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 […]
Opinion
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 […]
Get the word out
I’m a GA mechanic in southeastern Ohio and I work for an outfit that owns two PA-28-181 Archer IIIs, a 1995 model and a 1996 model. Both are equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4M and a 10-5193 carburetor. The most recent revision to the TCDS 2A13 shows a specific requirement for a 10-6102 carburetor for that […]
Sport Pilot Safe Pilot
In the Letters to the Editor in the Dec. 10 issue, Brian Sheets of Beaverton, Ore., presents his grave concerns about the potential disaster that will befall all of us after people have availed themselves of the advantages of the Sport Pilot Rule (Sport Pilot: A disaster waiting to happen). On the other hand, I […]
Less than a warm welcome
I too, like Brian Sheets, have less than a “warm welcome” for the Sport Pilot certificate. I believe that when you have three government agencies, DOT, OMB and the FAA, very seldom does anything good come of it. Sport Pilot is an example of government at its finest. Take something simple and make it complicated. […]