In Alaska, I would have to vote for the workhorse deHavilland Beaver: Hauling passengers, search dogs, fuel, equipment, ice, supplies, and supporting missions like search and rescue, medevac, recreation, flight-seeing, mining, logging, hunting, commercial fishing, and more. The Beaver has been the main plane in Alaska for half a century. The slightly more modern Cessna […]
CONFUSED? I DOUBT IT
I feel compelled to respond to the letter titled “Stephen Hawking Confused?” in the June 22 issue submitted by James F. Jackson from Carlisle, Ind. I got a good hearty chuckle from Mr. Jackson’s letter as he attempted to explain to us all how the “Zero-G” 727 simulates zero gravity. I had to think for a […]
A (really) Young Eagle
How early is too early to get your kids into aviation? The Webb family of Appleton, Wis., thought it was about time that the youngest, 9-month-old Cheslee, learn what EAA AirVenture and the Young Eagles program was all about. Note the placement of the “Young Eagle” button on her shirt. Kirk Webb, the proud papa, […]
When should I achieve highest RPM?
I own a 1962 Piper Colt with a O-235-C1B engine. My operator manual says that I should have 115 hp at 2800 RPM. At what point would I achieve highest RPM? On takeoff? Level flight at full throttle? I never see that high of RPM even in level flight at full throttle. On takeoff, I […]
Can I use an SAE 60 oil?
Dan Mooney, who has several round engine aircraft and a Skybolt with a Lycoming IO360A1B engine, has a question: Can he use oil from a drum of Phillips 25W-60 that he has for his round engines in his Skybolt? He concludes with, “”It gets pretty hot around Tulsa, Okla., in the summer.”” Dan Mooney, who […]
Delaware’s private airports scrutinized: Fatal accident draws attention of state regulators
Two years after an airplane struck a passing sport utility vehicle while landing at a private airstrip near Georgetown, Delaware, state officials have begun to scrutinize the state’s non-public airfields. The accident killed a man and his daughter, who were driving past the runway’s end at the time. The threshold is only about 18 feet […]
Sometime Senate GA boosters now call for user fees
Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), and Trent Lott (R-Miss.), both long-time supporters of general aviation, now say they are determined that GA will pay more in fees to support modernization of the air traffic control system. During recent Senate Finance Committee hearings on the FAA reauthorization bill, Rockefeller threatened to restrict GA access to congested […]
Eclipse flies single-engine Concept Jet to Oshkosh
Eclipse Aviation pulled off the most dramatic surprise at this year’s EAA AirVenture, introducing its v-tail, single-engine Concept Jet which, until that moment, had been a carefully-guarded secret. As the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Peg Bilson, introduced the Concept, a curtain dropped revealing a cloud of mist, flashing lights and a mockup. The press corps […]
A little off the top, please: San Diego developer told to reduce height of building near airport
A Southern California development company has until Aug. 25 to reduce the height of a newly constructed building near Montgomery Field Airport (MYF) in San Diego. On June 22 San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders issued a stop-work order to Sunroad Enterprises to remove the top 20 feet of the building — or two floors — […]