Table of contents for October 2024 in Plane & Pilot

ACROSS 1 Recommended book for pilots, "Stick and ____" by Wolfgang Langewiesche 4 ____ 210-5 plane 9 On the way through 10 Location of air traffic control 12 Online pilot proficiency program 13 Vietnam, for short 15 Electroflight’s ____ Rolls-Royce ACCEL "Spirit of Innovation" 17 _____ approach: command in relation to landing procedures 18 Screen 19 Control ____: device used for piloting some fixedwing aircraft 22 Short time period, abbr. 24 Blood system 26 Piper plane brand 28 ____ A5 amphibious light sport aircraft 31 E-address ending for colleges 33 Place 34 Word used when assigning a transponder code 35 La Guardia Airport code 37 Attempt 38 Encourage DOWN 1 Visionary behind groundbreaking flight designs, Burt ____ 2 Watery film 3 Hearing organ 5 Like some pilot maneuvers—to avoid trouble 6…

he green thumb gene must have skipped a generation, because I’d have trouble keeping a cactus alive, let alone a green field of soybeans. Many farmers would likely be in the same predicament if they didn’t use the services of ag pilots, colloquially known as crop dusters. If you’ve never seen an ag sprayer service a field, you’ve missed out on an aerial ballet of low and fast flight coupled with attack angles approaching the best aerobatic pilots in the world while the pilot dodges power lines, cell phone towers, and other obstructions. That and the geometric precision of covering acreage in minutes rather than the hours it would take using conventional methods is the hallmark of aerial ag companies and their pilots. Long gone are the days when the…

Sometimes, the opportunity to make a significant difference in the life of a perfect stranger arrives when the phone rings. The logbook entry reads, “July 9, 2003, BE-19, KEVB-KMIA, 2.2, 1 night landing (remarks: Angel Flight transplant).” The 24 hours surrounding the flight were unforgettable, and reinforcing the value of general aviation as a lifesaver was priceless. The lead-up is a bit more complex. I retired from the Air Force in summer 2000, and we finally settled down. High on our list for selecting a new home was the proximity to a GA airport. Soon, an IFR-equipped Beechcraft BE-19 Sport sat in our new hangar. Finding myself with a more reasonable university teaching schedule, I decided to join Angel Flight Southeast. Founded in 1983 on the West Coast, Angel Flight…

Ode to Aeronca I am a hardcopy reader of Plane & Pilot. I wrote the attached poem, or “ditty,” while flying around northern Virginia in an Aeronca Champ and just thought I would share it with you and your readers. I hope you will print it. I’m flying along in my aero-plane,Way down low, I’m racing the train.Here and there, and to and fro,With no particular place to go. Too much fun, I don’t look back,I make turns around the old horse track.Heading home, there’s now a cross-wind,Aim for the numbers, and widen my grin.A two-wheeled landing is good for the soul,I need steady hands, feet and toes.I taxi along with the stick full-back,But take-off fuel is what I lack. Swing the tail, the mags switched off,I push it back,…

JULY MEANS OSHKOSH—the time for that substantial trip in the RV-9A from Savannah, Georgia, to Wisconsin, with stops to and from. This was another satisfying trip, full of ADM, IMSAFE, and trade-offs—and weather. The plane was well-loaded with all kinds of things, most of which got used. A long, loose box contained 2 quarts of oil (used one), paper funnels, paper towels, windshield cleaner, and microfiber cloth (no smushed six-legged souvenirs from Missouri allowed), and a tie-down kit that I was sure I wouldn’t use. That awkward box made loading everything else difficult. A backpack on the front seat held electronics, including a MacBook Air, an iPad (which was never used), a GoPro in its case, a plastic container with all of the MacBook air cables and chargers, an extension…

The FAA is seeking input from Cirrus SR operators following a report of a power lever failing on takeoff. According to the agency, a power lever sheared recently as a pilot advanced to full throttle. “The pilot quickly cut fuel to the aircraft and aborted the takeoff,” FAA said in an Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) released Friday. Images provided by the FAA show the lever broke off at the base. The FAA and Cirrus Aircraft are investigating the issue together, specifically targeting the power levers in Cirrus SR20/SR22/SR22T airplanes. The owner of the SR20 initiated a fleetwide inspection and found cracks in numerous levers. The aircraft, which are used in the training environment, have between 2,900 to 3,900 hours, including approximately 12,500-15,000 takeoffs and landings. “The failure and cracks were…

Eventually, the temptation is too much to resist, and your lifelong desire to have a personal set of wings can only be satisfied by taking the plunge into aircraft ownership. There are potentials for disappointment and dissatisfaction when entering into aeronautical matrimony, however. You will learn that what you want and what you need are often in diametric opposition. And tying up all the loose ends of an acquisition can be frustrating. Fear not. There is help for the unwary. Good, honest bankers, brokers, and backers who have been through many airplane acquisitions before will know the ropes and can guide you through the rough spots. That’s not to say there aren’t some shysters ready to unload a dog of a plane they happen to have for sale. But a…

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, some nonflyer will casually say to me, “Ever been afraid while you're up there flying?” One supposes they are looking for some juicy description of a desperate situation fraught with daunting danger, culminating in a near-escape from certain death. My usual comeback is, “Well, I don’t recall ever being truly afraid, but there were some times when I wished I were somewhere else than where I was.” Whether we admit it publicly or not, we may occasionally encounter fears while flying, as well as harbor doubts about our motivation for flying an airplane. I’ve seen people solo or even earn their certificate, only to walk away after proving their point, content to have finished the goal they had set. Seems a shame, and a waste,…