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 […]
Opinion
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 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 […]
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 […]
Pushed over the edge
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to a column written by Joel Elman in the November issue titled “The eye of the camera.” After reading this article several times, I tried to figure out how something like this could have been deemed worthy of being published. This article was not informative, factual, […]
What is the shelf life of avgas?
The short answer is that, under most conditions, the shelf life of avgas is about one year. If you are a commercial operator, this is the end of the discussion.
A powerful decision
By PETER M. BOWERS. This is a classic Of Wings & Things from the 1980s. GAN will continue to run the late Mr. Bowers’ column for the enjoyment of his readers. One of the major decisions for any airplane designer is powerplant. Sometimes the choice is made for the designer when the customer who ordered […]