Propellers are a mystery to most. Even to pilots they are little more than an afterthought. They seem simple enough. They are little more than a fixed form attached to a spinning shaft that produces thrust when run up to enough RPMs. How it works, why it works, and what can be done to make it work more efficiently rarely comes up in conversation.
Opinion
Music or noise?
While music to my ears, the constant sound of a Cessna T206 circling overhead for nearly two hours may have rattled the nerves of some of my neighbors.
One size does not fit all
With approximately 18% of the pilot population holding a CFI ticket, it would seem obvious that scheduling a flight with a CFI would be easy. It should be a cake walk. So why isn’t it?
Never sell an asset
Can you imagine your home town looking to close one-third of the roads in your town so they can replace them with storage buildings?
Me 262 jet pointed to the future as it slipped into the past
The shark-like predator look of the Messerschmitt Me 262, coupled with its capabilities as a combat jet aircraft in World War II, ensure this warplane will be forever fascinating.
Tips to pickle an engine off the wing
What is the best way to preserve or “pickle” aircraft engines that are off the wing waiting for an airframe restoration or for a kit-built aircraft to be completed?
It’s always a good time to be proud
There is an old joke that virtually every pilot has heard and agreed with immediately. “How do you know there’s a pilot at your party? They’ll tell you.”
What will they think of next?
The communication systems available to us today are amazing. We can listen to music via Bluetooth through our noise cancelling headsets, call home to let our family know we’re just half an hour out, and monitor two ATC frequencies simultaneously. But does that make us better pilots?
The safety repercussions of removing a parallel runway at KBTL
A plan to remove a parallel runway affects more than just airport operations.