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Every once in a while something happens that causes me to escape to the Pilot’s Lounge here at the virtual airport after everyone has gone home for the evening. It is an excellent place to go when I need to regain my perspective on matters affecting the world of aviation. Sitting in one of the […]

An oldie, but a goodie… A fighter pilot called for a priority landing because his single-engine jet fighter was running, “a bit peaked.” A controller responded and the lore follows… ATC: Roger. You’re number two behind a B-52. They’ve had to shut down an engine. Fighter Pilot: Ah, yes … the dreaded seven-engine approach.

A retelling of the 19th-century story, especially for aviators. This has been floating around the Internet for years in various forms — and probably was passed around as photocopies for years before that. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.The aircraft were fastened to […]

The differential compression check has been a mainstay of piston aircraft engine maintenance for the last 70 years, give or take. Like anything else in aviation that’s been around for a long time, various Old Wives’ Tales (OWTs) have evolved about the procedure, passed on from journeyman mechanic to apprentice, and later taught in A&P […]

The Piper Navajo occupies a unique niche among piston twins: it has found a substantial market in the commuter airline business while retaining an appeal for owners who want to fly themselves in relative comfort and luxury. Cessnas 402 is another such twin but you dont find many of those in private ownership. The PA-31 […]

Cessna Eyes Massive Boys-And-Girls Club Thank you for picking up this story (NewsWire, Dec. 9).Nothing but good can come of this idea: A major corporation spending its monetary and human resources on young people in their formative years. The kids who become part of this endeavor will learn many lessons, but the largest will be […]

Dear Santa:I am roasting my ample tummy sitting by a Marriott swimming pool in Fort Lauderdale, the victim of a re-route from my usual trip that normally has a 15-hour Detroit layover. Most re-routes, as you know from hundreds of Christmas trips, are bad news. This re-route seems to be working out nicely: an extra […]

As I approached untowered Booneville (AR) Municipal Airport, I announced on CTAF. This was the exchange: Me: Skylane 123 entering left downwind, runway 27 Booneville. Unicom: Roger, Skylane 123, Wind is calm. Sklane 123, your rotating beacon is not working. Wait … yes it is. No it’s not. Yes it is…. Me: Roger, thanks.