Country singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has been named an honorary co-chairman of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) charitable circle, the Hat in The Ring Society. The country singer, who earned his private pilot’s license at the age of 19, speaks often about how flying has made his busy schedule more flexible. “My fans know that […]
Sporty’s Skyhawk model available
Now available is a die-cast model fashioned after Sporty’s flightline Skyhawk. This 1:72 scale die-cast replica features detailed printed graphics, realistic landing gear, see-through cockpit, and a rotating propeller, according to Sporty’s officials. An included display stand lets you customize the flight configuration. Officially licensed by Cessna, this model measures 4 inches long with a 6-inch […]
Valve spring compression tool for Continental engines introduced
Aerotools Manufacturing has introduced a valve spring compression tool for Continental C65/C75/C85/O-200/O-300 engines. The C-01 dual action valve spring compression tool was developed to ease removal and installation of Continental engine cylinder rocker arms, rocker arm shaft and valves, valve springs and stem clips, according to company officials. The C-01 is attached to the top […]
VFR into IFR kills two
The private pilot had logged 175.7 hours, including18.1 hours in the Cessna 182 prior to the crash. He obtained an abbreviated weather briefing, filed an IFR flight plan and took off on a cross-country flight to Fredericksburg, Texas. The pilot was accompanied by his wife. The purpose of the flight was to celebrate their wedding […]
‘Direct To’ Podcast Looks for Lift Factories
Did you know there are factories that produce lift? The Boldmethod team took a trip looking for them in the mountains of Colorado. And believe it or not, they found them. In Boldmethod’s third podcast episode of Direct To, Aleks Udris and Colin Cutler wanted to learn more about the world of non-powered flight. So […]
Picture of the day: An eyeful
Paula Schultz sent in this photo, explaining, “two onlookers get an eyeful of a Fairchild PT-26 at the recent Open House at the Chico Air Museum, Chico, Calif.”
Why worry about knock in an aircraft engine?
My last several columns have been on the relationship between knock and unleaded fuels in aircraft engines. I have received several questions from people who have experienced knock in their car engines, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. They note that knock didn’t harm their auto engines, so why am I worried about a little knock […]
FlightSimCon prepares for takeoff
FlightSimCon 2015 is just two weeks away.! The annual aviation and flight simulation conference takes place June 13-14 at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. There are more than 40 sponsors and exhibitors of the event, including Sennheiser Aviation, Daniel Webster College, and Edustation. All of the largest flight simulation developers will be […]
FAA to study pilot fitness
The FAA is working with the commercial aviation and medical communities to study the emotional and mental health of U.S. commercial pilots. The joint FAA and industry group known as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) recommended the study based on the recent Malaysia Flight 370 and Germanwings Flight 9525 accidents. The Pilot Fitness Aviation […]