Let’s get this rolling by disputing what “everybody knows” when it comes to flying in icing conditions in general aviation airplanes that weigh less than 12,500 pounds. To start with, there’s no FAR specifically prohibiting flying those airplanes into known icing conditions or clearing all of the ice, snow and frost off of the wings […]
At no time in aeronautical history have pilots had a wider choice when it comes to the type and capabilities of the cockpit presentation when they fly IFR. For an instrument-rated pilot who wants to rent from the local FBO, the avionics variety means that the checkout may take some time as he learns how […]
In the June 2020 issue of Aviation Consumer, we reviewed the first of what we were told would be a series of aerobatic training videos from Sporty’s (www.sportys.com) prepared in conjunction with aerobatic legend Patty Wagstaff. It was a broad introduction to the world of akro with everything from history to snippets on many of […]
If you’ve been following our coverage of the aircraft insurance market you’ll know that it has—as we predicted a year ago—“hardened.” That’s a broker buzzword for high premiums, demands for frequent training and medical certification, longer transition instruction when moving up in aircraft and in some cases, non-renewal of policies even if you haven’t had […]
We’ve heard our share of horror stories from readers regarding their experiences in the “hard” insurance market that developed in the last two years. We’ve been tracking the market and reported on it in the February and December 2019 issues. It put an end to a “soft” market that had existed for over 30 years. […]
No matter how many times we hit the delete key, 2020 is still here. With Abby Normal the new normal, a lot of pilots have been flying infrequently at best, with many unable to do any aviating at all. Our readers are nothing if not perceptive—they know that a pilot who isn’t flying regularly can […]
Every other summer, I torture myself with the $1500 biennial ELT switch flip. I install the required 24-month battery, wait for the minute hand to sweep past the top of the hour and press the test switch with bated breath. The crisp woop-woop of the truly ancient EBC 121.5 MHz beacon makes the Cub legal […]
As we were reviewing the accident reports involving the Meyers 200 as part of this month’s Used Aircraft Guide, we ran across one that was depressingly familiar. The pilot landed hard, on all three wheels. He then started pulling back and shoving forward on the wheel, developing classic PIO—pilot induced oscillation—as the airplane bounded between […]
There has been another breakthrough in the world of saving lives in general aviation airplanes. AmSafe (www.amsafe.com) has gone a step beyond its custom seatbelt airbag system—individually designed and built for over 150 types of general aviation aircraft—and developed a “universal” seatbelt airbag system that can be installed on almost any seat in almost any […]
Over the last several years of observation, we’ve generally been pleased with the manner in which implementation of the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for each certificate or rating has brought more standardization and objectivity to practical tests. We remember the bad old days of sending pilots for checkrides with Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE—individuals not employed […]
Sporty’s (www.sportys.com) recently expanded its line of interactive training materials with a Commercial Pilot Test Prep Course it offers for $149.99. Although advertised as a test prep course, it is, in our opinion, much more. It starts with the industry standard procedure for test prep courses—the student answers test questions, gets feedback as to why […]
I recently attended Lycoming’s factory engine training course and found that the curriculum isn’t limited to mechanics. As expected, the students were predominantly A&Ps but there was only one airplane owner (of a Pitts S1) who simply wanted to learn more about his engine. I think more owners should take his approach, and many don’t […]
