When the topic of aviation comes up, it is almost a given that the conversation will come around to pilots. Even if the discussion isn’t about flying itself, the chatter still turns to pilots. Whether you’re interacting with an aviation-centric audience or a rabble that wants to shut down the local airport, the person most […]
Opinion
Business flying ticks up
Speaking at the opening session of the European business aviation conference in Geneva, held May 19-21, Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, said he is pleased all indicators are up for business flying. Announcements of new products from Gulfstream and Dassault, Bolen said, are welcome signs of confidence of the […]
Safety focus of international conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Each year representatives from the FAA and other nations gather for an international aviation safety conference. This year the meeting will be held in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of the nation’s capital. The importance of the meetings is expressed by the FAA in its statement on this year’s meeting: “In a rapidly […]
The context of a Mann
On Friday, May 23, Hiram Mann was laid to rest. After 92 years his body had given all it had to give. He was my friend. I’m sorry to say I was not at the ceremony with his family, his illustrious peers, and others who witnessed a U.S Air Force honor guard attending to his interment. […]
A solid beginning towards collaboration
Various events are bubbling to the surface as we approach the 10th anniversary of the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft (SP/LSA) rule this summer. One of these activities occurred at SUN ’n FUN: The USUA/LAMA Safety & Industry Light-Sport Conference. USUA is the United States Ultralight Association, a group focused on pilots. If you believed ultralight aircraft […]
When in doubt, panic
Last week news organizations gleefully trumpeted the near collision of two airliners. Their coverage was spotty at best, with few, if any, first hand accounts from anyone with actual knowledge of the event, other than the description of a passenger. Fortunately for editors and news producers who are too busy or disinterested to assign actual […]
Webinar to discuss effects of aviation noise
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The potential effects of aviation noise will be explored in a webinar May 29 conducted by the Transportation Research Board. An hour-and-a-half program will discuss noise concerns at airports. Issues include possible effects of aviation noise on hearing, sleep, health, annoyance, and learning environment. Although the subjects will deal primarily with airport noise, points brought […]
Pointless poll or marketing ploy?
By DEAN BILLING. In the May 15, 2014 EAA Hotline email there was an interesting article in the Member Benefit Spotlight section. It reported the results of a Fuel Survey purportedly taken in March by the Experimental Aircraft Association with 13,000 replies by members. The findings were rather interesting: 87% of members are using primarily 100LL […]
Ask Paul: How should I handle chromed cylinder removal?
Q: When an engine with chromed cylinders comes into a shop with oil leaks and the source has been identified as thru bolts and cylinder base o-rings, how should the cylinder removal and reinstallation be handled? Also, is there any wisdom in turning the oil scraper ring upside down in chromed cylinder to help control oil […]