Reader Mail

Change Of Watch At The NTSB For aviation, at least, Sumwalt was the best chairman ever. But, neither he, nor his successor, can change the systemic problems at the NTSB that have developed the past 20 years, or so. Hiring practices and qualifications, for starters. Now, there are too many investigators, especially at the field […]

It’s Good To Be Full Of Hot Air Wow, what a fail for the World’s Premier Independent Aviation New Source. It’s completely disheartening that your editors would green light an article that is so biased and ill-informed. The author has no respect for the oldest form of aviation and those who practice it, in fact […]

AirVenture Final Numbers Tell An Impressive Story Airventure 2021 was my 39th year in attendance since 1977. I would support the above reported numbers as being realistic. It wasn’t the biggest but it was busy. More than anything else, I’d say that everyone was ready to be out and about and enjoy what they love…aviation […]

Closure Conundrums One item not mentioned when your landing airport/runway is closed at last minute or in the case of the twin having engine out. Declaring an emergency in the case of the twin with engine failure at that point anything goes. True it puts ultimate responsibility to the PIC but that emergency declaration allows […]

I Could Teach My Dog To Fly Excellent points Paul. To become a pilot, a person needs to learn how to operate the controls, not be directed how to use the controls. A person must learn the eye hand coordination. Forty some odd years ago, my primary instructor was a laid back Californian who never […]

Open Your Hangar-Mind On Windlass Days Hangar doors; I’ve known quite a few in my lifetime. Some I’ve liked but most I don’t. This time around I thought I’d found the perfect hangar: solid concrete floors, tight walls to keep out the vermin, and a roof guaranteed to spare my airplane from the dangers of […]

Yamaha Looks At Airplane Engines NOW we’re cookin’ with gas!! (Pun intended). THIS idea is long overdue … especially if it doesn’t require avgas, uses automotive technology and is upward scalable to a more reasonable power output. The Honda Fit engines produced by Viking in Florida have proven their reliability and lower cost. I wish […]

Electric Aircraft And The Media Good article with salient and analogous points. You do that SO well. I think that most of your informed readers who take the time to expound on all these fictitious articles, claims or press releases — calling them “vaporware” — are smart enough to know that SOMETHING might come of […]

Second Look: Why Light Sport Aircraft Suffer So Many Crashes It seems that the main issue for light sport comes down to perception versus reality. The original light sport concept was basically a larger version of ultralights. But, manufacturers immediately started to make them grown-up airplanes in a smaller package. And, the buying public agreed […]

Buying 200 Knots For $200,000 It’s always interesting, as you said, to listen to pilots who pine for more speed. When you ask them what their normal flight mission is, most say that they usually fly about 2-3 hour legs – mostly due to the need for comfort breaks, or that their destinations usually fall […]