March is “General Aviation Appreciation” month throughout the state of Indiana after Governor Mitchell Daniels joined a growing list of governors who publicly recognize the importance of general aviation to their states. According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, general aviation contributes more than $4.9 billion in economic activity to the state, supporting more than […]
Opinion
Aerospace industry and unions stress importance to economy to thwart threatened budget cuts
The U.S aerospace and defense industry directly employed 1.05 million workers in 2010 who received $84.2 billion in wages and who paid $15.4 billion in U.S. federal income taxes and $1.9 billion in state individual income taxes, according to a study commissioned by the Aerospace Industries Association. The industry has an estimated indirect and induced […]
BOLO: Protecting our GA community
By DAVE HOOK. At last count there are more than 627,000 active pilots in the United States. That comes out to over 2.5 million eyes and ears. It’s the power of that number of eyes and ears that makes what I’m about to introduce an extremely powerful tool for general aviation security. You’ve probably heard […]
Expenses, debt, and taxes
I was up late last night, inputting numbers, ticking off boxes, checking receipts, and seriously wishing I had four or five more kids who still fit into a deductible age bracket. It’s tax time, and I suspect you are deep in the same morass of math and mayhem I am. We all complain about taxes. […]
Flying the Alto 100
While Sebring 2012 crowds were the best ever and plentiful aircraft made for good shopping resulting in a flurry of sales, one of the best aspects of Sebring 2012 was ideal weather. Numerous pilots experienced some of their final choices before handing over the cash. Such perfect conditions also allowed reporters to get in on […]
Do fuel prices affect hours flown?
Does the price we pay for fuel have a direct influence on how much we operate our airplanes, cars, and boats? According to an article that appeared in the EAA’s November 2011 issue of Sport Aviation (“My $.02 on $6 Avgas”), the price of avgas is less important than one might think. Author Mike Busch […]
Ask Paul: What causes this popping sound?
Q: I am test flying my new RV-9. It has a new Superior O-320, dual p-mags and an MTV11 2-blade MT prop. When it has been running at cruise power for a few minutes or more (say 2,300 rpm x 23 inches or more) and then I reduce the throttle, I get a popping/crackling sound […]
AirBP & EPIC part ways
AirBP and EPIC Aviation, the company who has sold BP’s aviation fuel in the past, have parted ways, according to this press release from AirBP. “BP’s global aviation fuelling business, Air BP, announced today that it has entered the U.S. general aviation business as a direct fuel supplier to Fixed-Base Operators (FBOs), business aviation companies, […]
Our fuels expert visits Swift Fuels
Swift Fuels has been working on a 100 octane unleaded avgas for a number of years. I have been, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about the company’s work for various reasons. However, as of late, the company seems to be making some real progress, so I drove down to Indiana to visit its facility. […]