WASHINGTON, D.C.— A push to privatize the air traffic control system and/or put it on a fee basis is heating up, but two recent hearings in the House of Representatives indicate that members of the aviation subcommittee will have nothing to do with it. The subcommittee is looking into the modernization of ATC and its […]
Opinion
‘Tailwind vs. Cougar’
By PETER M. BOWERS. Throughout the homebuilt movement many designs have a strong resemblance to others. The all-time toppers in this area are the Wittman “Tailwind” and the Nesmith “Cougar.” The “Tailwind” came on the scene first, back at the very beginning of the present homebuilt era. Steve Wittman of Oshkosh, Wis., was a schoolteacher […]
NRA a poor model for GA
Your editorial in the February 2005 issue shows how far we’ve moved toward having a police state in this country (They don’t know us: Why security agencies fear GA and what we can do about it). If people think it’s reasonable that we need to get permission from the government to do anything, then we […]
Idea met with polite yawns
I was struck by the degree of naiveté you exhibited by suggesting the possibility of a unitary group combining those whose interests are opposed to GA (restricting the meaning of GA to individual ownership of the aircraft). The airlines despise GA. The airlines are run by financiers, not by the pilots. And I am suspicious […]
Rewriting history
Re: “To save the South: We are gradually erasing reminders of our past,” (March issue): You are right, the politically correct are trying to revamp and remove history. Here in Louisville, Ky., there is a move to remove a very large monument that is over 110 years old dedicated to Confederate soldiers from Kentucky who […]
Look again
Christian Holtz better look again (Filmmakers need to get it right, March 11 issue): It just happened that I watched “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” last night. His aircraft recognition skills need a little honing. That’s a P-40 that Jude Law is careening around the sky in, not a P-51. Remember the Flying […]
Good therapy: Airplanes — and art — help us get away from it all
Some aviation art, like some airplanes, are just good therapy. Whether it’s the nostalgic appeal they have or the mood they foster, paintings like Nixon Galloway’s “”Tiger in the Fall,”” which depicts a vintage Tiger Moth landing on a country grass strip, are very popular. Having my gallery on an airport has its advantages and […]
General what?
Listening on the radio to a call-in talk show isn’t one of my favorite activities. Of course, like most folks, I end up listening to parts of one show or another as I drive down the road. It doesn’t take me long to start switching stations hoping to catch some meaningful dialogue before I get […]
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 […]