If you find yourself in a situation similar to that of John and Martha King, with police officers pointing guns at you as you exit your aircraft, just follow their instructions. That is the advice of John King after he and his wife, Martha, were held at gunpoint for about a half-hour Aug. 28 when […]
Opinion
$100 ‘Q sandwiches
This Short Final was written by Walt Burton, a dear friend of Deb McFarland’s, as she recovers from surgery. I send greetings from Statesboro, way down here in southeast Georgia. I wouldn’t say that it’s been hot here, but I did see two gnats fanning each other to stay cool. Fortunately, the air temperature up […]
Flying Car frenzy
Call them flying cars, flying motorcycles, flying dune buggies, or roadable aircraft. Regardless of the correct term, a growing wave of these car-to-airplane machines are in various stages of development. One of the newest entries is a kit with the lowest projected price among the group; all others are fully built and carry larger price […]
‘We’ve got a plane for that!
SportairUSA, run by proprietor Bill Canino, has long been an innovator in the LSA business. His company doesn’t build airplanes, but Canino has triggered several interesting add-ons: He was one of the first (along with Flight Design USA) to install parachutes on all StingSports; he developed the GreenLine engine monitor system; he offered the Straight […]
Ask Paul: Are these spark plugs approved for my plane?
Q: Could you please help my pretty blonde wife and myself with our spark plug problem? We are desperate! Our mechanic is going to put the new fine wire plugs we just bought into our 1976 Cessna Cardinal RG, but we have conflicting information on the proper plug. We bought some SR83P plugs from a […]
Despite creative nicknames, the show must go on
The names flew around on the strangest beginning to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh since long before it acquired the three-name title EAA prefers these days. Known to legions of visitors and exhibitors as Oshkosh, the summer celebration of flight generated some new variations this year. I heard “Sploshkosh,” “Washkosh,” and “Sloshkosh,” and I’m sure more colorful […]
New LSA: Predator powered parachute
Another one managed to slip by my radar. I follow LSA closer than most, yet I can barely keep track of all the approvals. No wonder I frequently get calls asking me to unravel the puzzle of LSA makes and models. Better late than never, welcome the Predator powered parachute to our SLSA List of […]
Be specific when talking to the press
During a recent newspaper interview about the management of the local airport, the reporter stopped me and asked for clarification. “I’m sorry, “ he said, “What’s an FBO?” “FBO stands for Fixed Base Operator,” I answered. “The FBO is the primary business on most general aviation airports.” The reporter appeared curious, so I expanded on […]
Will Congress ever agree on an FAA reauthorization bill?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Since Sept. 30, 2007, the FAA has been operating under short-term reauthorization bills — and the Congress just rushed through a 15th temporary funding bill on the final day before starting its August recess. This latest extension runs until Sept. 30. The last time the House and Senate agreed on long-term reauthorization […]