One of our most avidly read features is Accident Reports. To put these together for every issue, reporter Meg Godlewski combs the National Transportation Safety Board’s database, choosing a wide variety of accidents to spotlight. We don’t do this to highlight bad news. In fact, we look at these reports as cautionary tales, presenting them […]
Opinion
Why are some Lycoming engines built without oil filters?
My friend and I were discussing why many Lycoming engines were built without oil filters, just oil screens. He guessed it was because in the beginning they just didn’t have oil filter technology, and once certified, the engine design is hard to change, so they just stayed that way for a long time. My conjecture […]
Next generation ATC: What will it be and how will we pay for it?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pilots and aircraft owners will be getting new equipment and learning new procedures in the coming years as the FAA develops and puts into operation its next generation air transportation system (NextGen). The cost to the FAA will mean increasing its budget to more than $1 billion a year for the next […]
A scientific definition
I agree wholeheartedly with Tom Norton’s May 19 editorial on the absence of civility in arguing matters of science today (Prove it!). But, as a scientist, I note that his definition of theory at the end of the article is incorrectly used. While the lay definition he gives is correct, the scientific definition is completely […]
Aerotropolis: The airport – and community – of the future
I just finished reading a magazine article that left me both surprised and thrilled. Published in Fast Company magazine, this article explains how cities around the world – especially in China, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Korea – are not only building massive new airports, but they are surrounding the airports with commercial and […]
Assembling a fuel-injected engine: What about sealants and fuel line routing?
I have nearly finished assembling a Lycoming O-360 that will be fuel injected. I am trying to find information regarding what kind, if any, sealant I should use and how to apply that sealant should one be used. I am assuming that careful application would be required in this area, specifically the fuel flow divider. […]
The Ultimate Flight Lesson
Let me congratulate the whole editorial team of GAN on your very interesting magazine, some recent copies of which I have enjoyed reading while on (flying) holiday in Florida. In the July 21 issue, I read with great interest the article “The ultimate flight lesson: Crossing the North Atlantic” and I found the idea truly […]
Terrorists Used Airline, not GA
Why is it the fact it was airline security that was penetrated and commercial aircraft that were used in terrorist activity that somehow has been dropped by the wayside? Jim Lombard via email
A fix for a hard-starting engine
Paul, I just read your response to Joe Ragon in the July 7 issue (Why is my engine so hard to start?). I too experienced the hard-starting problem when I purchased my Comanche 250 with an O-540 Lycoming. The seller stated that it had always been a hard starter. I found that all five of […]