In addition to being able to put an airplane through its paces and get out alive, test pilots have to be good communicators. Their notes help aircraft designers and engineers fine tune and improve designs. But during the Golden Age of aviation, test pilots sometimes flew stunts to benefit their reputations rather than improve aircraft. […]
Omlie, not Amelia
The average high school textbook gives the impression that Amelia Earhart was the only female pilot during the 1920s and 1930s. Rarely do you read about Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie. Born in 1902, she was one of the first women to become a licensed pilot in the United States and the first to receive an aircraft […]
Here we go again: Lawmakers introduce bill to open Reagan National to GA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It has been tried before, but here we go again: an attempt to get Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reopened to general aviation. This time a bipartisan bill has been introduced in the U.S. House directing the Department of Transportation to allow general aviation access within six months. Except for a number […]
Who held the original speed record?
QUESTION: Who did Lt. Russell Maughan take the air speed record from when he set the record in March 1923? Sue Hechinger Flower Mound, Texas ANSWER: Lt. Russell Maughan set his record in 1922, not 1923, when he won that year’s Pulitzer Race on Oct. 14 at 205.856 mph in a Curtiss R-6, beating a […]
Can you explain lifter bleed?
QUESTION: Can you explain the lifter bleed down check procedure in detail (or tell me where I can find it) for my IO-360-B1E on my 1967 Arrow? Wayne Whittington Blackwell, Okla. ANSWER: Wayne, I suggest you focus your attention on Lycoming Service Instruction 1011H. It will give you the general inspection requirements and checks for […]
What led to camshaft damage?
QUESTION: Last year I bought a 1971 C172L model with a Lycoming O-320-E2D. When I bought the plane I did an annual at the same time and for the most part everything was fine. This year it was discovered that the camshaft had been damaged along with lobe wear on the No. 4 cylinder. I […]
Jet A vs. #2 diesel: Which is better?
I received an interesting note from Patrick Puckett who is considering replacing the 100LL engine on his aircraft with a new aviation diesel engine. He had several questions concerning the performance of Jet A vs. #2 diesel fuel. I received an interesting note from Patrick Puckett who is considering replacing the 100LL engine on his […]
Silver giants? Only seven Zeppelins were actually silver
By PETER M. BOWERS. Lyrical writers who comment lovingly on the glories of the era of the big rigid airships – Zeppelins, to give the name of the German originator to all of them – frequently call them “Silver Giants” or something similar. Whatever the noun, the adjective “silver” always seems to get in there. […]
Icing conditions lead to crash that kills three
These April 2003 Accident Reports are provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, they are intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Location: New Vienna, Iowa. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: A CFI was attempting to fly a charter flight […]