Question about using a bore scope for corrosion checks on older Cessna wing spars

Last month, I was doing a 100-hour on a 1978 Cessna 182 and compared my usual visual inspection with a new 5mm USB bore scope I bought. The visual check showed nothing, but the scope found early-stage corrosion in three spar bolt holes you just can't see with a mirror. The difference was having a clear picture on my phone screen versus guessing at shadows. It took an extra 20 minutes per wing, but it caught a problem that could have grounded the plane in a year. Has anyone else found a specific tool that changed how you do a common inspection?

4 comments

4 Comments

karenb972mo ago

Understand that completely. Some folks just prefer the old ways, even when the new tool shows you things you'd miss.

price.ben2mo ago

It's like they've built up a sixth sense for it over the years. Hard to argue with that kind of experience!

king.eric2mo ago

Our shop's old-timers still trust their mirrors and flashlights more than any camera.

the_rowan2mo ago

Yeah, the "trust their mirrors and flashlights" thing is so real. I had a mentor who could find a leak just by the sound and a quick look with a penlight. He'd show me the camera image later, and he was always right. Sometimes the old way just gets into your bones, you know? It's like their hands already know what the screen is gonna say.