When I was a boy I spent summers with my grandparents. They lived on the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen. The water was as clear as a pane of glass. The bottom was soft white sand. It was paradise. This idyllic location was nine miles from a small town. It was the kind of […]
Opinion
The FAA’s Groundhog day
By DEAN BILLING. I’m submitting this blog on Feb. 2, 2016, Groundhog Day. I think it is the appropriate date choice for my latest GAFuels topic. It is the kind of day the FAA should get out its plan for the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), dust it off and see if there is a ray of […]
Smart and safe: Two words that go together in aviation
Decision making is a skill pilots consciously train for and study. Most people don’t. And that’s a shame because good decision making doesn’t come naturally. We have to think about our options, weigh the pros and cons of whatever we do — or don’t do. One way or another, there will be an outcome to each decision […]
Why is the right engine oil temperature higher on my Aztec?
Q: Hi Paul, I’m wondering if you’ve ever come across Aztecs with the right engine oil temperature running warmer than the left. I’ve had mine 11 years. The right side oil temperature is usually 190°, while the left is 160°. CHT is usually pretty even. Mine came with louvers on the right side cowl, and I’ve […]
New and improved
“Follow me, because I believe what you believe.” This is a paraphrased rallying cry of far too many political campaigns. It’s a common theme for the simple reason that it works. When spoken in solemn tones, or shouted with vigor, it fires up the hopeful. It gives the lone individual a sense of belonging. Yet, […]
Aviation fares better on NTSB’s Most Wanted List
The National Transportation Safety Board’s 2016 “Most Wanted List” is out. This is a top 10 list of factors the NTSB feels contribute to unsafe operations across all transportation sectors. Only one of the 10 call out aviation exclusively. Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation Loss of Control is back on the […]
Niner-Niner Zulu: Some things in aviation are meant to be
By JEB BURNSIDE. One of my earliest aviation memories is of a family holiday trip from our home in Illinois to Florida, spending the season with not one, but two, grandmothers and relations. Any Christmas dinner for 30 or so members of the same family won’t be without its drama, and I’m sure that one […]
All pros, no cons
Regardless of what they fly, where they fly, or how they feel about flying, there is one thing all pilots have in common. We have a restriction that says we have to fly with a flight instructor now and again to demonstrate our proficiency. Most people think of that proficiency requirement as having to do […]
First woman to cross the continent by air
“Girl to Fly Across Nation” was how the Oakland Tribune reported the plan of Lillian Gatlin of San Francisco to make an aerial trip from coast-to-coast via air mail. It was her idea to do this in honor of mothers whose sons were aviators and killed during the First World War. Gatlin was consigned by […]