In your Dec. 1 issue Thomas Norton had a brief article, “FAA warns ‘mogas’ users about ethanol.” I was glad to see an article informing readers about the growing usage of ethanol in auto fuel and how it will violate the STC allowing its use. However, Mr. Norton was in error when he stated that […]
Bill Lear and surplus WWII aircraft-what’s the connection?
Finding the real story behind a specific work of art often can be as satisfying as a good mystery thriller, especially when seemingly unrelated events leads one to the image being depicted. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but there I was talking on the phone to William P. Lear Jr. During the conversation […]
The ‘other’ flying brothers
The Wright brothers acknowledged the contributions of Otto Lilienthal (right) and his glider experiments in helping them achieve the first powered flight. Rarely do history books recognize that much of Lilienthal’s work was done with the aid of his brother, Gustav. In the 1860s the Lilienthal brothers endured jibes from their contemporaries as they experimented […]
What’s the big deal?
Some of the witnesses to the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight didn’t understand why the brothers were so excited by the event, noting they had traveled much farther than 120 feet in gliders. It took a bit of time to explain that the Dec. 17, 1903, flight was the first time an aircraft had […]
Snakes on a plane
The writer who came up with “Snakes on a Plane,” the Hollywood movie ranked as “one of the worst movies of 2006” by several movie reviewers, was not the first to place reptiles on an aircraft intentionally. For years a pair of rubber faux snakes have protected Ron Johnson’s PT-22 while at EAA AirVenture. The […]
A busy year ahead: Expect confrontations on everything from user fees to cell phones
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This is going to be a busy year in Washington for aviation. Expect confrontations between various segments of aviation, between the FAA and some of its employees, between the government and some users, between the FAA and certificate holders, and possibly within the political parties. We already know about the user fee […]
Are dual mags reliable?
I own a Cessna R-182 that has a Lycoming O-540 J3C5D engine. It seems like a great engine and runs well. I have a concern about the “”dual-pack”” type magnetos that run off a common gear. Yesterday, another pilot told me of an engine failure that he had years ago in a Cherokee Six where […]
Another alternative for long-term storage: Try aerosol corrosion inhibitors
There is another alternative for long-term engine storage. There is another alternative for long-term engine storage. That’s the word from Rhamy Nipper of Graham Aircraft Engines, LLC, who wrote after reading my Nov. 17, 2006, column “”What oil is best for winter?”” “”MotorStor VCI is an aerosol corrosion inhibitor that you can spray directly into […]
January 2005 Accident Reports
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an instrument approach for undetermined reasons.