Maintenance

With refurbs gaining momentum, we’re seeing more restoration of modest airplanes, especially Cessna 150s, which are among the most economical airplanes to own and fly. Don Toy of Homestead, Iowa, recently sent us this report on his refurb. “Here is my project of the last year. I boughta 1966 Cessna 150F model of a friend […]

When looking at the Piper Lance/Saratoga, it’s important to remember that all airplanes are compromises. Since most of us lack an unlimited budget, we’re often forced to choose between going fast in a relatively small cockpit or dragging around a larger cabin more slowly. It’s simple, really: The “go-fast” airplane will get us to our […]

In a growing market of ADS-B solutions, Avidyne Corporation has announced the MLB100ADS-B traffic and flight information system-an ADS-B solution designed for interface with the company’s recently certified IFD540 slide-in GPS navigator. The single-box MLB100, which is priced at $2495, is a 978MHz datalink receiver that offers full ADS-B traffic input capability when interfaced with […]

Last month, I spent a solid week on the phone talking to flight schools about their operations, their marketing and, especially AOPA’s idea to refurbish older Cessna150s and 152s and feed them into the training and flying club market. While they were intrigued by the idea, almost all of the schools were put off by […]

There’s nothing quite like the Grumman Tiger. On not much gas, the airplane is moderately fast, fun to fly and has that sporty canopy, which can be opened in flight.Our Refurb of the Month is Paul Curs’ 1977 AA5B. Here’s his report. “She started out in 1977 as N81169 and had three previous owners – […]

Continental Motors Services (CMS)-a division of Continental Motors Group-announcedThursday (PDF) that it has entered into an agreement with Aircraft Specialties Lubricants (ASL) to jointly evaluate the claimed benefits of ASLs CamGuard, an aviation oil additive. The evaluation program will be on engines overhauled or repaired by CMS (formerly Mattituck) to demonstrate merits of pairing the […]

A new Airworthiness Directive (AD) will require initial and repetitive borescope inspections of some 300 PT6A engines and potentially cost operators as much as $18,106,200. Following reports of compressor turbine (CT) blade failures causing engine power loss, the FAA issued an AD Wednesday that requires replacement of blades that fail inspection with a newly developed […]

To travel across the country buying gasoline is to be alternately amused, infuriated and perplexed. And I’m not talking about the price, nor am I referring to avgas. Mogas is on my mind for today’s consideration. To get to AirVenture this year, Val and I did the trip by motorcycle, a big grand swing along […]

Triple R Affordable Aircraft, a company dedicated to providing a formal, accountable method of refurbishing aircraft to nearly new condition and marketing them at attractive prices, announced its formation at AirVenture. Triple R’s president isAVweb publisherTom Bliss, but he explained to a press conference at AirVenture this week thatTriple R is not anAVwebcompany, project or […]

Build A Plane has joined with the Thomas Wathen Center in Riverside, Calif., to create a permanent facility that allows kids to build real airplanes. The Katrina Bradshaw Memorial BuildAPlane Center is outfitted as a complete A&P facility providing tooling and materials to build and restore aircraft. The Center is named after the late Katrina […]