Many pilots speak of airplanes they cannot afford. Indeed, $150,000 Light-Sport Aircraft are priced beyond common budgets. One way to solve this is through a partnership or fractional ownership… and I will be writing about partnerships later this year. Another way involves a ready-to-fly aircraft for under $15,000. You read it right: $14,995 for a […]
Opinion
A road not taken
My pre-move house cleaning has yielded another aviation memory: A 1972 letter from the old Monmouth Airlines. It offered an answer to every young hopeful’s need for multi-engine and turbine time — very expensive but necessary stepping stones to pro flying. The question was, as always, how to afford it — and back then, how […]
The OX-5 racers
In a previous column, I discussed the penetration of the ubiquitous, war-surplus Curtiss OX-5 engine into the new aircraft market, which lasted into the 1930s. Not only was the OX-5 engine used as a powerplant option on new aircraft, it also powered custom-built aircraft that were used in exhibition work and races. In fact, the […]
‘Congress must now act responsibly’
By Ben Sclair The U.S. Senate passed legislation today (Thursday, September 15) that extends funding for the FAA four months and avoids a second partial FAA shutdown. The following quote on the topic blows me away. “It is a positive step for the country that the Congress has passed this historic combination of extensions, which […]
Aboard Flight 93: GA’s man on 9/11
I have the feeling that few GA pilots know “one of ours” was up there on United Flight 93, capable of bringing that 757 back had passengers overcome cockpit hijackers. He was a college classmate of mine. Donald Freeman Greene was the name. I only bumped into him briefly freshman year in the dorm. He […]
The case for the corporate jet
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Corporate jets are getting a bum rap here since the deficit and budget have erupted into major political battlegrounds. But it is not jets alone that are the target — the use of any aircraft is being painted as a plum of the rich. While many in the aviation community may think […]
Ask Paul: Should you lean for a sea-level takeoff?
Q: At or around sea level in a non-turbo airplane, like a 152 or a 172, should you lean your air fuel mixture for takeoff? The reason I am asking this is after seeing a video of a flight in a 172, I noticed that the pilot leaned the mixture before takeoff. I wrote to […]
Out-cubbing the Cubs
The folks at Sportair USA think the American Cub replicas are rather expensive, with at least one model topping $163,000. So, what if you’d love a Cub-like aircraft yet you haven’t won the lottery? How about iCub? (Or how about a Rans S-7LS Courier? It also carries a much lower price and flies wonderfully well.) […]
Politics and LSA
Since the beginning of aviation (or at least since near the beginning) government has approved any aircraft the public may buy and fly. A newly designed model, after proving its airworthiness to company engineers and management, had to gain government approval before sales could begin. The cost curve has been steeply upward. Cirrus Design is […]