There is a learning curve that must take place when you go from being an aircraft owner to a renter. A number of my clients are learning this. Some of them are between airplanes. Others decided that it is a better financial decision to rent airplanes than to own them at this time. They all […]
Opinion
TURNED DOWN
The article on older aircraft getting turned down for service is timely. This morning KCAC — Kansas City Aircraft out of OJC in Olathe, Kan., turned me down. We needed an inspection on our 1977 Navajo. PHILLIP BUTTRAM via email Editor’s note: We talked with Tom Conley, who told us that we must contact KCAC […]
Use fees get cold shoulder from lawmakers: Speculation already exists that reauthorization bill won’t be ready by deadline
WASHINGTON, D.C. — “”My intention is to give it a decent burial.”” With those words, Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) closed his opening comments at a House Subcommittee hearing into reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Oberstar’s comment referred to the administration’s, FAA’s, and airline industry’s efforts to establish user fees for general aviation. The House […]
Can we convert from dual mag drive to separate drives?
Can we convert a Lycoming O-540-J3A5D from dual mag drive to separate drives? Can it be done on a 1980 Dakota 236? Our club, The Flying 20 Club of Danbury, Conn., has three planes, a Dakota and two Archers. Recently,during the overhaul of one of our Archers, N8198P, we had the plane equipped with the […]
DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF PAUL REVERE’S HORSE?
Re: Tom Norton’s article on Charles L. Lawrance, (Paul Revere’s horse: Charlie Lawrance and his engine that changed aviation, Jan. 19 issue), the name of Paul Revere’s horse was Brown Beauty. I know this because I was once asked in my capacity as executive director of the Lexington, Mass., Historical Society. A gentleman from New […]
YOU DON’T WANT TO FLY FOR THE AIRLINES?
Nice article by Meg Godlewski in the Feb. 2 issue titled “What’s your motivation?” I was a 20-year Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk pilot and I loved every minute of it, including Vietnam. When I retired in 1990, I went looking for a second career. Every time I found a flying opportunity, I saw it as […]
User fees: it’s time to get into this fight
If you don’t think user fees are the most serious among current threats to general aviation, listen to Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo). His wry comment was that the plan would give us the “safer skies” the airlines keep talking about, but only “because it would rid the skies of general aviation aircraft.” I agree. Graves […]
What will Congress do about use fees? First hearing setsbattle lines between GA and airlines
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Opening salvos in the FAA reauthorization/user fee battle were fired March 8 in the Senate Aviation Subcommittee and it quickly became clear the coming months will see aggressive actions by all sides in the controversy. This first hearing brought out the expected supporters and opponents of the administration’s proposals, plus a few […]
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 […]

