-critical components. Here is a practical look at the parts owners and operators replace most across piston, turboprop, and Citation aircraft.
Garmin’s latest GAD 43e update addresses autopilot disconnect logic and an ARINC 429 timing issue in certain G500 TXi, G600, and G700 installations. Here is what aircraft owners and operators should know before scheduling avionics work.
Southeast Michigan weather cycles between summer heat, corrosive winter road salt, freeze-thaw damage, and high humidity. Heated hangar storage at KPTK protects aircraft from all four.
Compare a hangar lease near Pontiac and KPTK: aircraft fit, total cost, access, heating and on-site service before choosing a space.
How business aviation passengers and crews can protect sensitive data, recognize executive impersonation and reduce cyber risks on aircraft and FBO networks.
KPTK offers three runways including a 6,521-foot ILS-equipped primary, and Class D airspace with no commercial traffic. Here is why operators choose it over DTW.
Global supply chain disruptions are driving parts delays across general aviation. Components that arrived in days now take weeks. Here is how to plan around it.
Summer VMC conditions hide avionics problems that become real risks once fall IFR season arrives. Here are the five warning signs to watch for.
Michigan Aviation is KPTK's maintenance-centric FBO: full-service FBO + in-house FAA Part 145 repair station, decades on the field, competitive fuel pricing, and a safety-first culture.
Jet-A prices have surged nearly 60% since early 2026 — here's what private jet operators, charter companies, and corporate flight departments can do about it.
Ask ten aviation companies about safety and you'll hear the same words. At Michigan Aviation, those ideas only mean something if they show up in the work.
Nobody plans a trip around sitting on the ground. Yet small delays can stack up until an aircraft spends more time parked than flying.
When avionics and maintenance teams work side by side, they can look at an aircraft as a system, not a collection of disconnected components.
Deciding whether to lease office space at the airport depends on what kind of operation you're running.
Michigan Aviation's weekly fuel price alerts remove some of the guesswork for operators who rely on KPTK.
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Our articles focus on practical guidance for aircraft owners, operators, and crews including maintenance planning, avionics decisions, operational efficiency, hangar considerations, and what to know before booking service at KPTK.
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Michigan Aviation is a full-service FBO and FAA-certified MRO at Oakland County International Airport (KPTK) in Waterford, MI, serving owners, operators, and flight departments with fueling, maintenance, avionics, hangar space, and office space. Established in 1957, the company brings more than 65 years of aviation experience to every visit at Oakland County Airport.