A contaminant found in the fuel of Gus McLeod’s Firefly appears to be sabotage, the Maryland pilot said on Nov. 18. The mysterious incident has forced further postponement of McLeod’s planned pole-to-pole solo flight around the world. “After an analysis of the contamination, and cutting the tanks open for inspection, the verdict is inescapable,” he said. […]
Picking up after Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina roared through Mississippi Aug. 29, officials at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT) figured it would take six months to a year for the airport to return to full service. Damage included the loss of the hangar that housed the general aviation FBO, as well as the south end of the airline terminal, which […]
Little Toot graces the skies over Texas
Aerobatic aircraft do not necessarily have macho names like Edge, Eagle or Challenger. In 1957 Texan George Meyer designed a single-seat aerobatic biplane he dubbed Little Toot and flew it to the event we know today as EAA AirVenture. The design was a hit and Meyer came home to Corpus Christi with several awards for […]
Upsetting article
Just thought you should know that for quite a few years now I have enjoyed your magazine. I am currently a 767 captain for a major airline (luckily one enjoying high profits) and was quite upset to read the article “The eye of the camera” by Joel Elman in the November issue. Your advertisers are […]
Cameras provide valuable data
I would like to suggest another camera coverage that could provide significant and unmatched aircraft flight data (The eye of the camera, November issue). Digital cameras, with wide angle lenses, could be mounted on the exterior of commercial aircraft. Possible locations are the vertical stabilizer and the fore end of the underside fuselage. With the […]
What about the ADIZ?
You missed a big opportunity to make a better case for “bureaucratic overreaction” (Truth or consequences: Where zeal can compromise safety, November issue) when you failed to mention or discuss the one issue that concerns all pilots in the “Southern” area: FAA’s and the Secret Service’s attempt to make permanent the Washington ADIZ. There was […]
Red Flags
I’ve experienced and learned a few things since I earned my PPL, especially during the time I’ve owned my Luscombe. One of the most important is that I know that I will continue to learn as long as I continue to fly. The winds are ever changing and each landing is new and unique. Complacency […]
Flying the SparrowHawk
A gyroplane looks like a cross between an airplane and a helicopter. First developed in the 1920s, the gyroplane is one of the oldest forms of aviation technology. However, gyroplanes are not very common in the general aviation world, perhaps because of a reputation for being difficult or dangerous to fly. It’s an undeserved reputation, […]
Two CFIs die when Piper hits Cessna on runway
The Piper pilot’s improper decision to continue a landing on an occupied runway, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the departing Cessna. Factors related to the accident were the departing Cessna pilot’s inattentive radio communications and the obscured visibility of the traffic pattern from the air and ground by trees located at the departure end of the runway.