If you’ve ever considered taking up aviation as a hobby, there are a few things you should know before getting started. Owning your own airplane is a very expensive endeavor that requires lots and lots of time on the ground maintaining your plane.

About the only way to cut these costs in any significant manner is by maintaining the aircraft yourself. But that may be easier said than done. Remember, airplanes are not cars. If you tinker under the hood of your car and you make a mistake, it probably won’t kill you. But in the air, the stakes are considerably higher. If you’ve improperly used a good product like Tefzel wire, you may be putting your life in jeopardy.

One thing you definitely don’t want to do when maintaining your own aircraft is skimp on products and accessories. If you stick with name brand maintenance products like Met All polishes, you’ll be making your plane that much more durable. When you purchase generic aviation products and accessories, you never really know what you’re going to get.

And in the aviation game, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. Because in the air, details matters and it’s the small ones that can kill you.