Table of contents for September 2022 in Plane & Pilot

So far over the past year, there have been two battles between supporters of small airports and two airport authorities, who made and/or proposed disruptive changes to how their airports operate. In the Bay Area of California, Santa Clara County officials sponsored a study that found that land close to the busy general aviation airport Reid-Hillview has dangerously elevated levels of environmental lead. So, they stepped in and eliminated the sales of 100LL, the most widely used fuel by small and not-so-small piston-powered GA aircraft. Recent reviews of that study, which, again, the county paid for, seem to show that airport leadership was, to be very kind, less than transparent with its representation of the facts. The takeaway, in fact, seems to be the opposite of what the county claimed.…

Just saying the name “Bellanca” in general aviation circles conjures up the image of an Italian-inspired, handcrafted, exotic sportscar of the air! When I was a high schooler growing up in the Washington, D.C., area during the late 1960s, our family never missed the big Washington, D.C., Auto Show or the yearly pilgrimage north to Pennsylvania for the Reading airshow. At the Auto Show, all the new models from Ford, GM and Chrysler were on display, but the stars of the show were always the blood-red Italian Ferraris, with their graceful, curved lines and powerful V-12 engines. In its heyday, the Reading airshow was the AirVenture of the East Coast, and all the new offerings from Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft were there. However, the one that caught many an eye…

We’ve all seen lists of the greatest pilots ever. These compilations can be problematic. Not that I disagree with the pilots they tend to point to as great; far from it. It’s just that the very question—”What makes a pilot great?”—is a hard (perhaps impossible) one to answer. Is it flying skill, and if so, how is that measured? Or is it achievement, and how is that tabulated? Hours in the air? Kills? Grace under pressure? There’s no easy answer, and even if one sprang to mind, there’d be no way to test it. Truth is, there have been many thousands of great pilots. But famous pilots? That’s a whole different conversation. As I pondered the subject of just how a pilot translates greatness into fame, the answer came to…

One might think that by the time we’ve arrived at our third Your Flying World Photo Contest, the entries might start looking a little, well, reminiscent of previous contests’ submissions. But thanks to our talented entrants, such is just not the case. This year’s photos were spectacular, and once again, our distinguished judging panel had its work cut out for it when it came time to pick the finalists and, later, the prize winners. One of the challenges, and one that our judges have grown used to, they tell us, is the wide range of subject matter. Not only are there aircraft from every conceivable category—this year, we especially loved a pic of a twin turboprop utility plane—but the angles and moods our intrepid photographers capture are simply spellbinding. In…

Maxcy Christopher LSTOL King Bozeman, Montana/Injuries: 1 The private pilot reported that, shortly after touchdown during landing, the experimental, amateur-built tailwheel equipped airplane immediately veered to the left. The pilot corrected with right rudder and applied engine power; however, the airplane subsequently ground looped, during which the right main landing gear strut collapsed. The pilot, who was the builder of the airplane, reported that this was the second time the gear struts had bent on this airplane. Following the first event, the pilot had reinforced the landing gear strut, but he believed that the design of the main landing gear was unable to withstand the routine stresses of landing. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. Cessna 150 Commuter Hamburg, New York/Injuries: 1 The pilot reported that,…

“I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.”—Antoine de Saint-Exupery Since the first time we hopped into an airplane, we have heard our instructor implore us to “stay ahead of the airplane!” Nearly 50 years ago, it was much easier to shut out the world and focus on our flying. However, today things are different. Let’s face it, many of us live in a world of endless interruptions, distractions and intrusions. Our occupations have gone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week to what seems like a 24/7 parade of Zoom meetings, emails and text messages. Our smartphone, that amazing provider of weather, NOTAMS and flight information, is also the number one culprit in numerous distracted driving, and possibly flying, incidents. So…

Linus: “You know, you lose focus in this game for one second…”Danny: “I know, somebody gets hurt.”—Ocean’s Eleven, 2001 There is a tradition among pilots to go and have a “$100 hamburger” or a “$100 breakfast.” This refers to making a flight to some airport to eat in their restaurant/café instead of a local place. If you factor in the cost of a plane rental, fuel and the meal, a simple burger and fries or eggs/pancakes, it can be at least $100. Somehow, the meal ALWAYS tastes better away from your home airport. So, on a clear, beautiful Sunday morning on March 11, 2007, my wife, Fern, and I drove to Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where I rented a Cessna 172SP, call sign N53570, at the local FBO. We were…

