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 […]
Opinion
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 […]
Was that cheering?
I’ve been a long-time skeptic about most General Aviation record-setting or publicity flights. Especially in this latter day of aviation, who is impressed? In any case, there’s a distinction between a flight purposefully pushing technology and the risky publicity stunt or ego exercise. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), whose cause I served at […]
Ask Paul: What is causing mag drop?
Q: I work on a IO-360-MIA Lycoming engine. My problem is that the right mag has a drop of 220 rpm. I have done internal timings, engine to mag timings, ignition leads check and cleaned the plugs. I have done nothing to the left mag, and now the left mag is dropping to 210 rpm. […]
GA loses a champion
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Widespread dissatisfaction with politics is feeding a movement to promote limits on the length of time an elected federal politician may serve. Stripped of all its meaningless rhetoric, that movement boils down to one point: Limit the terms of those with whom I disagree, but don’t touch the ones I admire. Whatever […]
Endings, beginnings, and opportunities
Regular readers of this column may notice a small change to the bio blurb that runs below. It’s shorter. The line about being the founder and president of the Polk Aviation Alliance has been removed, because although I remain the founder, I am no longer the president. I’ve resigned. My local newspaper, which seems to […]