Editor’s Log

Way back in February, the FAA, most of general aviation’s alphabet soup and even the American Petroleum Institute, representing Big Oil, announced their EAGLE Initiative: Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions. A joint press release at the time noted the new effort outlines how the U.S. “can safely eliminate the use of leaded aviation fuel by […]

The aircraft manufacturing industry’s results for the first three months of 2022, when compared to the same period in 2021, point to increasing aircraft unit deliveries across each aircraft segment while the overall value of the aircraft shipments was slightly lower.” So said the General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) in mid-May on the occasion of […]

At a recent social gathering of non-pilots—yes, I still have something of a life—an inevitable question popped up: “What do you do for a living?” After explaining that I edit this magazine, am a pilot and aircraft owner, etc., another inevitable question popped up: “Are small airplanes safe?” The questioner was a professional who had […]

One fascination I and many friends seem to have is aeronautical charts, especially old ones. If you look closely at a sectional from, say, the 1960s, you’ll immediately notice that they’ve gotten more complicated over the years. That’s an inevitable outcome from more airplanes and people flying in comparison. Cities and towns have grown, highways […]

If you’ve paid much attention to general aviation industry news, you’ve probably heard of the recently announced EAGLE initiative involving the FAA and some industry groups. The initiative’s purpose derives from its acronym: Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions. Outgoing FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and the industry groups identified in the graphic below announced the effort […]

As this issue of the magazine headed off to the printer in late January, the furor over the impact on radar altimeters from rolling out 5G cellular service throughout the U.S. seemed to have died down. The FAA issued hundreds of Notams and two blanket ADs covering rotorcraft plus transport and commuter category airplanes making […]

One of general aviation’s worst characteristics is that it’s not very environment-friendly. Putting aside (please!) the continued presence of lead in the vast majority of aviation gasoline, the typical aircraft piston engine is neither fuel-efficient nor clean-burning. That’s what happens when powerplants that haven’t fundamentally changed since before WWII are pressed into service for their […]

How many times have you heard ATC say something like the above? What was your response? I bet the first reaction to such a statement was disbelief, followed by a tinge of anger and, finally, acceptance as you worked to come up with a Plan B. Somewhere in that mix of emotions and reactions, there […]

I made another long cross-country in October, of about the same length as the one I documented in September’s issue (“If X, Then Y”). This one didn’t feature airport fuel farms with no 100LL, or a thunderstorm right over my destination when I wanted to use it, however. In fact, after delaying my planned departure for […]

Since the airplane I fly most of the time is the Beech Debonair I own, rather than a series of rentals or club airplanes, it’s easy to forget some of the quirks others may or may not have in comparison. There are evident differences among various personal airplanes: high- and low-wing configurations, glass and round-dial […]