After reading a magazine article back in 2016 on the risk of “hangar rash” damage to the thin, trailing edges of composite propeller blades, David Ortero decided — “before even closing the magazine” — to buy covers to protect his new Whirlwind GA200L. The only problem was, that in scouring the internet, it appeared that nobody made such a thing. So Ortero simply went to his workshop and made his own.
Questions from the Cockpit: Unthawing TKS
Most of us know TKS is deicing fluid for our airplanes, but do you know where it came from and what TKS stands for?
Human Factors: Saving a buck costs a fortune
A pilot low on fuel passes up three airports to save 20 cents a gallon on avgas. It turns out to be an expensive mistake.
Questions from the Cockpit: Questioning the Final Flag
An anonymous an air race fan asks: As an air racer yourself, do you agree with the decision at the 2023 Reno Air Races to cancel the rest of the races after the tragic crash following the T-6 Gold race?
Seven accidents in seven days
Did you hear the story of the pilot who crashed seven times in seven days? How does something like this even happen — and what lessons can we learn from this experience?
Questions from the Cockpit: Color me confused
Sammi, a student pilot in Arizona, writes: Next door to my flight school is a ritzy FBO (where I score my morning coffee) that has one of those electric maps in the lobby with colored lights that show the flight conditions across the nation – green for VFR, blue for MVFR, red for IFR, and magenta for LIFR. So cool and so beautiful! But…also so confusing. Uncle Google gave me the ceilings and vis’es for the various flight conditions, but I can’t seem to find them in the regs. What’s the story here?
Human Factors: Written vs. unwritten rules
Who has the right-of-way when several planes are approaching a runway. And should you give priority to another pilot just because they ask for it?
Questions from the Cockpit: Should there be a biennial driving review?
My mother, a student pilot, asked: What do you think of requiring drivers to get a biennial driving review?
Human Factors: A distant fallout
After a two-year investigation by the NTSB, investigators still don’t really know what caused a July 2021 crash in Alaska that killed two pilots. Still, is there anything we can learn from this crash?