Its nose is seemingly tucked up to the Chevy dealership across the street in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. But this piston-era behemoth is in for more than an oil change. The Perna family wants to complete a DC-7-based restaurant for their northeast Florida airport. Globe-circling DC-7Cs, the ultimate in Douglas’ legendary piston airliner line, were […]
Opinion
The distraction meter pegs
It was only recently I learned, with some considerable consternation, that CNN is reviving “Crossfire.” This is a show that ran five days a week on the Cable News Network from 1982 through 2005. In the news release announcing the rebirth of this appalling, pointless, loud, bombastic, repetitive program that is almost completely without merit, […]
Why gas prices aren’t dropping
Your bloggers have frequently reported that our country is now the largest producer of natural gas. We’re a net exporter of refined gasoline and it’s estimated that we will be the world’s largest producer of crude oil by 2020. As a result of the ongoing economic malaise and the continued improvement of gas mileage (primarily a […]
Arlington adds mogas
Pilots in the Pacific Northwest are enjoying lower-cost fuel and reduced lead problems ever since Arlington Flight Services at the Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO) added aviation-grade, 92 AKI mogas earlier this month. As many know, this airport hosts the annual Arlington Fly-In each July, one of the largest sport aviation events in the country. The availability […]
Does flight school’s 172 need new rings?
This question was initially sent to our fuels and oil expert Ben Visser, who passed it on to our engines expert Paul McBride for further comment. Q: Our flight school has a Cessna 172N with an O-320 H2AD. The engine was rebuilt 120 hours ago after cam/lifter failure. The engine uses one half quart of […]
‘He died doing what he loved’
Guest Editorial By THOMAS P. TURNER The pilot of a twin-engine airplane sped through a narrow mountain pass. Low clouds obscured the ridges and peaks; pine trees blurred past just a few hundred feet below, materializing from the mist, flashing dark green beneath the sleek airplane, and zooming into the cloak of mist behind with […]
You can’t do that…and other myths
I recently wrote a post where I suggested it might be possible to earn a private pilot certificate for as little as $5,000. I made that suggestion for the simple reason that it’s true. It’s an option that is available to anyone who is willing to thrown off the yoke of 20th Century flight training convention […]
Best AirVenture ever?
Was 2013 the best EAA AirVenture Oshkosh ever? In one way obvious to every attendee, this year’s event was superlative: Wisconsin’s weather was nearly perfect. Each day of the event was blessed with mild temperatures, mostly clear skies, and a comforting breeze. EAA officials surely thanked their lucky stars, having endured last year’s blistering heat […]
The extra-Solar Impulse stunt
Let’s get the obvious out of the way right from the start. The Solar Impulse is gangly, goofy-looking, slow, fragile, and can’t possibly carry the entire family in luxurious comfort to Aunt Sally’s house for the holidays. That pretty much covers what it’s not, a topic which seems to have gotten a fair amount of […]