A British pilot is suing the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, asking them to reveal why they think he’s a possible “threat to aviation or national security.” Robert Gray has been flying for Cape Air, a regional airline based in Massachusetts, for eight years. When offered a job with a charter […]
Pilots lie to keep, get certificates
The credibility of pilots took another hit when news media revealed that 46 California pilots had been charged with lying to get or keep their certificates. Newspapers and television stations across the nation told how the pilots – 14 of them active, seven of them holding commercial tickets – either hid medical conditions that would […]
Lancair changes name to Columbia
The Lancair Co., builder of Columbia certified aircraft, has changed its name to Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. The change should help eliminate any confusion between the company, which builds certified airplanes such as the slick Columbia 350 and 400, and Lancair International, the kit company from which the Columbia line sprang in 1998. The kit […]
A rose by any other name…
It’s rare to find a pilot who doesn’t have an aviation-related nickname. If your best buddy is named “Snake” you, by default, become “Mongoose.” If you insist on chair flying and visualizing instrument approaches before you execute them, your witty CFI might bestow the moniker “Zen” upon completion of the check ride. For the members […]
Talk about a bad landing!
Have you ever mistaken a taxiway for a runway? Even the guys that drive the big iron can make that mistake – especially at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In the last four years eight airline crews have mistaken Taxiway Tango, which measures 9,500 feet x 100 feet and runs parallel to the runways, for a runway. […]
Love is in the air
For Mike Nass and Wendy Forseen, finding the perfect place for their June 18 wedding involved some flight planning. The couple got married aboard a historic DC-3 owned by Prairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington, Ill. The ceremony took place in the air as the DC-3 flew over the couple’s hometown of Clinton, Iowa. “It was […]
Mooney at full throttle
Mooney is back — and better than ever. The 60-year-old company, which emerged from bankruptcy just a few years ago, is “running at full throttle,” according to Gretchen Jahn, CEO of the Kerrville, Texas-based company, which is on target to more than double its 2004 sales. Last year, the company delivered 36 airplanes. Already this […]
Like-minded souls
Were you part of the annual migration of aviation enthusiasts to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture? Pilots joke that attending the event at least once in your lifetime is required by the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations. In the regular world just a fraction of the population are pilots. During Oshkosh, they are in the majority. […]
How should aircraft engines be preheated?
I just read Paul McBride’s response to John Folinsbee in the April 22, 2005, issue (What led to camshaft damage?) I know this is a huge subject with no easy answers. May I give some information about engines and preheaters that we have observed and which might help your readers understand? Contrary to what you […]