MOA Taps Three Industry Corrosion Experts: Jim
VanGilder of Corrosion Technologies Inc., Alcoa Aluminum Engineer, Michael
Matisco, and Aviation Consumer Investigative Reporter Coy Jacob.
  Jim Vangilder: There is little
doubt Jim has made it his business to learn more about corrosion perhaps than anyone.
He is owner/founder of Dallas, Tex. based Corrosion Technologies and a former
Mooney owner. Jim has amassed some 8,000 hrs. and calls on hundreds of shops and mechanics
yearly which provides him a wide understanding of GA as a whole. He is especially
keen on the relevance of the typical age of the Mooney airframe as it pertains to
preventative maintenance and the importance of effective corrosion control. We
depend heavily on his input on how to prevent or slow down Mooney 4130 rust, 7606 spar cap
corrosion, and general airframe corrosion in his column "Corrosion Corner" for The
MOA PILOT. We also look to him for objective comments on the best products
and procedures to use to protect our Mooneys from their most serious enemy;
corrosion. Michael Matisko:
Fellow Mooney owner and Mooniac Mike Matisko is a long-term
Alcoa engineer based out of Davenport, Iowa. Mike is intimately familiar with
aluminum and especially the alclad widely used in Mooneys. He has penned several
articles on the subject for The MOA PILOT and we shall reprint many of them
here. Mike knows aluminum from the inside out and is available for consultation
through MOA headquarters when needed.
 Coy G. Jacob: Coy has penned most of
the comparative product reports you may have read in Aviation Consumer Magazine over the
years concerning corrosion control, anti-corrosion products, and preventative
maintenance. As a fellow Mooney owner and investigative journalist, Coy  has personally gathered copious data
on corrosion products and has tracked the effectiveness of proper applications of these
products over the years. Coy currently serves as Associate Editor for Aviation
Consumer and Senior Editor for The MOA PILOT Magazines.
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There is little doubt there has
been tremendous advancements in corrosive preventative materials in the last 15+/- years
within General Aviation. However, Mooney corrosion/rust is relentless, insidious,
and not widely understood by many mechanics out in the field. While everyone
understands preventing moisture and salt from accumulating on steel and aluminum is
important, what isn't understood is the chemistry of corrosion and what type of
preventative products are more effective than others. In addition many still seem to
feel bulky cover-up materials works best when many times, they simply cover-up an
underlying problem rather than prevent it from occurring in the first place.
We urge every Mooney owner to learn about corrosion and what products and procedures are
available nowadays to prevent it before it is becomes a major problem for your
Mooney. 
