SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Ever since steam gauges gave way to glass screens, the players in the avionics game have changed. Analog instruments were made by many companies and became such commodities that you may not be able to name a brand. But as computers entered our cockpits, first via GPS and later with multi-function […]
Opinion
Which cylinder is where?
Let’s make this simpler by always viewing the engine from the pilot’s seat whenever we discuss the positioning of anything forward of the firewall. On the majority of Lycoming engines, the number 1 cylinder is the right front cylinder when viewed from the pilot’s seat.
What’s in a name?
In the beginning was the word, and the world was Flyer — Wright Flyer, that is. When one creates a new product and starts to sell it, the product needs a name. Before the Wrights began to build airplanes, they were the manufacturers of bicycles. Among the names of their bicycle products was the “Wright […]
AirVenture boosts LSA spirits and sales
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON In 2009 we’ve heard the surprising success of what many call “air shows” — those events where the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds and others perform over a weekend. Attendance has been very strong despite (or perhaps because of) the troubled economy. As it turns out, the success of those shows is […]
Negotiations underway to increase airspace
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA and the U.S. Air Force are trying to find ways for more civilian flights to use airspace now off limits because of military operations. This has been done in the past and the two are now trying to agree on ways to make it permanent. It is hoped a permanent […]
Endless Summer
SHORT FINAL By DEB McFARLAND Summer officially commands three months on the calendar, but according to Keely’s school calendar, summer only lasts eight weeks, hardly enough time for mind and body to slip gently into summer’s languid rhythms. This year, I can hardly conjure those memories of simple summer pleasures such as swimming in a […]
FAA unveils Hudson River changes
The FAA has moved quickly to announce proposed changes to the Hudson River corridor following the Aug. 8 collision between an aircraft and a tour helicopter, going beyond the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations. The proposed changes followed a report of the New York Airspace Task Force, chartered Aug. 14. The group’s work was conducted […]
American aircraft in the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War, which began in July 1936, was the most significant of the conflicts that foreshadowed World War II. The war forced the world to take sides. Russia contributed military assistance to the cause of the newly elected Republican government, while Germany and Italy backed the Fascist rebels, followers of Generalissimo Franco, who […]
Tips to reduce spark plug fouling
Q: In my pilot club meeting last month, a pilot complained of spark plug fouling before takeoff in our Grumman Cheetah with 150-hp Lycoming. I suggested that after starting the engine, and before taxiing, she lean the mixture, keep it lean while taxiing and put on full rich for run-up. However, if there is a […]