Features

There are no more than a handful left. You can count the ones that are currently airworthy on one hand, and the ones that are flying regularly can be counted on the fingers needed to hold a good cigar. Of the more than 5900 built between 1940 and 1944, that’s all there are in the […]

I‘ve always liked Grumman airplanes. They range from the funky (the Duck and the Widgeon) to the awesome (Bearcat). What does that have to do with the Gulfstream? The lineage, and history. Grumman built the first Gulfstream, a Gulfstream I (a twin turboprop). Over the last 40 years the company has gone through the now-common […]

Question of the Week — Kit Planes vs. Production A previous AVmail listed advantages of factory-built planes over homebuilt planes, including: 5. Best Re-Sale Value 6. Best for Over-All EconomyI disagree at least in part with both of these assertions. It isn’t fair that a builder might spend 3000 hours on a plane and sell […]

The definition of irony: Naming an airport after a President that fired all of the Air Traffic Controllers.

This week, we would like to know your thoughts on the Paris Air Show. For AVweb’s Question of the Week, click here. PREVIOUS RESULTS We received over 500 responses to our question last week on factory built versus kit aircraft. The largest group (31 percent) of those responding said factory aircraft was their best choice, […]

Question of the Week — Kit Planes vs. Production Better reasons for factory-built aircraft: You can probably think of more!Doug Nichols I notice I joined a good bunch of voters in selecting “None of the above” for this week’s question regarding ownership of aircraft: kit vs. factory.For me, there should have been a choice of […]

Every once in a while I find myself leaving the pleasant confines of the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport and speaking to a group of pilots. So long as they don’t throw produce and I depart before my tires are slashed, I consider such endeavors successful. I usually discuss the contents of whatever talk […]

An exchange observed between the pilot of a sleek experimental and a Cessna driver shortly after they both taxied to the ramp… Cessna Pilot: Wow. That thing really moves! You must have to wind the rubberband really tight.Experimental Pilot: Nah, I just installed an extra hamster wheel.

This week, we would like to know your thoughts on factory built versus kit aircraft. Thanks to Robert McCoy for suggesting this week’s topic. For AVweb’s Question of the Week, click here. PREVIOUS RESULTS We received over 500 responses to our question last week on ATC facility tours. The majority (65 percent) of those responding […]

GA Pilots Recruited For Cockpit Study Read your article, and jumped right away to the NASA web page; ’twas looking good ’till I found the following on the Pilot Background Questionnaire: Due to NASA base restrictions, all participants must be a U.S. citizen. If you were born in a foreign country you must bring your […]