Thanks to a stroke of good luck and a bit of favorable geographic proximity, I got to spend some time at the Women in Aviation Conference held in Orlando, Florida, last week. If you missed it, let me tell you, you really did miss something. This is no idle gathering of vacationers disguised as convention […]
Opinion
General Aviation wins a convert
The situation came to my attention thanks to a post on social media. A woman I went to high school with reached out looking for comfort. My former classmate’s post began, “Due to complicated weather conditions yesterday, flights to the northeast were all cancelled.” That happens, unfortunately, Inclement weather can cause delays and even cancellations […]
Perfect or Better?
Which should we strive for? Perfection or Better Performance? The question was the result of reading Matt Zuccaro’s recent column, “Zero Accidents: Yes, We Can.” Matt is the president of the Helicopter Association International. He’s also not afraid to say what’s on his mind. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Matt’s opening paragraph: “Call […]
Local procedures
I remember flying into an unfamiliar airport once and the pilots on frequency chiding me for not knowing the name of their airfield. Didn’t make sense to me. I made each callout using the FAA-charted name. When I wondered aloud what the deal was, the FBO manager told me: “That’s not our local procedure.” Ignorance […]
What’s the difference between an O-320-E2-D and G?
Q: Paul, can you tell me, please, what the difference would be between the Lycoming O-320-E2-D and the O-320-E2-G? David Smith A: Dave, there really isn’t much of a difference between the Lycoming O-320-E2D and the O-320-E2G. According to the Lycoming Certificated Engine listing (SSP-110-1), the O-320-E2G is the same as the O-320-E2D except the […]
Reveling in the Field Effect
In America it began in 1793, on the day Jean Blanchard piloted a balloon from Philadelphia to Woodbury, New Jersey. That’s barely a hop, skip, and a jump today. In a time when George Washington was still alive, it was a mind-blowing achievement. It happened again in 1860 when Sam King took photographer James Black […]
What mods can help boost power?
Q: Are there any practical, appropriate and compliant modifications that can be made to a 150-hp, narrow-deck O-320? For example, can the compression ratio be tweaked a bit, or are there aftermarket exhaust systems with less back pressure, or is there any porting/polishing possible to effect a tad more power to the propeller? Gordie A: […]
A little turbulence is good for you
As a soft, bald, late middle-age, goofball who still hasn’t figured out exactly what I want to do with my life, I can say this with complete confidence: I hope for smooth sailing. It’s what I shoot for. Of all the people you’ll meet in life, I am not the one who has a penchant […]
Vickers Wave gears up for 2017
Pilots not closely following Light-Sport aviation can be excused for thinking only one LSA seaplane is available. Established LSA companies like Progressive Aerodyne and its Searey or Scoda‘s Super Petrel or Airmax’s SeaMax or any number of aircraft to which floats have been fitted may be somewhat baffled by the outsized attention Icon Aircraft‘s long-delayed A5 […]