Search Results for: oxygen

The currently controversial theory of “peak oil” holds that the top of the curve of world oil production – a barrels-per-day arc that rises with demand until it begins to fall because of dwindling supplies – either has already been reached or will be soon. Whatever side of the argument you’re on – there are […]

Unless youre someone like Sean Tucker or Patty Wagstaff, or one of the Blue Angels, you probably spend most of your time in the left seat of an airplane flying it straight and level. I know I do, since Im usually going somewhere, even if its only a quick flight to and from a nearby airport to warm the oil before changing it. Meanwhile, we spend a lot of time worrying about the aerodynamics associated with stalls, slips, spins and such, even though we rarely find ourselves performing those maneuvers.

Establishing someones basic medical fitness for flight has long been a prerequisite for pilot certification. Before even going far beyond initial lessons, primary students should have obtained at least a Class III FAA medical certificate, which is a requirement before their first solo.

At about 1030 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during an uncontrolled descent and recovery from cruise flight at FL270. Visual conditions prevailed. The flightcrew subsequently reported depressurizing the airplane after its windshield began cracking. They donned oxygen masks but were unable to obtain oxygen from the system, resulting in loss of consciousness. They later regained consciousness, recovered from the descent, and landed without further incident.

One surefire way for airplane makers to get a lot more performance out of their existing designs is by adding a turbocharger. It’s hardly a new approach. It’s been popular since the 1960s. And just in the past few years Columbia, Mooney and Cessna have all introduced turbocharged models, all based on good-selling existing airplanes. […]

Four of the last five airplanes that I bought were new. The one that wasn’t new had but 500 hours on it. That was years ago, the last being in 1979. Still, I know the real thrill that comes from getting a brand-new airplane and being the only person, other than the test pilot, who […]

I’ve noticed lately that I fly more and more slowly and pay more and more attention to fuel flow. Clearly this behavior is related to the rising cost of fuel; as it goes up, the best speed to fly goes down. But that relationship – speed divided by fuel flow – must be corrected by […]

Its a myth that good pilots can “fly anything with wings.” The truly good pilot realizes each type of airplane has unique characteristics and systems. Understanding them is the difference between “flying” and “flying safely” in an unfamiliar aircraft type.

Some readers might remember that starting back about five years I wrote a series of articles about my experiences flying with two separate small airplane fractional ownership operations: OurPlane and AirShares Elite. The experiences were very positive, and I came to believe that shared ownership (as it came to be called) would be a major […]

The high teens and low twenties are popular altitudes to fly but come with their own challenges. Its just enough different that you may need this refresher.