I am writing in response to the letter from John Townsley in the May 4 edition (Tough pilots, tough planes, tough flying). John’s letter disputes a comment in your article on the Museum of Mountain Flying (Tough planes, tough pilots, tough flying: Montana Mountain Flying Museum showcases the best of aviation in the Big Sky […]
TOP 10 FLYING MOVIES
Yuk, not “Top Gun” (“Top Gun” takes top honors, but is it really the greatest aviation movie of all time? May 18 issue). Here’s my list of flying films that often get overlooked in top 10 lists; some have nutritional value, some are amazing only because they are in color, and some have pretty interesting […]
Why airplanes are better than women
You may have heard the jokes about “Why airplanes are better than women.” George Artigas from Pembroke Pines, Fla., has a shirt that outlines the argument and what better place to wear it than at an air show like Sun ‘n Fun? According to Artigas, the shirt does generate chuckles from some people, but caused […]
Whale of a ride
Who would be willing to pay $84,000 for an airplane trip from Chicago to Tacoma, Wash.? The folks at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma would, when the passenger is a beluga whale calf. The whale was flown aboard a chartered Air Force DC-8. “The animal was in a cradle made of fiberglass and reinforced […]
FAA moves to consolidate air traffic control facilities: But faces opposition from controllers, elected officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Should air traffic control facilities be consolidated? The FAA thinks so, but the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) says it is dangerous the way the FAA is doing it — and therein lies another struggle. NATCA says it is not opposed to consolidation “”where it makes sense.”” The FAA’s approach, declares […]
How can I fine-tune idle mixture?
How about a discussion of the scalloped wheel on the injector pump for an IO540-C4B5 engine? My engine will “”load up”” at idle and I have to run the rpm up to about 1,200 quite often during taxi. Also the engine will “”talk to you”” on final with the throttle closed. I have tried the […]
Unleaded avgas: You’d have to be insane to try to develop it
I received numerous comments about my recent article on the bonehead editorial in another magazine that called for the removal of brain-dumbing lead from avgas (Misguided public opinion could end avgas, April 20 issue). One of the notes was from a Dr. Lyons concerning the futility of trying to replace leaded avgas. He also pointed […]
June 2005 Accident Report
The inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance, which resulted in controlled flight into the terrain. Contributing factors were the pilots’ delayed decision to reverse course, and the low clouds, which obscured the rising terrain.
“The Greatest Airplane Ever”: It’s a matter of opinion, but three stand out
When we asked our readers to name The Greatest Airplane Ever, we expected – and got – a wide variety of opinions. What fascinated us, though, was the consistency more than the variety. The DC-3 and its C-47 military variant won, but not by much, followed very closely by the Piper Cub and the Wright […]