Ownership

Cessna Twins Spar Corporation36 Columbia Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735-2606 Tel: 516-847-0002 February 23, 2005 Ms.Mary GradyEditorAVWeb Dear Ms. Grady, Per your request, the following are CTScs comments regarding the spar cracks discovered in two Cessna 402C aircraft. The recently discovered spar problems on two extremely high-time Cessna 402C aircraft used in commuter service indicate that […]

CASE NO. 29,385 INTERSTATE SOUTHWEST, LTD., Plaintiff, v. avco corporation, TEXTRON LYCOMING RECIPROCATING ENGINE DIVISION OF AVCO CORPORATION, Defendants. IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF GRIMES COUNTY, TEXAS 278th JUDICIAL DISTRICT CHARGE TO THE JURY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY: This case is submitted to you by asking questionsabout the facts, which you must decide […]

Judging by the inquiries I get from aircraft owners, it’s a frustratingly common situation: You get a call from the shop that’s annualing your airplane, and the news isn’t good. The IA found something wrong and it’s going to be expensive to fix.Because you’re a savvy and maintenance-involved owner, you ask the IA for the […]

Odyssey Aviation Publications The student pilot was learning to fly in a Piper Cherokee when he saw his first Cessna 310. He decided on the spot that he was going to own one. During a subsequent discussion with friends he was told that if he planned on being a commercial pilot he should skip the […]

I recently had my engine rebuilt and had a new baffle kit installed,” a Cessna T210 owner recently emailed me. “The CHTs for cylinders #5 and #6 are always 20F to 30F hotter than the rest. During climb the difference gets even bigger. Cylinder #5 and #6 CHTs are very difficult to keep below 400F […]

I know I’ve got a bad reputation, and it isn’t just talk, talk, talk …” So says Freedy Johnston, one of those wonderfully quirky songwriters who’s way too good to ever reach the mainstream. His music oozed into my head the day a friend of mine called to ask about my experiences flying a Mooney […]

What a great day to be flying! The sun is shining and — with the exception of the low-level gusty winds that a clear, cold, winter day can provide — it is invigorating to be in the air. You and your neighbor, who has been bugging you to take him flying, are really enjoying your […]

The differential compression check has been a mainstay of piston aircraft engine maintenance for the last 70 years, give or take. Like anything else in aviation that’s been around for a long time, various Old Wives’ Tales (OWTs) have evolved about the procedure, passed on from journeyman mechanic to apprentice, and later taught in A&P […]

Many years ago, I was training for my multiengine flight-instructor rating. I had been flying my Cessna 310 from the right seat, and the instructor prepping me for my checkride was in the left seat. I’d just completed a series of right-seat touch-and-go landings, and we were about to make a full-stop landing to break […]

First permit me a program note. Starting this month, I’ll be taking over as editor-in-chief of Kitplanes, a marvelous magazine for the homebuilt-aircraft enthusiast. In that capacity, I’ll be getting more hands-on time with experimental engines than I ever thought possible, and will endeavor to report back here with the highlights of my travels. Generally, […]