This handbook for aviation mechanics, AMT schools, repair stations, aircraft owners, and homebuilders details the standards for acceptable methods, techniques, and practices for the inspection, repair, and alteration of aircraft.
General Aviation
Tailwheel instructor startled when wind blows off hat, headset, and glasses
It was a warm day and we had been flying with the left window open. I had been flying with a loose fitting cap under my headset. When full power was applied, the wind blast came in through the window and knocked my cap back, taking the headset and my glasses with it. This startled and distracted me enough that I failed to straighten the airplane out to align with the runway center line.
Picture of the Day: The reward of flying
Bill Gansemer submitted this photo and note: “The reward of flying — a transcendent experience of the magic of a sunset with its changing colors from 3,000 feet — where there is no past or future. I’m flying over North Central Iowa in my 1982 Piper Archer in early February 2025.”
Ask Paul: What should I do with an engine that hasn’t been flown in years?
Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: I bought an airplane in the summer of 2022 and have not been able to pick it up yet due to a lot of work and a rusty pilot situation. I plan on picking up the aircraft, which has been sitting outside in New Hampshire, in May.
Kevin Lacey flies west
Perhaps best known from Discovery Channel’s series “Airplane Repo,” Lacey died from cancer Feb. 14, 2025.
EAA Ford Tri-Motor prepares for national tour
Aviation and history enthusiasts can experience firsthand what luxury air travel was like in the 1920s as EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor begins the 2025 tour season later this month. EAA’s B-25 “Berlin Express” will also make joint appearances at select stops to offer rides.
HKS Engines moves operations to U.S.
HKS Co., manufacturer of the HKS 700E light sport engine, has inked a deal with its worldwide aviation engine distributor, Quicksilver Aircraft Northeast, to relocated the company’s parts supply and distribution to the United States from Japan.
Wind shear fatal for pilot
Probable Cause: The airplane’s encounter with low level wind shear associated with moderate turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
Picture of the Day: Early Spring
Terry Hayes submitted this photo and note: “Enjoying California’s High Sierra lakes in early spring 2025.”