Aviation news outlets and social media are buzzing with the news that Quicksilver Aeronautics is closing its factory. For example, one online news source is calling the event a “dissolution.” This is not incorrect as it comes directly from a document previously issued by Quicksilver’s lawyers (see more below). However, letters from lawyers often portray things in very […]
Opinion
Better than a sharp stick in the eye
Whatever you might think about how your airport operates, or how the local FBO sets its rates, or if it’s time to build a tower at your field or remained non-towered, eventually you’re going to disagree with the folks in charge. Alternatively, if you are one of the folks in charge, you’re going to disagree with […]
Have an opinion? Of course you do. You’re a pilot
The wide range of opinions in the aviation community is something I continuously marvel at. Take our continuing coverage on the update of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 legislation. The comments vary widely, both in scope and tone. “After patiently waiting these last few years to hear what the people we trusted have come up […]
Get mission oriented
Regardless of the endeavor, success comes as a result of focus, determination, and persistence. Admittedly, that’s not exactly a revolutionary idea. The steps required to facilitate those points are somewhat more mysterious, however. Many an entrepreneur has failed even though their idea, product, or the service they intended to deliver was well suited to the […]
Four LSA under $96,000
Yet if you think $65,000-95,000 is still too much, I can identify several aircraft that sell brand-new, ready-to-fly for less than $49,000, but that will be an article for another time …
Withdrawing from the luck bucket
By IVY McIVER. “I’m OK! Are you OK?” As I hung upside down, shoulder harnesses digging into my collarbones, I tried to make sense of the broken glass, bent metal and wet sand that surrounded me. Just 60 seconds prior, I had been rolling down a beautiful grass strip in the Cascades. I watched the […]
The evolution of Flight Service
By JEB BURNSIDE. Even though little remains of the FAA’s Flight Service function, some of us still remember the old-fashioned ways. Up front, I’ll admit I’m old school, but only to an extent. I prefer steam to glass, and a stick to an automatic transmission, for example, but I’d rather use metric than SAE. Go […]
General aviation has a place at the table
The year was 1606. King James of England (and Scotland) boldly authorized a group of entrepreneurial types to cross the Atlantic in a leaky wooden boat in search of gold, timber, and a route across the New World to the Pacific, by water. The party consisted of 104 brave souls, all bent on bettering their […]
What’s causing high oil consumption?
Q: We have a 1981 Cessna 182 with the Lycoming O540 L3C5D engine, which has the Cessna-installed turbo system. Lately, we’ve been experiencing some pretty high oil consumption with quite a bit of oil on the belly. A compression check shows high compressions with the exception of #6, which has gone from 75/80 to 60 […]