The FAA should have titled the Practical Test Standards (PTS) replacement Pilot Certification Standards, not Airman Certification Standards (ACS). Regardless what you think of the new standards for awarding (or earning) a pilot — see there it is — certificate, the title is wrong. Never have I been asked, “Are you an airman?” And I’d hazard a […]
Opinion
Is there a gentle way to determine the condition of this engine?
Q: Last year our club bought a PA-25 tow plane. It has a Lycoming O-540 G1A5 260-hp engine. We bought it with 100 hours after overhaul and flew it 95 hours, so total 195 hours after overhaul. Now the annual inspection revealed a massive contamination of the oil filter with shiny non-magnetic particles. Also some soft sealant particles (rubber or silicone) are […]
Taking a break from the regular routine
Typically, I write this column from an office in my home. My writing space used to be a single-car garage. But since single-car garages are generally too narrow and shallow to actually park a car in them, I converted mine into two rooms. The larger of the two is my office. The other is a […]
What is the proper procedure to break in my engine?
Q: What is the proper procedure to break in an IO-540-AB1A5 that I own on a 1998 C182S? We pulled and replaced the compression and oil control rings on cylinders 2 and 4. The rest of the cylinders were untouched. Where can I find Lycoming recommendations for a replacement of rings like we are about […]
Trust but verify
I thought the flight went spectacularly. My first turbine experience — flying three hours solid over the Los Angeles trafficscape with the legendary helicopter traffic reporter Commander Chuck Street. In between his traffic reports, he’d given me the thumbs up and nods of approval. Life felt great. During my three-hour tour, Chuck tested my skills, […]
Why a bonding cable is so important when refueling your plane
The need for bonding cables is not another frivolous government regulation. It is a much needed safety rule.
Reconsidering the CFI
I am a Certificated Flight Instructor. I’m proud of that fact. The CFI ticket is a highly sought after indication of capability that opens the door for many of us to our first professional gig as a pilot. It takes considerable study and focus to earn a CFI ticket, or the instrument instructor (CFII), or […]
Two in the bush
By JEB BURNSIDE. Flying in remote Alaska is just about the most memorable fun one can have in an airplane. If you’re like me, you’ve often read about bush flying. We all have different definitions of exactly what that is, but most of us can agree it involves VFR flying in basic airplanes to and […]
The value of maintaining a worldwide perspective
Are U.S. sales or registrations of Light-Sport Aircraft near where they were expected to be by now? The short answer is, no, but more finesse is needed to obtain a complete answer. While the numbers entering the U.S. fleet are well below forecasts from 2004, a couple obvious reasons help explain the shortfall. The Sport […]