George, a commercial pilot in Iowa, writes: In a recent column about the history of flight training, you said that while flight training hasn’t changed much over time, systems have become more complex. Don’t we really still have the same systems? Other than instruments, aren’t airplanes pretty much the same? We have powerplant, fuel, electrical, pitot-static systems…”
Opinion
Rare Photos Reveal Secret Wartime Project with Lycoming Roots
A General Aviation News reader shares rare photos from 1944, seeking help from engines expert Paul McBride to identify a mystery radial engine tied to a forgotten, wartime aircraft factory project in interior China. Can you help solve the mystery?
Human Factors: Higher and Heavier than Calculated
What can we learn about density altitude and its affect on airplane performance from this June 2024 accident?
MOSAIC Regulations: How the Aviation Sausage Is Made
Discover how industry volunteers are shaping the future of light aircraft under the FAA’s MOSAIC rules, filling critical gaps.
The Value Of An Hour
Some pilots have 1,000 hours of experience. Some pilots have one hour of experience repeated 1,000 times. I’ve heard this claim throughout my career in general aviation. But is it true?
A Slightly Bigger Picture
Fuel price trends over time add a great deal of clarity to the marketplace.
Maintenance For Thee, Not So Much For Me
Over time, as our weight creeps upward, our resting heart rate climbs, our vital numbers head in the wrong direction little by little, we are playing a dangerous game of chance. For many, our airplanes will outlast us. And there’s little wonder as to why that is. We lavish more care on the aircraft than we do ourselves.
Four Down, 608 to Go
The FAA’s new Modern Skies tracker reveals critical delays in the radar upgrade project.
The Fokker Scourge
With panache, the British press coined the term Fokker Scourge to characterize the era when the Eindeckers were the only warplanes fitted with a synchronizer to enable the fighter’s machine gun to fire through the propeller arc. This revolutionized air-to-air combat.