General Aviation News

For oils, it’s all about the chemistry

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Just about every month I get several questions concerning the difference between aviation and automotive engine oils. This month I received a question about using Aeroshell 2F in a vintage automobile and the ever popular question about why one should not use automotive or heavy duty engine oil in their aircraft engine.

The answers always go back to the chemistry of the oils. Automotive and heavy duty oils all contain ash or metallic additives and aviation piston engine oils are all ash less. [Read more…]

Desert Jet Center creates Benoit Memorial Scholarship

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THERMAL, Calif. – Desert Jet Center has created the John J. Benoit Memorial Scholarship to honor the legacy of the Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor who passed away in December 2016 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

The scholarship commits some $10,000 to local youth in the Riverside County area who desire to pursue a career in aviation. [Read more…]

Air racing: An unexpected open house

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Dispatch from KABI, Abilene, Texas: I’m perched on the left wingwalk, leaning into the open cockpit. My shirttails keep coming untucked, and I’m praying that the waistline of my pants is high enough that I won’t be mistaken for a plumber, instead of an air racer.

I point to the instrument panel, “This one tells me how fast I’m going through the air, and this one tells me how fast I’m going up or down. This one here tells me what direction I’m going. This is the throttle, I use it to make the plane go faster or slower. Any questions?”

The 7-year-old boy looks up at me with big brown eyes and asks, “Where are the machine guns?”

No one’s ever asked that before. [Read more…]