Reader Mail

Common Sense vs. E-Everything My impression is that nearly all discussions of electric propulsion omit the fundamental problems of physics that limit the whole enterprise: the energy density of batteries. Of the three obstacles standing in the way of electric propulsion (energy storage, efficient electric motors, motor controllers) two have been solved. Small, lightweight, three-phase […]

Kobe Bryant, Eight Others Killed In Helicopter Crash Unfortunately, and tragically, the accident investigation in this crash will likely yield a rather mundane result – pilot disorientation and CFIT. Aeronautically there may not be much to learn. Even the motivation of choosing to launch into marginal conditions after weighing the risk versus pilot experience and […]

Pipistrel Ramps Up Electric Aircraft Production Muucho Kudos to Pipistrel. They recognized a legitimate aviation niche market, designed an airplane and power-plant combo to fill it, certified and built it, and are selling, building, and delivering those airplanes at a profit. No pie in the sky hype bolstered by virtual reality video by companies who […]

Airbus Autonomous Taxi, Takeoff And Landing Project Reaches Milestone I think the nagging feeling […] is that of the standardized mediocrity that comes with any process or product that is automated (or at least rigidly controlled). One example is that fine organization, MacDonald’s. They don’t make the worst hamburger in the world, but they certainly […]

Carpe Propum! (Seize The Prop!) Mr. Berge’s piece was enjoyable and unexpected. I was taught to hand prop a Ryan STA forty-five years ago by an old, pre-WWII USAF sergeant pilot. He wasn’t into interpersonal relations or his trainee’s self-esteem, and along with his insistence that I learn cross wind landing techniques in gusty twenty […]

Unexplained Drone Swarms Alarm Residents In Colorado As an RC modeler and full scale pilot, there are times and places where I should not be flying. Hobby flyers do not do night formation flights over or near populated or less populated places, no more than I would be circling my house at low altitudes at […]

Boeing CEO Resigns Very predictable…Muilenburg did his assigned task…handle the MAX debacle fallout, take the brunt of the criticism, go through the congressional grilling, and be the one who publicly sheds the emotional tears for the loss of life. Once that portion of PR campaign is done, he is history. How he was fired, how […]

Cubs vs. Jets I saw [Paul’s] writeup about landing gear up and the conversation about ideal trainers. To be honest, I did not follow the whole Diamond aspect because that is not a plane I have flown (although I do have 150 types in my log). But I did want to comment on your question […]

Retired Sabreliner Lives On While I think this is a great idea, it will most certainly not prepare future A&Ps for current technology in the field. It will certainly serve as a basic tool to gain interest from people and set the hook to become technicians. I don’t mean to be critical at all, but […]

Trade-A-Plane Ending Print Edition I will truly miss the printed version of Trade-a-Plane. I was used to see them at pretty much every FBO I landed at and always browsed through it. When buying and then selling a plane and during my job as chief pilot (while being involved at purchasing and selling aircraft to […]