AVweb Insider

In my workshop, I have three gallons of a deadly blend of methanol, toluene and methyl ethyl ketone. It’s explosively flammable, it’s a breathing hazard and a suspected carcinogen. Why, in a society that prides itself on protecting its citizens from undue hazards, am I allowed to have this stuff?Because it’s otherwise known as lacquer […]

With one-third of the U.S. population shoveling snow this week — at least, that’s what the network anchors have been saying — it’s lucky that pilots in 2010 have a multitude of ways to pass their hangar-flying time, beyond actually hanging out in a hangar. Not only do we have books and DVDs, we have […]

I’ve been reading a book called Traffic, by Tom Vanderbilt, which is well researched and fascinating essay on how people behave in traffic–cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. He opens the book with a question: When faced with a sign announcing a lane drop ahead, is it better to merge early or merge late? I’ll get […]

About a month ago, we reported on a new developmental fuel project called G100UL, meant as a direct, unleaded replacement for 100LL. At the time, George Braly, whose General Aviation Modifications, Inc. is running this project, promised to invite me down to watch a test cell run and actually fly the stuff.Despite horrid weather, he […]

There’s a natural detachment that occurs when it comes to dealing with Washington, D.C. and it’s not just the politicians who are involved. The ivory tower perspective gets the odd mention when it comes to coverage of the organizations that represent aviation. With the exception of EAA, they are based in the Washington area and […]

When does a good promotional idea for aviation cross the line into a stupid stunt that makes us all look like a bunch of morons? My friend Jeff Owen of Premier Aircraft e-mailed me this week posing this very question. He was referring to the story we ran earlier this week describing Chet and Matt […]

When the earthquake in Haiti first struck about two weeks ago, cool heads were advising general aviation pilots to stay home and send money. This seemed to make sense at the time, when relief flights were stacked up over the single runway at Port au Prince, and general confusion ruled.But a couple of days ago, […]

So obnoxious and overpowering was the hype surrounding today’s introduction of Apple’s iPad that even my inbox started to catch some incoming. From reader Andy Taylor came this note: “I assume someone is already working on an EFB software application for the iPad? May be just the thing we’ve been waiting for, for search and […]

As I was packing up my camera gear on Sunday evening at the Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, a volunteer rode up on his golf cart and joked about the place emptying out in a hurry. “We’re like the Circus,” he said, “when it’s over, we’re outta town!” He was right, too. At 5 p.m., […]

I got an e-mail yesterday from my friend Ed Scott at the United States Parachute Association. He was explaining that a skydiving operator with an airplane based in Jamaica tried to get involved in the relief effort in Haiti only to get tangled up in the knotted ball of aircraft trying to operate in and […]