The F4U Corsair was one of the best fighters to come out of World War II. Some claim it was the best. Marine Corps fighter squadrons such as Boyington’s “”Black Sheep Squadron,”” VMF-214, and the Navy’s VF-17, Blackburn’s “”Jolly Rogers,”” made the Corsair front-page news during World War II. Stories abound about its ruggedness and […]
Opinion
The rest of the story
I just received the Dec. 24 issue and was surprised and pleased to see your story on the Lockheed Orion “Shellightning.” Your mention of my book “Revolution in the Sky” was additionally generous and heartwarming. You might like to know that “Shellightning” is still in existence. l don’t have all the details, but I understand […]
Say again
I enjoyed reading Meg Godlewski’s article about Rob Drake and his instructor, Christy Helgeson (Say Again Rob: Deaf student pilot takes to the skies over Seattle, Dec. 24, 2004, issue). I’m deaf myself, but I have the benefit of a cochlear implant. When I got my third class medical in 2001, I was profoundly deaf […]
Can you have more power and reliability?
QUESTION: It seems that most automotive engines can be boosted in power to approximately one horsepower per cubic inch (obviously at the expense of reliability). Would it be possible to boost a Lycoming 720 engine to, say, 500 or 600 hp and be reliable enough to compete in a race such as the ones at […]
An inspiration
I wanted to thank you for Meg Godlewski’s article about Rob Drake and Christy Helgeson, which ran in the Christmas Eve issue. Thanks for showcasing the diversity of our aviation community. At the risk of sounding clichéd, it is an inspiration to read about Rob’s passion for flight, and how his circumstances aren’t getting in […]
Planes and parks can share space
n the Dec. 10, 2004, issue, Meg Godlewski noted that the city of Chicago’s director of planning and development had stated that “There are no parks where airstrips are a compatible use” (Can planes and parks share space?) In fact, an excellent example of such peaceful coexistence is the relationship between the city of Palo […]
Let’s Talk: What we have here is a failure to communicate
Aviation must learn to speak with one voice, writes Steve Bill Hanshew elsewhere in this issue of General Aviation News. It is a theme which we have tried to nurture in the past, with little to show for it. We still think it a good — indeed a vital — idea. Hanshew cites the National […]
Too many rules
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Do you ever get the feeling that there is an increasing number of rules and regulations for flying? I do, because here in Washington I am constantly exposed to what the FAA, Congress, NTSB, Homeland Security, and other agencies and departments are doing. I did some cursory research to see just how […]
Growing the next generation
I read the articles on youth in aviation in your Dec. 10 edition with interest. I especially enjoyed the five tips on being an ambassador from Mr. Larkins and his point that the education needs to be ongoing. In the 20 years I have been instructing I have flown with many young people on “intro […]