Mr. Helms raises a valid and timely issue in his recent letter regarding the self-certification aspect of Sport Pilot medicals (Could medical kill Sport Pilot? Dec. 2 issue). I plan to keep flying my Comanche for some time yet, but like many older pilots, have considered switching to Sport Pilot somewhere down the road if […]
Opinion
Give me a break
In reference to the article Cub vs. Cub (Dec. 2 issue), is CubCrafters serious? How about if the producers of TOP tobacco decide that CubCrafters is infringing on their good name? Give me a break CubCrafters. The words legend, cub and yellow are all in the dictionary! This lawsuit has nothing to do with infringement, just […]
Where are the warbirds?
Someone recently told me that there are only 15 B-17s that are considered flyable today and less than three dozen more that are either on static display or are restorable derelicts. Can you imagine what an impressive sight it would be to see a formation of 12 to 15 B-17s fly by? However impressive such […]
The wonders of modern science
Until recent times, pilots often wondered – and discussed at length – how flies land on ceilings. Do they do a half-roll first? A reversed split-s? Half of an inside loop? A few years ago, high-speed cameras finally taught us how the maneuver is done: Flies approach the ceiling in a shallow climb, contact it […]
A debt of gratitude
To me, all airplane restoration projects are astounding. The artisans and craftsman and those who are “self taught” accomplish great works of art. However, reading the story and looking at the pictures of before, and almost completed after, of the Halifax Bomber restoration, in my opinion, makes it akin to a miracle (Work continues to bring […]
It’s not what you know, but who you know
Relationships can make a difference on Capitol Hill WASHINGTON, D.C. — For persons representing general aviation before members of Congress, it is pleasant when the chair of the committee, or a few members of it, are knowledgeable about aviation. It is even more enjoyable when the person testifying is known personally by members of the […]
Is a teardown warranted?
QUESTION: Thanks for your great column. It is wonderful having a resource like yourself. My question is regarding an intercooled TIO-540-S1A installed in an Aerostar 601P. The right engine MAP has been rapidly increasing past the 29.5″” limit. This has happened on takeoff as well as in cruise. In each instance the power has been […]
Third class medical is no parachute
I too am an editor. I edit and produce a newsletter and a web page for our local EAA Chapter. I must respond to the letter from John “JT” Helms in the Dec. 2 issue (Could medical kill Sport Pilot?). He is a branch manager of an insurance agency, a for-profit organization. There is nothing […]
A grand dame
Death is a natural process. While hard for some to accept, it is the inevitability that every living thing must face. Death can take many forms. Quick and sudden or long and lingering, for some it is a tragic force to be denied and cursed. For others, it is a blessed, quiet journey into that […]