Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: I saw your recent column, “Should I pre-oil these Lycoming engines?,” and I was wondering does CamGuard help? Cold oil doesn’t splash very well, so how about pre-heating the engine and oil?
Opinion
STC vs ASTM: What’s best for unleaded fuels?
There is some confusion as to how the ASTM process compares to Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the unleaded fuels that will replace 100LL. Some people even think that they are basically the same. In reality they are very different and most of that difference goes back to our old friend liability.
Family brings the future into reality
The Wright brothers did the impossible, which then became the improbable. Eventually transitioning into the realm of the mundane with flights being so common, safe, and affordable that virtually everyone you or I know has flown. That wasn’t true when I was a kid. It was absolute fantasy when Orville was a child.
Questions from the Cockpit: What’s up with pilots who keep busting TFRs?
Randy, a commercial pilot in Massachusetts, writes: What’s up with these morons who keep busting Presidential TFRs? It seems like I read about this happening way too often. And then it always gets played up in the general media and it makes the rest of us pilots look bad!
A tale of two towers
Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland has two towers: A modern one that keeps things flowing safely at the airport. The old tower has been transformed into a restaurant that captures the history of the airport.
Should I pre-oil these Lycoming engines?
My guess is that you want to eliminate any possibility of internal lack of lubrication during engine start-up. As I mentioned previously, since the cam and tappet area are only served by splash oil, if you really want to focus on that area and keeping it in the best of health, here are a few suggestions.
Red Hawk joins long history of jet trainers
The family tree of long-term dedicated two-seat jet trainers in the Air Force has been a story of success evidenced by the decades of training service the T-33, T-37, and T-38 provided.
Human Factors: Feeling trapped
If you are flying with someone else, allowing yourself to be swayed outside your comfort zone is a trap. That’s the lesson from this 2021 accident that claimed the life of the pilot in the lead airplane.
Once is not enough
In aviation, as in all fields that require a commitment to lifelong learning, it’s wise to repeat the lesson. To share best practices. To reiterate the rules. To pass along lessons learned over a period of time that support and encourage the safety of flight.