Whew! It’s over. Sun ’n Fun can be the busiest six days of one’s life — until the next one. I wanted to skim the very top of what I found interesting at the recently concluded show. Today I’ll cover airframe manufacturers and follow up this week with more. Dave Loveman, my video collaborator, will […]
Opinion
Don’t forget the little guy
As regular readers of this column may have noted, I often write about airports and administrative issues that effect the municipally owned airports of Polk County, Florida. Because most of the issues that one airport faces will eventually become an issue for others, there is a certain universality to the topics covered here, even if […]
UL91 explained
Last month, Lycoming expanded its support for alternative fuels by announcing that it was seeking EASA approval for operation of many of its engines on the unleaded aviation fuel UL91. The company also announced it was planning to approve its new O-233 LSA engine for autogas, a clear response to engines from Rotax, Jabiru, ULPower, […]
Will this replacement camshaft work in my engine?
Q: I have an O-290-D2 that I am going to use in an Experimental Wag Aero 2+2 that I am building. Although the engine was flying regularly before I removed it from a Pacer and pickled it, I want to open it up to look at the cam. If the cam is pitted, a replacement […]
MMA and Cylinders?
Leave it up to the good folks in at San Antonio-based ECi to write a post for their website titled, “Cage Fighting for Cylinders“. In the post, ECi’s Tim Moreland acknowledges that “ECi has gotten a black eye for some cylinder failures so we went to the gym to toughen up.” Using the growing popularity […]
Performers donated $250K, how much did you ‘donate’?
At a closing day media briefing, Sun ’n Fun president John ‘Lites’ Leenhouts said airshow performers donated $250,000 worth of performances to the fly-in this year. Lites was a few minutes late to the media briefing because he was thanking performers at the airshow safety briefing. “When a group donates $250,000 of services,” Lites said, “I […]
ULPower’s new 6-cylinder autogas engines
Belgian aircraft engine maker ULPower recently announced a new line of FADEC-controlled, autogas-burning six-cylinder engines ranging in output from 140-200 hp. According to Robert Helms, general manager of ULPower North America, “The thrust to weight ratio is appealing to the designers of many aircraft. Whether you are focused on short takeoff, high economy, or high […]
Trust but verify
I wonder if the insurance industry will accept a “driver’s license” medical should the AOPA/EAA petition for exemption of a 3rd class medical succeed. After all, just because the FAA says I don’t need a medical to operate a Cessna 172, an underwriter doesn’t have to insure me without one. It’s their money — but […]
The loser in us all
The saying goes, “You can’t win if you don’t play.” That’s true for the most part. But of course the corollary to that expression is, “If you play you will lose — at least sometimes.” That’s the reality of the situation. Get used to it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to dissuade you […]