When I was a small boy, if a schoolmate made a statement with which another disagreed, the accepted rejoinder was “Prove it!” Later on, having discovered an interest in science, I learned that this is an appropriate response to any theory. “Prove it.” Today, however, theories abound, proofs are as scarce as hens’ teeth, and […]
Opinion
Race in on to convince lawmakers about how to fund the FAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — One thing about Washington politics: It is believed that if something is said often enough, it is going to be believed — that is, unless someone or something also says the opposite often enough. Take funding of the Federal Aviation Administration for instance. Like Chicken Little running around screaming that “”the sky […]
Vertical engines for kit-built heilcopters
I have been traveling and was way behind in my reading. I saw your comments regarding a vertical piston engine for a homebuilt helicoper (Ask Paul: What’s the best engine for a kit-built helicopter? March 10 issue). The Brantly used the V0-360 with a carb for the model B-2 and B-2A. I owned the TC […]
Drawings could revitalize GA
GAN could sell more issues than it could print! The thousands of model builders would subscribe if you would publish three-view drawings of all popular personal airplanes as you just did on the cover of the April 7 issue. You could add to those all owners who would like to plan their own T-hangars as […]
Sikorsky’s S-38: The Beauty and the Beast
Dave Paulley, who is known for Western art as well as aviation art, has an affinity for stories of the Golden Era of aviation – the late 1920s and 1930s. One of his favorite subjects is seaplanes because of their artistic beauty and the adventuresome stories they have to tell. One plane in particular, the […]
A simple solution to FAA’s funding woes
I continue to be astonished by what appears to be the inability of both the FAA and those now debating its funding sources to perceive a blinding flash of the obvious that surrounds the passenger excise tax issue. The portion of FAA income that does not originate from general fund revenues contributed by all income […]
How Sun ‘n Fun saved a life
For Lewis Long, volunteering at Sun ‘n Fun has been a life-changing experience. The formerly homeless man, who kicked around most of the country before settling in Lakeland, Fla., has been volunteering for six years now. The first year he volunteered for just two days, but he was “hooked” right away. “I felt for the […]
Today’s problems have been decades in the making
WASHINGTON, D.C. — One problem of being around an industry for a long time is that you remember what the worries were then and what was or was not done about them. Take airports and air traffic control, for instance. About 45 years ago, general aviation manufacturers were a part of the Washington-based Aerospace Industries […]
Special meaning
Thank you and Larry Bledsoe for the Art Report in the March 24 issue (Black Cat gets stamp of approval). I was in the 466th Bomb Group in England when the B-24 “Black Cat” was lost, so this article by Larry Bledsoe has a special meaning to me. Jim Walston via email