Features

Better Way to Save Gas? Nice story (Airmanship, Jan. 13), but no mention of a Rotax-powered aircraft? Cirrus or Diamond as a gas saver? Please! Time to catch up with 21st century technology: Go for the Rotax. An IFR legal Tecnam Sierra goes 20 knots faster than my C172 on half the fuel, automatically adjusts […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” En route from San Antonio, Texas to Kerb Wille, I let my 19-year-old private pilot daughter run the radios: daughter:“Center, Piper Five Six Six Seven Romeo.” Center:“Piper Six Seven Romeo, go ahead.” daughter:“Request flight following.” Center:“Piper Six Seven Romeo, state vour location, altitude, and destination.” [long pause] daughter:“Uh, […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** 2008 is here, and even with clouds in the economic forecast, we know plenty of AVweb readers are planning to take the plunge into ownership (or perhaps just upgrade their existing airplane) in the next 12 months.  Last week, we asked those of you who are […]

Cessna’s China Blunder I am amazed at the public-relations spin spooling up over at Cessna … and being propagated by the air-related media (AVwebFlash, Jan. 7). Comments against taking their Skycatcher manufacturing to China are more like 50:1 against it, not the 50/50 split being reported with the negative “remarks appeared to be based on […]

Cruising in the sun after a long ground delay, three bouts with de-icing and a half-mile-viz takeoff on a snowy runway can really help a pilot relax. The sun was shining in the big, 767 cockpit window on my left and was slowly roasting my arm. I still had my zone heat up high and […]

Heard a few years ago whilst flying a 747 from LAX to LHR: Salt Lake Center:“Airline 123, you bound for Vegas?” Airline 123:“Yup.” Salt Lake Center:“You a [DC-]10?” Airline 123:“Yup.” Salt Lake Center:“Well, I guess your passengers need a 10 to take home their winnings?” Airline 123:“Nope! Our passengers can take home their winnings in […]

[AVweb’s reprint of A Pilot’s History began with Chapter 1.] Operations sent for me and I soon found myself on the way from Okinawa to Tokyo with a load of passengers. From there we flew to Manila where we took aboard a pilot from India who was familiar with the “Hump” (Himalayan Mountains) and had […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Auld lang syne, “best of 2007” lists and new year’s resolutions haven’t quite worn out their welcome around AVweb headquarters just yet.  Last week, we asked readers to put on their Johnny Carson-style turbans and peek into the sealed envelope of the future.  What, we asked, […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Many years ago, in Calgary: Snooty voice:“Ah, tower, Air Canada Two Oh Four. This will be a fully automatic landing if you’d care to observe.” [later …] Imitative voice:“Ah, tower, this is Canadian Six Seventy Five [rival]. This will be a fully manual landing, if you’d care to […]

APAME Electrical Flight While not denying the accomplishments of APAME, their Web site claim of the first electrical plane flight is a little over the top. Go here for a link to a story about flights as early as 1980 in the Gossamer Penguin. There may have been others. For some, just taking off and […]