Not all aircraft accidents require clever detective work to figure out why they happened. Some investigations quickly uncover so many regulatory and procedural violations that you wonder how the crash didn’t happen sooner. A disastrous ending seems inevitable given the starting conditions. A newly published National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on a June 27, 2020, crash falls into this category. A little after midnight, a solo pilot in his 2006 Piper PA-32R Saratoga II TC left the David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (KDWH) in Spring, Texas. He was heading home to a personal airstrip near Zavalla, Texas. The Piper Saratoga is a comfortable single-engine six-seat low-wing fixed-gear high-performance 300-hp single-engine airplane, a development of the Cherokee Six/Piper Lance line of six-place aircraft. After taking off from DWH, the pilot…

High-Wing Aircraft Visualized Flight Maneuvers Manual This manual is a comprehensive visual aid that covers all the flight maneuvers required for Private, Sport, Commercial and Flight Instructor certification. Fold-out pages and full illustrations show and explain each maneuver on a one-page spread, step by step. It contains full descriptions of stalls, slips, performance and ground-reference maneuvers, as well as short, soft and crosswind takeoffs and landings. This revised fifth edition adds a new section on energy management. Also included are suggested checklists for everything from preflight to takeoffs and landings, performance and check rides, and an easy-to-use index. Available as a softcover printed version or an eBook. Price: Starts at $19.95. Available at: www.asa2fly.com. Retired Delta Airlines Office Chair This converted passenger seat was originally from a B747, N670US, serial…

Oxygen. We can’t live without it. In fact, when we venture to the rarefied air of the upper altitudes, we must bring extra oxygen with us. Yet this precious element is not without danger—there is a such thing as too much of a good thing. Oxygen toxicity can occur if we breathe 100% oxygen at sea level pressure for a period of time. We have been cautioned in our use of oxygen—obviously no smoking, but what about other hazards? This essential gas that we need to sustain life can also be a volatile and unpredictable enemy. Even the “Mythbusters,” those daring debunkers of television fame, declined to try an experiment with oxygen on oil-contaminated pavement because of the unpredictability and potential danger involved. We’ve been warned about the danger of…

There are no two ways about it: Flying at night not only adds several risk factors; it also reduces our risk mitigation options. Suitable landing locations for emergencies are harder to see. Overall visibility is reduced in most cases also. Even when the flight is technically VFR, in many places where darkness rules the night—such as big bodies of water, large expanses of trees or desert, and mountains—a pilot is pretty much navigating IFR. The use of electrical systems at night takes on a significantly more prominent importance than it might in the daytime if a pilot encounters a failure of an electrical system. While many modern aircraft include a redundant battery or even alternator systems, for those of us who fly older aircraft with a single alternator and battery…

• Always detail your aircraft in a well-lit hangar. • Use an auxiliary “head-lamp” that fits over your head with an elastic headband. The light goes where your eyes go. • Always work in a well-ventilated area. Degreasers have irritants and make breathing difficult or dangerous without proper ventilation. • Always wear safety glasses and/or a facemask. Dry wash chemicals and degreasers don’t mix well with eyeballs. • Don’t let the chemical dry wash “dry” on your aircraft. This may occur if you get distracted after applying the dry wash. Allowing it to dry before attempting to wipe it off may cause damage to your paint finish. • Do not do any paint correction on any composite aircraft (think Cirrus) without consulting with the manufacturer and confirming the use of…

“Why are we in the air? We’re practicing, you might say, what it is to be alive.” These words, written in the book “A Gift of Wings,” are nothing but the truth for their author. From flying military jets to puttering around in antique biplanes, Richard Bach found his home, his love, his passion in the air. And he turned that passion into multiple bestselling books. Born in 1936 in Illinois, Bach found aviation quickly. At the age of 14, he went for his first airplane ride. Knowing he wanted to continue down the aviation path, Bach gravitated to the local airport, acting as a line boy in trade for flight time in a Luscombe. “I remember that I wondered, once, what flying a fighter airplane would feel like.” Bach…