After 28 years of air show performances, Schwan Food Co.’s Red Baron Pizza Squadron is retiring. A “refocusing” in marketing strategy at the company led to the squadron’s grounding, according to Bill McCormack, executive vice president. “The Red Baron Squadron has been an incredible asset to our company,” he said. “The retail grocery industry has […]
Expect big battles in Congress next year: User fees, runway safety and overworked controllers just the beginning of the conflicts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democrats in Congress recently attacked the FAA over runway incursions and air traffic controller conditions — and were immediately rebutted by the FAA and a Republican member of the aviation committee, an indication there will be strong conflicts next year. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, […]
There are no stupid questions… Just unusual ones that, unfortunately, don’t have the desired answer
This seems like a stupid question but I’m going to ask anyway. Did Lycoming ever have a service kit to put hydraulic lifters into the O-235? I’ve got a group of owners in a 152 Cessna who seem likely to trade back and forth on the oil changes and forget the valve lash check. They’re […]
Own a certified airplane? Just say no to ethanol
In my Nov. 23 column, “”What effect does ethanol have on airplanes?””, I tried to answer the question of what to do if you end up accidentally getting some auto gas that contains ethanol in your airplane. I had intended this to be information for people who tried to use non-ethanol containing auto gas, but […]
December 2005 Accident Reports
The pilot’s failure to maintain Vmc (velocity minimum control) on initial climb, resulting in a loss of control.
Epps family celebrates a century of flight
This year the state of Georgia is celebrating its centennial of powered flight. Celebrating along with the rest of the state is the Epps family, for it was Ben Epps who started it all and his descendents have played major roles in Georgia aviation from that day to this. In 1907, only four years after […]
Spirit of Flight Center lands at EIK: After a three-year search, museum finds an airport home
The problem with having an aviation museum that isn’t at an airport is that you miss a major chunk of your target audience — pilots. The folks at Spirit of Flight Center in Lafayette, Colo., are hoping that their museum’s new location at Erie Municipal Airport (EIK) near Denver will help attract more visitors — […]
P-38 found on the beach: Recovery efforts expected next year at secret site
Can you imagine walking down a beach and literally stumbling across a World War II airplane? That’s what happened to someone in Wales last summer, when shifting sands exposed a Lockheed P-38 that had been on the beach since it crashed there in 1942. The airplane is largely intact and does not have much corrosion, […]
Randy’s Red Rocker: Want attention on the ramp? Start with candy apple red paint, then add a flaming skull or two for accents
There is something about a red airplane. It can be sitting perfectly motionless but it will catch your eye. Randy Pflanzer, from Indianapolis, agrees. He says he gets a lot of attention when people see his candy apple red F-1 Rocket. “It took me about two years to build and I have been flying it […]