As described in our March 10 article, it is generally accepted that fuel companies hit the so-called blending wall this past winter, a situation where EPA blending mandates cannot be fulfilled, even if every drop of gasoline contains 10% ethanol by volume. This has unleashed the unintended consequence of RIN (Renewable Identification Number) speculation, as […]
Opinion
A long cross-country on mogas
Thanks go out to GAfuels reader Michael Gallagher of Peoria, Ill., for sending us this story on his recent long cross-country trip in the mogas-burning, Rotax 912ULS-powered RANS S-7S he built himself: “On June 19th, I loaded up my 2011 Rans S7S with luggage and my 5-year-old son/co-pilot and took off from Peoria, Ill., (KPIA) […]
The Surly Bonds of Earth
My Old Man didn’t realize that when he shared his love of flying with me all those years ago that a whole new world and a whole new community of friends would be opened up to both of us. Unfortunately, our shared love of flight doesn’t make our aviation community immune from life. Since the […]
Do you feel lucky?
Guest Editorial By STEVE BILL HANSHEW Pilots dread ramp checks. It’s a lot like a prostate exam in a flight physical — you don’t want one, but sooner or later you’re going to get one. No matter that it’s a part of an FAA inspector’s job to periodically audit any aircraft he or she chooses, […]
NextGen still facing unresolved issues
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The FAA’s program for the Next Generation Air Traffic Control system (NextGen) has made some progress, but still lacks major planning decisions and actions that can both delay implementation and substantially increase the cost. At a Congressional hearing Wednesday, July 17, the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation said the FAA has taken […]
The AirVenture effect
On a bright and beautiful central Florida morning, my phone rings. Steve McCaughey of the Seaplane Pilots Association is on the other end, upbeat and chipper as ever. Since we both live in the same town and have a common fascination with waterborne flying machines, he’s offering me a ride and a room at AirVenture, […]
Warrantless searches without consent: Now what?
By DAVE HOOK. Over the past month I’ve received more than 500 emails requesting I DO NOT CONSENT TO SEARCH stickers. The most common follow-on question I’ve received is: “If law enforcement doesn’t have a warrant to search my aircraft and I tell them that I do not consent to searches, but they search my […]
Mountain high
April 4, 2013, marked the 80th anniversary of the successful aerial assault on Mt. Everest undertaken by two Royal Air Force pilots, David Fowler McIntyre and Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, flying modified, open-cockpit, Westland biplanes to an altitude of 30,000 feet. It was a triumph for aviation, particularly for the skill and organization demonstrated by the British […]
NTSB concerned about go-arounds
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board wants the FAA to modify its procedures for directing traffic around major airports. This is to reduce the possibility of mid-air collisions when a landing aircraft must conduct a go-around. Five incidents involving departing aircraft and go-arounds were studied by the NTSB. In each case the crews […]