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It seems strange to feel cold while flying in the middle of summer but I was chilled to the bone. Long legs in high-altitude transports always result in a cold-soak, and the low temps work their way though the cockpit wall and over to your seat.On the Boeing 727, it was just something we had […]

Cessna’s Skycatcher has been a fixture at various air shows since its introduction two years ago at AirVenture but those attending this year’s EAA AirVenture get to see the real thing. The first production model of the aircraft, complete with the standard interior, final panel configuration and factory paint job (which is quite conservative compared […]

Well, maybe not the whole world, but in EAA’s opening-day excitement, it does feel like the whole aviation world has descended upon AirVenture. As visitors stream in through the main gate, they find the now-venerable Cirrus Design on one side, showing a mock-up of the Cirrus Vision jet (the real one will fly into Oshkosh […]

If you’re an EAA member, Spot International has a deal for you. At EAA AirVenture this week, the company is giving away free satellite messenger units, a $169.99 value. So what’s the catch? They’ll ask you to sign up for at least one year of locating service, which costs $99 for basic service and an […]

For those who like to take their own tunes along to add to cruise enjoyment, PS Engineering has taken the hassle out of listening to those MP3s. The company has introduced the PMA8000B-MP3, which adds a 1 Gig MP3 player to the PMA8000B audio control panel. The company is already selling a non-certified audio controller […]

This article originally appeared in Light Plane Maintenance, Dec. 2005. Aircraft starting batteries have a tough life; much more so than their automotive counterparts. They are left idle for days or even weeks at a time, then asked to start a 500 cubic-inch engine in cold weather with three gallons of oil the consistency of […]

Demise of 100LL I just got done reading Lance Nuckoll’s letter regarding the highly uncertain future of 100LL (AVmail, July 7). Given that lead is considered bad news (you can’t even use it in solder for electronics anymore), 100LL isn’t going to be around forever.I would like to offer a suggestion as to how to […]

If a nonpilot asks you “How do you take off?” how would you answer? Line up with the runway, add power, accelerate to liftoff speed, raise the nose and go. But is it really as simple as that? Every year airplanes fail to get off wet or muddy runways, or to clear obstacles past the […]

IFC Launch Customer For Tu-204 Russian leasing giant Ilyushin Finance (IFC) announced an order for 31 Tupolev Tu-204SM twin-jets from United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in a $1.5bn order. This makes it the launch customer for the upgraded Tu-204. IFC’s deal also contains options for 30 more Tu-204SM aircraft,, which will bring the value of the […]

EASA Eases Up Flight Crew Licensing Regulations The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has highlighted the fact that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is creating three Notices of Proposed Amendment (NPA) covering the introduction of EASA flight crew licensing (FCL) and flight operations. These are staggered, so that the first appeared in […]