Believing a bad thing will happen to the other guy, but not to us, is folly. The bad thing is ever present. It occurs because of insufficient planning, rushed procedures, ignoring warning signs, or just plain laziness. Worst of all, it can happen to any of us — including you and me.
Opinion
Human Factors: Dumping fuel
The two shattered links of the accident chain were not adjacent, as they so often are. The first came during an otherwise diligent preflight. The second was a skipped memory item from the emergency checklist that, otherwise, would have saved the day.
Are you ready for a fact-based conversation about your airport?
Once residents of Naples, Florida, were made aware of their local airport’s impact, more than 82% said the airport is important to the community.
Carb heat for better or worse
Carburetor heat is a gift from the engineers who created it. Without carb heat I would have disappeared into the woodlands of New England, or Florida, or somewhere in between long ago. That simple knob on the panel of my Cessna has revived my ailing engine on more than one occasion.
Hawk One Canada was an air show stunner
Through the 1970s, air shows in the Northwest U.S. and across the border in British Columbia could count on a roaring, rousing opener performed by McDonnell F-101 Voodoo interceptors.
Been there, done that
The engine you choose will definitely impact the design of the cowling, engine baffling, etc., which is why your best source of engine choice and installation will be from “someone who has been there and done that.”
Taking the zealous perspective
Of all the amazing, memorable, soul-enriching experiences I’ve had in the general aviation industry, none has come close to the satisfaction I have gotten from helping someone get started. Those smiling faces fill my memory and tug at my heartstrings.
The past and future of avgas
Today’s search for an unleaded avgas is so different from similar searches in the past, which was a very large cooperative effort to find an answer — and they were looking for one fuel that could be produced by any oil company.
Questions from the Cockpit: Got you covered — maybe
James, a private pilot and airplane owner in South Carolina, writes: What happens if someone wrecks your plane while they are considering buying it?