Table of contents for June 2022 in Plane & Pilot

The phasing out of 100LL, a process that is sadly only beginning now, is an opportunity to cast light aviation, a segment that overwhelmingly still uses leaded gasoline, as clean. The point is, we don’t really have to be clean, no more than cars and trucks do. We just need to be no dirtier than they are, at least in terms of emissions. It’s something that the creators of our most common aviation gasoline, 100LL, got. Without saying so, the name implies that the lead content of our fuel is really, really low. It’s not. In fact, as I’ve pointed out previously here, 100LL is lower in lead than only the leaded 100 octane that high-performance piston-powered aircraft used. It actually has more lead than the old 80 octane that…

Beech 36 Bonanza Williams, Arizona/Injuries: 1 Minor The pilot reported that, during an uphill takeoff into ascending terrain, about 4,000 ft down the 6,000-ft long runway and at 80 knots, he rotated the airplane and stayed in ground effect to gain airspeed. He began pulling back to establish a climb, but the stall warning horn sounded, so he reduced the pitch attitude. He added that he “constantly attempted” to pitch up until he heard the stall horn. At the end of the runway, he retracted the landing gear, but it did not affect the airplane’s performance. He reported that he knew the airplane had attained a positive climb rate but did not know the specific value. He then saw that the airplane was going to strike a tree, so he…

When we think of stealth aircraft, we usually focus on low radar-signature planes like the F-22 fighter or B-2 Stealth Bomber. But, in fact, stealthy technology encompasses much more. Most aircraft also produce a heat signature, a vapor trail and, of course, the generation of power produces noise. In 1966, the Lockheed corporation combined a Schweitzer 2-32 glider airframe, a Continental 0-200 engine and the muffler from a 1958 Buick to produce what was arguably the first stealth aircraft. This original design, the QT-2 (Quiet Thruster), eventually morphed into the production version, the YO-3 Quiet Star, which went on to gather intelligence for the U.S. military in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam and then had a second act catching wild game poachers in the Mississippi Delta. “Once flight tests…

FOR YEARS, THE CESSNA 206has been called the flying SUV, and for good reasons. It’s rugged, can take a good load, and does, indeed, serve as a utility vehicle, carrying good loads of both people and cargo. The Cessna 206 has proven its mettle around the world. And in my company, at least, it fills in a rather unique role, that of a corporate plane. After operating a Piper Chieftain and a 172, I found the 206 has proven more than capable of doing double duty, transporting people, cargo and everything in between to points within 100nm of our home base in the Southern Philippines. It’s reliable, and its simple operating economics make it the best choice for our needs. And as a pilot, I find it is an honest,…

The pilot of a Piper PA-32 was having some navigation and control problems. He was in the clouds on a night RNAV GPS instrument approach into the Raleigh Durham International Airport (KRDU), North Carolina. Eventually, he broke out of the clouds, seeing the runway straight ahead. But instead of landing, he crashed one mile short of the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released its full report on this Oct. 20, 2019, accident. It carefully details the issues the instrument flight rules (IFR)-rated private pilot had in the clouds. However, the unsafe flight path and resultant crash happened long after the pilot had the runway in sight. Strangely, the NTSB never mentions the treacherous visual illusion that might have killed the pilot and his wife. The couple had…

MultiSump Aircraft Fuel Tester This fuel tester allows for up to eight fuel sump testings on the same aircraft without having to empty between checks. After obtaining a sample, you can do an inspection on the fuel in the top container. Afterward, the contents can be emptied into the lower sample cup by pushing down on the top. After all the sumps have been checked, the samples can be emptied from the lower container with a pour spout. The MultiSump+ is a variation that includes a fuel strainer to keep impurities or water from entering the fuel pump during pourback. Constructed with fuel-resistant plastic and stainless steel, it measures 7 x 2.5 inches and weighs .28 pounds. Price: $28.95. Available at: www.mypilotstore.com. UA-80 Evolution Vest Switlik’s UA-80 Evolution vest is…

There are generally two kinds of pilots who fly in and out of the mountains. The first are the more experienced mountain flyers who live and fly in Alaska, Western Canada, the Rockies and the more rugged parts of the Appalachians, among other mountainous locales. These folks are immersed in the environment and are a very special resource for the pilot community. They know the ins and outs of high-elevation flying because they live it every day. The second group is composed of the rest of us. When we head west, we often fly hundreds of miles out of the way through New Mexico and Northern Arizona to avoid the high peaks, only to discover that this route is strewn with rugged peaks, high deserts and even higher elevation airports.…

Many years ago, I was fresh out of college with an education degree from the University of Texas, which meant I had a head full of disjointed information and little practical experience. In short, I had a lot of lessons to learn. Not finding a teaching job right away, I accepted a position managing the retail sales floor of a busy lumber yard and construction supply company in a rural area of central Texas. Our customers were a mix of home builders, ranchers, tradespeople and homeowners. We were kept hopping, filling orders, arranging deliveries and giving free advice. I was a bit full of myself, given that I now had an office, several employees and a regular paycheck. So, I set about fixing some of the business practices that, to…

One of the most influential figures in modern aviation, U.S. Representative Don Young (R, AK), died earlier this week at the age of 88. Young was a staunch supporter of aviation in his home state of Alaska and in general, sponsoring and backing legislation over the years that promoted aviation, especially light aviation, which plays a critical role in Alaska’s transportation infrastructure. Young served as the chair of the House Transportation Committee for seven years. He was the longest-serving member of the House and one of the longest serving in history, his service running from 1972 until his death. Young was on a flight to Seattle from Anchorage when he became unresponsive. Upon landing at SeaTac, he was pronounced dead. He first won a seat to the House of Representatives…

Garmin’s brand-new inReach Mini 2 is a product that should make it hard for pilots who don’t already have a satellite communicator (it does much more than just serve as a beacon) not to get one. The Mini 2 is a global satellite communicator for two-way text messaging through a subscription to the Iridium satellite network. Its compact footprint measures 4x2 inches and weighs 3.5 oz; it’s also impact resistant and water-rated to IPX7—that’s a good thing. If you wind up on foot, which is a bad thing, the Mini 2’s routing capability helps you get back to starting points right on the device. While the Mini 2 might seem like a tracker, it’s way more than that. For hikers and off-roader riders, it’s a handy tool to keep others…

Keeping water out of aircraft fuel systems is high on our list of “must-do” items. Over the years, much has been made of the Skylane’s rubber bladder fuel tanks, ostensibly because they get wrinkles in the bottom and trap water from getting to the drain sump. Big Cessna, always a tempting target, has been sued with considerable success over this claimed design flaw. Yet second-hand Skylanes continue to be highly sought after in the marketplace. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the concept of rubber cells to hold fuel; they’ve been used since before World War II in military airplanes, they hold up well in crashes, and they can be squeezed through small spaces and unfolded, making them easier to install than a metal tank. Bonanzas use them, twin Cessnas have…

The grainy video shows something that, to today’s eyes, looks impossible. Surely, it looked just as impossible then. A red-and-white Boeing 707 airliner approaching the crowd and then commencing to do a roll, something that even many pilots would find incomprehensible. But on Aug. 7, 1955, in front of an audience, that’s just what Alvin M. “Tex” Johnston did. Born in 1914 to farmers, Johnston turned his eyes to the sky at an early age. When he was only 11 years old, Johnston received his very first airplane ride from a barnstormer who had landed near his family farm. He was hooked. By the age of 15, Johnston had saved his money from his newspaper route to purchase a damaged Cessna Glider. After restoring the glider to flying condition, Tex…