During one of my airline simulator training sessions, the instructor put us about 10 miles from an initial approach fix, then she asked us to turn around so she could show us something. So focused were we on her, the first officer and I forgot to pay attention to the thrust levers. While she was […]
Opinion
Ask Paul: Can I increase the horsepower of this Lycoming engine?
The 300 horsepower engine is a completely different breed altogether and you can’t get there by converting your engine unfortunately.
Spring forth with confidence
Yay, it’s springtime in the Americas. The northern Americas anyway. We set our clocks ahead last week to prove it. Those much loved golden rays of sunlight linger well into the evening hours now. We await the day, not far off, when temperatures warm, and lush, green grass will tickle our toes once again. It’s […]
Out of sight and sound
I can’t imagine letting any of my kids fly an ultralight at 13 years old. And yet that is exactly what my parents let me do. Granted, I grew up on an airport and had flown with my Dad for years by the time I was 13. Training in the single-seat Robert B1-RD consisted of […]
Why is there steam inside my 152’s engine?
Q: May I ask a question regarding our engine in a Cessna 152? When we shut down from flight, there’s a foam or steam inside the engine and it will come out at the breather like water. What is the cause of this and what is the remedy? Also, what is the hottest cylinder in […]
Kodachrome captured World War II in color
That color stability has been of vital value to researchers and anyone pursuing color imagery dating back to before World War II.
Girl Power in general aviation
It has long been a tradition for aviation enthusiasts to be perceived as elitists who shun outsiders. There is a factual basis for that belief, but its time is largely past. However, the dearth of minority participants in aviation is obvious to anyone who spends a day on the ramp. That’s changing, thank goodness. When […]
Will you fly the aircraft of the future?
This article may either excite you or annoy you. I understand. I have mixed feelings about a new class of airplanes I don’t understand as well as familiar, legacy ones. Perhaps like you, I’m annoyed because I didn’t foresee this and because these new proposed machines are not my experience over many decades of flight. […]
On spam cans, big iron, and finding my way
Believe it or not, there was a time in my career as an aeronautical nut when I couldn’t wait to get out of the little spam cans I was flying. My plan was to move on to bigger, more capable machinery. Multiple engines were calling my name. Oh, to be operating airframes of much greater […]