Remember the relief we felt within the aviation community back in 1998 when the state of Washington passed a law requiring all communities to develop zones to protect airports from encroachment by incompatible development? Here is a big red flag, folks. You had better check what your local governments have done, because we found that […]
Opinion
Confusion abounds on difference in rocker arms
I’m confused about the rocker arm differences on the O-360-A4K parallel valve cylinders because I know about the extreme heat that the exhaust valves endure. My question is why does the intake rocker arm #69444 have the extra oil hole that leads to the intake valve shaft to cool and lubricate it while the exhaust […]
LEGAL DEFENSE FUND CREATED FOR CFI
This is the case of a flight instructor, Paul Preziose, who is being sued by the owner of an Oregon skydiving operation. Over a long period of time, Mr. Preziose observed a pattern of rule infractions and threats to safety at the Hobby Field Airport in Creswell from the operations of the skydivers. Mr. Preziose […]
AN OPEN LETTER TO DIAMOND’S CHRISTIAN DRIES ABOUT THE D-JET
I recently read the Nov. 3, 2006 issue of General Aviation News with the article “In a class of its own” by Janice Wood about your D-JET. Although your statements in the article may be well targeted (as the D-Jet may be) at the less experienced, casual pilot who nevertheless wants to fly a jet, […]
It don’t come easy: A coveted ticket is hard earned
I did it. I finally obtained my Multiengine Commercial rating. If it is true that “getting there is half the fun,” then I had a whole lot of fun. My multiengine odyssey began just over two years ago, when I saved up $4,000 for the rating. The first challenge was finding an ME instructor. You […]
RETRO THINKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Re: A legend lives on: The Avro Arrow remains a source of national pride for Canadians in the Jan. 5 issue: Many of us in the United States were equally dismayed when the Northrop jet-powered flying wing bomber was scuttled in the same manner as the Avro Arrow. Several aircraft were completed and the production […]
SNAKES ON A PLANE
The article on page 6 in the Jan. 19 issue, Snakes on a Plane, got my attention. I don’t know of anybody who’d ever want to be in a cockpit with a snake — but me. During World War II, prior to going overseas to the ETO, I was flying P-39s during Texas Maneuvers. Somehow […]
Bush budget opens ‘Padora’s box’: As predicted, userfees and higher fuel taxes part of plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American airline industry is closer to getting what it wants — user fees for general aviation — now that President Bush’s budget officially calls for taxes and fees on users of air traffic control facilities, instead of the ticket tax on passengers and a fuel tax on general aviation. In the […]
IS CLOSURE A DONE DEAL?
Re: Bowerman Field on endangered airports list: Washington’s Port of Grays Harbor wants out of the airport game, in the Dec. 1 issue: I’ve been a user of Bowerman Field since 1978. When I started using KHQM it was a very well maintained field with a full service FBO, several rental aircraft, flight instruction, AP/IA […]