It’s an American tradition that continues unabated, thank goodness. Kids start smiling a little wider in the weeks before the big day. Neighborhood dogs pick up on the excitement, wagging their tails with abandon. Moms and dads prepare for days of high strung adventure, followed by the easily predictable collapse of exhausted young ‘uns. Wait […]
Opinion
Air shows: The new paradigm
By JOHN CUDAHY No single American industry was as adversely impacted by last year’s sequestration debacle as the air show business. By the end of the 2013 season, more than 60 shows in the U.S. had cancelled as a direct result of the Pentagon’s withdrawal of all military support. Dozens of other shows experienced attendance […]
Ask Paul: Why is my engine oil creamy?
Q: I am doing a 100-hour inspection on a Piper Aztec with TSIO 540 Lycomings using Shell 15/50 oil with 50 hours on the oil. They are both midtime engines on this photo plane. They fly six hours a day at low power settings. The left engine oil is black like it should be after […]
Seaplane LSAs take off
Many have now heard that the Light-Sport Aircraft industry achieved an impressive benchmark in its first decade. As the newest aviation segment approaches its 10th birthday in the summer of 2014, airplane designers have created and gained FAA acceptance for 134 models, a pace of more than one new design every month for 10 years […]
Warning signs in FAA forecast
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The recently released forecast by the FAA for 2014 to 2034 is generally upbeat for aviation, but when digging into the big report it had a picture not so rosy for much of general aviation. This should send an alert to GA’s alphabet groups and those in the industry to rev up […]
The Right Stuff for a post SUN ’n FUN trip, Part 2
As noted in yesterday’s post, taking one of the extra-cost “Up Close Tours” of the Kennedy Space Center can make this SUN ‘n FUN side trip worth the cost. For me, seeing the original Cape Canaveral was my ticket back in time. After a security check (Cape Canaveral is an Air Force base,) you’ll leave […]
The Right Stuff for a post-SUN ‘n FUN trip
SUN ‘n FUN is coming up soon. If you are heading to the show in Lakeland, Florida, what else can you do while you’re in Florida? Of course, there’s always Disney World, but why not see the hub of America’s space program, the Kennedy Space Center? Granted, it ain’t cheap and without advance planning, you […]
Willfully distracted and pointlessly engaged
My local coffee shop has been abuzz with conversations about the same top news story that’s dominated the chatter at yours, I’m sure: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It seems every news channel on television has dedicated untold hours of coverage to the story, while newspapers have filled innumerable column inches with every rumor that comes […]
Pilot bias
The first time I rode in a helicopter it was to chase down Donald Trump’s yacht. It would be another six years before I would get my own pilot’s license, so the pilot told me to keep my feet away from the rudder pedals and not to move them — no matter what. I opened […]