There very well may come a day when we can’t fly anymore. There will almost certainly come a day when we shouldn’t. We might still have the ability to climb into the cockpit, fire up the engine, and launch into a clear blue sky. Having the ability, however, does not mean it’s a good idea.
Opinion
Ask Paul: Is it a bad engine or bad maintenance?
A flying club’s maintenance officer wants to upgrade one of the club’s airplane engines, claiming the engine is known for having “lots of reliability issues.” Another member of the club turned to our expert to get his advice on what’s really going on with the engine.
Are the results all that surprising?
I don’t fly for a living, so my experience and stress level is different from professional pilots, but if I’m honest, I don’t really see the results of this survey as all that surprising.
Kinner’s bold Envoy design
A general aviation airplane ahead of its time.
Is our airplane’s EGT harmful to the exhaust valves?
Is an EGT in the 1510 range harmful to the exhaust valves in our 1978 Piper Lance II?
Romance aloft can be tricky
If you are one of these CFIs who believes it is perfectly reasonable to troll for a Friday night companion while in flight, I would like to offer you this well thought out and carefully crafted piece of advice without reservation or conditions: Cut it out.
What you need to know about oil analysis to protect your airplane
Oil analysis can be a very effective tool if used properly. What do you need to know to get the most out of an oil analysis?
The unconventional way works too
I began flying just as a hobby initially. I had no intention of turning it into a career. But it turned out that some of the twists and turns along my personal road put aviation into a much more prominent position than I’d have imagined possible.
Questions from the Cockpit: What’s so mean about mean sea level?
Cassandra, working on her Sport Pilot ticket on the Florida coast, writes: I’ve just started my flight training, and have learned about the two different ways that altitude is expressed: AGL and MSL. Above Ground Level is self-explanatory, but I’m having a harder time wrapping my head around Mean Sea Level. I mean, I get that it’s the altitude above sea level, but what’s the “mean” all about?
Dear Billy
If the FAA stood up and told my state, and all states, that an approved fuel is on the books and will be making its way to all states as soon as possible, I believe that would go a long way toward calming the anti-lead crowd and encouraging those in the business of making and delivering fuel.
The other DECIDE model
Students cancel lessons, show up unprepared, and generally fail to make significant progress toward their goal of learning to fly for one specific reason. They don’t really understand the process of learning a complex subject that includes multiple components of knowledge combined with mechanical skill.
When is the best time to take an oil sample from my aircraft engine?
I usually take my oil analysis samples when the engine is cold. The logic is that all the oil has drained, and the volume removed should be a bit better. Should I be doing something differently?