Steve Hawley submitted this photo and note: “I built this Thorp T-18 and have been flying it now for 47 years. It will cruise 200 mph but I laugh and tell the curious that at that speed I really don’t go any faster, just land more often and pump more gas in it. My normal cruise is 175 at 2,250 rpm. Very economical. Just finished installing two SureFlight electronic ignition modules. Looking forward to a warm spring!”
An Everyday “Oops” Destroys a Mooney
What can we learn from a pilot who experienced a fire from a battery in his portable ADS-B unit?
Something To Brag About
The 68th annual Cactus Fly-In at Casa Grande Municipal Airport in Arizona was “blessed” with spectacular weather, according to organizers.
FAA Recognizes Aircraft Electronics Technician Certification
The AEA petitioned the FAA to recognize the CAET certification as an acceptable means of compliance to the formal education option as listed in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) section 65.101(a)(5)(ii).
Electric Fuel Transfer Pump for Vintage Aircraft Introduced
Alpha Aviation has introduced an FAA-PMA Electric Fuel Transfer Pump designed to replace original pumps in vintage Grumman and Piper aircraft.
Delayed Use of Carb Heat Leads to Accident That Seriously Injures Pilot
Probable Cause: The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat which resulted in the loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Picture of the Day: A Blast From The Past
Marty Harris submitted this photo and note: “Flying down the corridor past Meigs Field in my Cessna 170 before they closed the airport in 2003.”
Looking for Loopholes? Your Engine Doesn’t Care About the Regs
Too often we might be inclined to find the exact term that’s missing. Some of us might interpret that to mean there is no rule that requires us to do the smart thing, the logical thing, the thing any sentient being with the will to survive knows is necessary. But we found a loophole: We don’t have to because the rule doesn’t say so. This is what is known in scientific and technological circles as dumb.
Sonex Shutters Doors
The decision to close the company doors “effective immediately” was “necessitated by a severe drop-off in sales and our bank’s unwillingness to carry-forward our debts given some unprofitable years,” according to owner Mark Schaible.