You’ve been there. The flight has been planned meticulously. You’ve reviewed the weather information, you’ve got your charts in hand, the iPad is fully charged, there are no TFRs, no adverse weather conditions, and no NOTAMs to give you pause. You launch off with confidence. Then everything goes wacky. Maybe the weather suddenly and unexpectedly […]
Opinion
FAR Part 0 – Really?
If you’ve spent any time reading — and re-reading — the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), then you’ll recognize the humor in the FAR Part 0. It has crossed my email inbox a few times now and I think it’s funny enough to share. Enjoy. FAA Regulation / Part 0, Section 000 (a) 1 (c) Section I: No […]
Strive for a bucket-less life
I apportion the blame this way: 40% goes to Jack Nicholson, while a slightly lesser share, 30%, goes to Morgan Freeman, with Rob Reiner picking up the remainder. All three did a magnificent job of portraying men staring eternity in the face, in the 2007 blockbuster hit, “The Bucket List.” The story was excellent, the […]
The cost of $3,200
United Airlines has had a rough few weeks. And yet, the days of overbooked commercial flights are likely here to stay. So what’s an airline to do? When crew must get from A to B and all the seats are filled with paying passengers, the options are often limited. United Airlines recently offered four passengers […]
Can you fly IFR in an LSA?
Think about IFR in an LSA this way: Can you fly IFR in a homebuilt aircraft? Can you do so in a Cessna 172?
Fully manufactured LSA and IFR
ASTM’s F37 committee is composed of people with technical knowledge who achieved a challenging task: Start with a blank sheet of paper and create aircraft standards for the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) sector. That this group did so in just a few years on the leanest of budgets is a credit to their dedication. These volunteers from […]
Prime movers for airplanes
There comes a time in the life of every airplane when it cannot feasibly move under its own power. Ways of towing aircraft have been varied and ingenious since the early days of aviation. When tailskids ruled the day, hand-operated, two-wheel dollies could cradle the skid, permitting manual movement of the airplane over typical airfield […]
Getting an idle aircraft flying again
Q: We have a Piper Navajo PA-31-350 that has not flown in three to four years, but maintenance has been done on it continually. During intervals the engines were started and run up. What are the requirements as to the engines (or the aircraft itself) if it has not flown for three or four years? Are there any Service […]
Latest news on ethanol
By Todd L. Petersen The latest news regarding ethanol blending comes to us from a recent issue of Hemmings Motor News. H.R. 1314, introduced by Virginia Representative Robert Goodlatte, actually goes so far as to call for the elimination of the Renewable Fuel Standard. You may recall that the Renewable Fuel Standard, passed in 2005, […]