When Anthony Fokker’s team introduced the futuristic Fokker D.VII biplane fighter to Germany in 1918, its welded steel tube fuselage and wings with less external bracing and rigging were a game-changer. Clocking speeds as high as 124 miles an hour, the D.VII was bested in that regard by the contemporary British S.E.5 and French SPAD […]
Opinion
‘Medicine has been my life, but flying is my passion’
I believe there are multiple paths in life. Whether the topic is spiritual, technical, flying, driving or any other matters not. There are multiple ways to accomplish nearly anything. When it comes to flying, the paths to aviation and within aviation are myriad. Victor Vogel was a medical school professor for 25 years and did […]
Welcome the unexpected opportunity
It was supposed to be an easy day. My complete list of responsibilities involved delivering a Cessna 152 to the site of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association‘s southeastern regional fly-in at Tampa’s Peter O. Knight Airport. I started early and was on the ground by 9 a.m. Done for the day. With the bulk […]
Affordable taildraggers you can fly with little fear
If you’ve shied away from taildraggers as they sound difficult or fearsome, I recommend you learn more about Kolb Aircraft as it has some very affordable taildraggers that you can fly with little fear.
General aviation, at home and away
As a participant in the American system of general aviation, no one needs to tell you how utilitarian or beneficial the smaller, quieter airports in our system are. These fields that sit serenely on the edge of town give users the ability to fly directly in to the destination they choose. They offer an efficiency that […]
Ditching
My last column, “Asleep at the Yoke,” included a report about a Piper Seneca pilot who had to ditch his airplane in the Gulf of Mexico. The thought of having to ditch an aircraft intrigued me, especially when I realized there is a different psychology to the act of ditching vs. an intentional forced landing […]
Pilot Perspectives: Bruce Williams
By DEREK ROBERTS. “It’s like driving an old British convertible sportscar. It’s fun on a winding mountain road in the summer, but going down the autobahn, you’d rather have a Mercedes.” An apt metaphor from Extra 300L owner/instructor Bruce Williams, as he describes his seasonal trip from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Boulder City, Nevada, where […]
Taking a moment to enjoy the view
It seems I’ve got a bit of an oil pressure problem. The temperature looks good, but the pressure on engine number 1, the engine that sits behind my left shoulder, is running significantly lower than it should. Lower than the rock solid 50 psi on engine number 2, that’s for sure. Having two engines means […]
What’s going on with the left prop on my Piper Mojave?
Q: I just bought a Piper Mojave. It has 1,200 hours on both engines. Pre-buy, including oil analysis, was good. During a maiden flight, the left prop feathered on prop check. We checked the dome pressure, it was low. We topped it to 41 psi. Took off for an hour flight. Landed and left prop […]