SHORT FINAL By DEB McFARLAND It’s 5:30 a.m. and I have supper cooked. Soup beans, corn on the cob and cornbread. Directly, I will wake my young sleeping beauty, who has a vacation day from school. She will be shocked that there are towels waiting to be folded, a dishwasher that needs unloading and clothes […]
Opinion
Movie review: “Amelia”
With all the hype surrounding the new movie “Amelia,” I was prepared to encounter another aviation biopic that slaughtered the main character and violated the Laws of Physics when it came to aviation and what airplanes can actually do in the air. I am pleased to say that the Laws of Physics remained intact, but I […]
Heavy topic for Light Sport Aviation: Safety
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON While I prefer to blog about new aircraft, LSA safety is a worthy topic. Here’s the quick summary: While every loss is tragic to family and friends, LSA fatalities are not bad. Now some detail: According to FAA records in the four-year period from August 2005 to June 2009, Special LSAS […]
What is the procedure for a hot engine start?
Q: I have a Grumman Yankee Model AA-1 with a Lycoming O-235L 108-hp engine. What is the procedure for a “hot engine” start? When I shut down the engine, I run it lean at 1,800 rpm for about 10 seconds before I pull the mixture. Then, when the engine is cold, it starts right away. […]
On our side
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Aviation Subcommittee has a new vice chairman who is knowledgeable about aviation and from a state with a history of recognizing the importance of general aviation airports: Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio). From 1994 to 1998 Boccieri was in the U.S. Air Force flying C-130 Hercules aircraft. Now a major in […]
Continental sends mixed messages on unleaded fuels
Teledyne Continental Motors has done a number of tests with unleaded gasoline that is supposed to be made to the ASTM spec for 94 UL avgas. There have been several PR releases about these tests, including a report at EAA.org Apparently the tests are a complete success and Continental is ready to certify all of […]
Is there a better name than general aviation?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but will flying by any name be as accepted and successful? At a recent House Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the progress of the NextGen air traffic management system, members of the subcommittee, as well as people testifying, continually referred to “business flying” […]
Ethanol & Aircraft – a perspective from 1935
The pros and cons of using ethanol blends in light aircraft may seem like a new issue, but this article that appeared in the June 1935 issue of “Popular Aviation” expresses many of the same concerns shared by your bloggers. While we are not categorically in opposition to ethanol’s use as an aviation fuel, its […]
Jenny’s siblings
The Curtiss Jenny, particularly the JN-4, is one of America’s most famous airplanes. Jenny was ubiquitous — everybody had a Jenny, along with bailing wire, a five-gallon gas can and the grease gun needed to keep her going. The Jenny, with all its struts, wires and fittings, was referred to as “a bunch of parts […]