Insurance

We get e-mail from readers who have had what they often prefer to call prop incidents as to possibly avoid the term prop-strike, and its frequent need for a recommended or mandatory engine tear down. In our response to readers we quote the latest manufacturer directives and FAA guidance, and add our perspectives and experience […]

Owners who fancy a little light aerobatics—or even semi-serious competition—might lust after a Pitts S1 or an Extra 300. But then reality sets in. Those airplanes require no small degree of skill to simply fly safely and that’s before we consider the insurance premiums. And that’s why so many owners inevitably gravitate toward the American […]

Accidents, like elections, have consequences. And as youve probably read, a consequence of one accident is that the ATP will soon rise to the level of unobtanium, so if you always wanted one, 2014 is the time to act. And better be quick about it. The accident, of course, is the Colgan Air crash in […]

Letter of the Week:Airline Pilot Training Regarding the new flight training regulations: I flew for the airlines most of my life (retired now) have more than 23,000 hours and several type ratings. When an airline I worked for first got the Canadair CL-65 regional jet, the failure rate for upgrade was more than 70 percent. […]

Next week, AOPA Insurance will announce new insurance products aimed at collective aircraft ownership. AVweb’s Russ Niles spoke with the new president of AOPA Insurance, Bill Snead. Duration: File Size: download here

The insurance market for older pilots isn’t as grim as it once was. Stick with the same company, fly often and get recurrent training. The insurance market cycle has come a full 180 degrees from where it was in 2003, from very hard to very soft. The number of insurers competing for every GA insurance […]

Yes, say engine overhaulers, and Lycoming’s four-cylinder models own the category. Owning one substantially reduces the cost of flying. Next to $6 avgas, the cost of routine engine maintenance and overhauls takes the biggest bite out of the aircraft ownership budget. You can always choose not to paint your airplane or live with ratty seats, […]

About 300 contract workers, most of whom provide training for air traffic controllers at the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, have been laid off due to federal budget cuts. The workers are employed by Raytheon and subcontractor ISG, according to local news reports. “This is something that is happening because of the […]

The good news is that you probably won’t need cylinders, but you’ll always get a new crank. Buying a factory-new exchange is sometimes a practical choice. When Diamond introduced the two-seat Katana to North America in 1995, it might as well have been powered by alien technology. The 81-HP Rotax 912F3 was about as familiar […]

The fleet of older Cirrus airframes could face further depreciation because of pricey parachute upkeep. We look at the economics and the CAPS repack process. Cirrus owners rave about having the CAPS parachute system as the ultimate safety backup, but if you’re shopping for a used Cirrus, know this: Many used airframes are coming up […]