QUESTION: I just read your article on the history of the 0-320-H2AD engine (What engines should I avoid, Dec. 24, 2004, issue). I have had three Skyhawks with the later engine (two 1977s and one 1979) and have had no problems with TBO — all went well past 2,000 hours. My question is about power. […]
Opinion
What’s a billion here or there?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If you live the average life span, from the moment you are born until your death your heart will beat a little more than 2 billion times. Many years ago when I worked for a newspaper, I drew a caricature of one of the columnists. He liked it and used it to […]
Teaching the next generation
Recently I witnessed an exchange between father and teenage daughter. The daughter, a student in the inaugural class of Seattle’s Aviation High School, was begging her father to let her start her flight training now. She is 14. “No, not until you’re older,” he said. “I don’t want to spend all that money and have […]
‘Lindbergh’s Secret’
The Lockheed P-38 was one of the legendary fighters of World War II. Crowds are still thrilled when one flies by. The 475th Fighter Group, with 552 victories, was the top P-38 fighter group in the Second World War. America’s second highest scoring ace, with 38 victories, was Major Thomas McGuire, who flew the Lockheed […]
Double take
While I realize the Accident Reports are published as an educational tool, I did a double take when reading about the accident involving the Cessna 182 in Hatton, N.D. (May 6 issue). The contributing factor to the probable cause was listed “delayed remedial action by the flight instructor and the tree” (emphasis added). Ronald R. Redpath […]
Sport Pilot insurance is available to schools
Is sport pilot training insurable for commercial flight schools? Yes! (However there are some long-standing parameters.) This letter is in response to a recent letter regarding the insurability of flight schools conducting flight training for new sport pilots (Are commercial flight schools uninsurable? May 20 issue). First off, I could not agree more with the […]
Get your medical back after a heart attack
In January, a 66-year-old airline transport rated pilot went to the ER for chest pain. He was evaluated for a myocardial infarction (heart attack). The enzymes that we do when people enter the ER were negative for heart damage and his EKG was within normal range. However, his chest pain persisted. He stayed overnight in […]
Peak oil
A phrase that is becoming more publicly accepted every day is “Peak Oil,” meaning the time when production of oil will no longer exceed or keep up with consumption. Propaganda is telling us that we will have to buy cheaper running cars, cleaner burning diesel trucks, insulate our homes better, ride bicycles, cut back on “non-essential uses,” etc. I […]
What the NRA stands for
I would like to reply to a letter written by Lohren Applegate pertaining to the comment he made about the National Rifle Association in the Feb. 25 edition (Don’t bond GA with the NRA). The NRA is probably the most patriotic organization in the country and believes in the Constitution and the Second Amendment. Contrary […]