To Charles Spence, Capital Comments: I read with interest your ongoing articles concerning user fees. Perhaps I am missing something, but it seems to me that Congress is trying to fix something that’s not broken.If the FAA indeed needs more operating capital, why not very simply add a few cents to each gallon of fuel […]
Opinion
A better use for Horace Williams airport land?
I know your aviation lobbyist group is based in Washington State and therefore has little direct staff knowledge about the UNC Horace Williams Airport (IGX) situation in the Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill area of North Carolina as you continue to rally to your members. However, you should at least know that the safety systems at […]
Is it a sticking valve? An induction leak?
QUESTION: I have a 1993 Glasair experimental that has a standard Lycoming 180 hp IO-360A1B (fuel injected). Some months ago, my #2 EGT suddenly started to climb to about 1480° in cruise and at altitude. The other cylinders stayed the same and have never changed. I tried all different power settings and still no change. […]
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 […]
It’s Sprint… and a fine day to fly
Standing in front of our hangar, I can see the whole world — or at least my little portion of it. As late afternoon gives way to early evening, it is a good place to be. The March sun is bold, portending the summer yet to come. But instead of wearying heat, her warmth is […]
More on the Sport Pilot Medical
In reply to Bob Mackey’s letter and the others which claimed I missed the point in my initial letter (Could medical kill Sport Pilot, Dec. 2, 2005, issue): You apparently didn’t read the original article (Pilots still frustrated by Sport Pilot medical, Oct. 21, 2005, issue). The intent of the original article was clearly to […]
Time for FAA to end all hope?
John “JT” Helms clarified his point very well and his concern for rising insurance premiums is mine as well. And I think we can agree that insuring Sport Pilot pilots is a can of worms that will sort itself out as a history of insurance claims develops. If John’s point of view is the basis […]
‘Black Cat’
Every picture has a story behind it and this one is no exception. In fact, it has more than one story. “”Black Cat”” by William Phillips is one of 10 paintings the artist did for the United States Postal Service for a series of stamps that depict “”American Advances in Aviation.”” A series of stamps […]
On ‘Chemtrail’ and other irrationalities, including NORAD’s
If you’ve never heard of chemtrails, don’t feel badly. I thought I’d heard most of the nutty notions affecting aviation, until a friend suggested running a Google search on chemtrails. Try it. You’ll be astonished by the concept, to begin with, and the enormous number of pages devoted to it. In sum, chemtrails enthusiasts say […]