leadnews

Some states have recognized various risks posed by ethanol-blended fuels and taken steps to ensure the availability of pure gasoline. For instance, last month the EPA revoked for California a long-standing mandate that refiners add ethanol to gasoline, but the decision will only go into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal […]

Most people know that alcohol and airplanes don’t mix, whether in the pilot or in the fuel tank. That’s why some Washington State aircraft owners are lobbying state officials to modify proposed legislation that would require the addition of up to 10 percent ethanol, by volume, in all motor fuel sold in the State. It […]

Avionics Masters owner Jim Scully told AVweb that as soon as the Connecticut State Police contacted him about the DME, he pulled the listing off eBay and shipped the equipment back to the Vecchiarellis. Scully said the DME was in a consignment of salvage items his company bought as part of its normal business — […]

If weather, vacation or your winter slumber has kept you from visiting your plane recently, it might be a good idea to get reacquainted. And if, like a growing number of aircraft owners on the Eastern Seaboard, you discover big holes in the panel where your avionics used to be, check eBay. Connecticut pilot Tim […]

What may set the Alabama bills apart (S.B 466 and H.B. 622 — follow up, here) is that legislators there deal specifically with airport land acquisition. Under the proposed laws, only Class 1 cities, those with a population of 300,000 or more, would have eminent domain rights to buy land needed for airports. The FAA […]

The growing furor over the alleged abuse of local governments employing “eminent domain” powers to grab land from the existing property owners could threaten GA airports in Alabama, according to the FAA. The agency’s Mississippi Airport District Office has written the Alabama Department of Transportation saying eminent domain legislation now before the State Assembly could […]

Lycoming says it will ramp up production of replacement crankshafts but as in previous recalls, priority will go to government operators and Part 121 and Part 135 operators, with private owners last. What’s not known is if this recall withdraws all of the potentially defective crankshafts from the market. (We queried Lycoming about this but […]

In previous recalls totaling some 2400 crankshafts, Lycoming has paid for the engine work to various degrees, even reimbursing owners for hangar expenses and loss of use in the 2003 recalls. Not this time. Owners affected by the crank retirement will get a discount deal on the replacement crankshaft — $2000 for the shaft, plus […]

In what appears to be the largest crankshaft-related service bulletin yet, Lycoming has notified field shops and distributors that it’s calling for the “retirement” of 5100 additional crankshafts in certain -360, -390, -540 and -720 series four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines. The newest action follows close on the heels of Lycoming’s last recall of nearly […]

A number of sources online offer free tutorials on safety topics. AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation has a four-minute course on thunderstorms, or spend an hour or so to learn about runway safety, single-pilot IFR, mountain flying or one of the many other choices. Completion of some of the courses will qualify you for the seminar […]