After leaving a phone message and receiving the requested call-back from a fully qualified staff member, I was able to make an appointment to visit a critical government facility here in central Florida. On the appointed day I motored over to the semi-secret location and rode the elevator to the floor where I had been […]
Opinion
Behind the scenes at SUN ’n FUN
SUN ‘n FUN was fantastic this year. If you didn’t make it to Lakeland, Florida, at the start of the month, be sure to put it on your 2015 calendar: April 21-26, 2015. We produce SUN ‘n FUN Today, the daily newspaper for the fly-in, so my view of SUN ’n FUN is slightly different. […]
FAA issues second GA airport study
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has issued its second study of general aviation airports, called ASSET 2, this time covering 497 airports that did not fit into a category under the original study. In 2012, the FAA released a one-year-and-a-half study that examined the role GA airports play in the national aviation system. Nearly 3,000 […]
There you go again
On Jan. 19 your bloggers posted a rebuttal to an article in EAA’s Sport Aviation titled “Avfuel Takes on Fuel Challenges” by J. Mac McClellan that deals with the never-ending saga of a replacement for leaded avgas. We did our best to correct the fallacies in the article. Judging from the numerous positive comments we […]
Something to brag about
Today is a good day to brag a bit. With the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo in the rearview mirror, it’s a great time to celebrate where we are as an industry, because there is a lot going right in general aviation these days. So let’s take a moment to recognize just a […]
Mentoring: Making it more affordable
By BRENT OWENS. The role of a mentor varies widely depending on the situation. In general they are there to provide counsel, be supportive, give constructive criticism and encouragement. One area that doesn’t get a lot of airplay is the money-saving benefits of such an arrangement. A mentor, by default will likely put you on […]
The circus is more than just a circus
It’s an American tradition that continues unabated, thank goodness. Kids start smiling a little wider in the weeks before the big day. Neighborhood dogs pick up on the excitement, wagging their tails with abandon. Moms and dads prepare for days of high strung adventure, followed by the easily predictable collapse of exhausted young ‘uns. Wait […]
Air shows: The new paradigm
By JOHN CUDAHY No single American industry was as adversely impacted by last year’s sequestration debacle as the air show business. By the end of the 2013 season, more than 60 shows in the U.S. had cancelled as a direct result of the Pentagon’s withdrawal of all military support. Dozens of other shows experienced attendance […]
Ask Paul: Why is my engine oil creamy?
Q: I am doing a 100-hour inspection on a Piper Aztec with TSIO 540 Lycomings using Shell 15/50 oil with 50 hours on the oil. They are both midtime engines on this photo plane. They fly six hours a day at low power settings. The left engine oil is black like it should be after […]