Do not get lazy. If there is a problem with your fuel, there will be a problem for you. continued»

Never assume the fuel you just purchased is “fine”. Lives and millions of dollars have been lost due to screw-ups that originated at the production/supplier end of the fuel equation. continued»

One of the easiest and most important things you can do to keep your aircraft healthy is to keep track of your airplane’s oil consumption. continued»

One of the most neglected pieces of equipment on most planes is the shimmy dampner. continued»

If you have been flying for any length of time, you know that stuff happens – there is just no way around it. continued»

Life has a way of throwing problems at you when you least expect them, and having an engine cowling open up in flight is just one of those problems. continued»

If you take just about any airplane apart at the joints between control surfaces, you will find movable bearings connected to rods. continued»

Looking over the flight controls is one of the important tasks that a pilot performs just prior to taking to the air and the extent of your effort here might be a good judge of your overall thoroughness as a pilot. continued»

Whether you use a pressure or vacuum system, the loss of your pneumatic system in IFR conditions can provide you with a very challenging last couple of minutes of your life -- and a pneumatic system failure can occur at any time. continued»

So, you want to buy an airplane and join the ranks of the owner / pilot. continued»

If you ever encounter fire in the cockpit, rapid and immediately action is required to save your life. continued»

Granted, your plane’s no Concorde or SUV, but a bad set of tires will make every effort to do for you what it’s done for them. continued»

There have been numerous fatalities in fog related accidents recently and far fewer survivors. continued»

Few pilots consider how handy their Cell phone can be when it comes to their flying. continued»

Rivets will tell you how an airplane has been flown and whether or not it is safe to fly again -- if you know how to read them. continued»

Do you use Unicom to your best advantage? continued»

Most pilots continue to learn about flying and being prepared, but, no matter how many hours we fly, some things will always turn your stomach. continued»

Pilots that fly at night see some of the most beautiful sights in the world, but there are some biological factors that make seeing things at night -- and how you should look for them -- very different than seeing things during the day. continued»

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine and because about half of all general aviation aircraft hold it behind quick drains you should know how those drains work. continued»

There are dozens of documented reports that suggest electronic interference from cell phones caused a disruption to key flight instruments, but not everyone is convinced. continued»

Just as cell phones can cause interference with flight instruments, many other electronic devices can cause problems. continued»

Everyone has the potential to have a bad day when flying and, if you’re not careful, your insurance company can make a bad day worse. continued»

You would never think that water could cause these problems, but the fact of the matter is that it can and it will. continued»

No, we’re not talking about that date you went on... continued»

Just how much do you control when you fly? continued»

In a good number of aircraft in the fleet today, belts drive accessories -- these accessories do various things like keep the radios on... continued»

Just as having belts that are too tight can cause damage to your engine or the driven components, belts that are too loose can also cause problems. continued»

For all the problems that could result from a drive belt failure in flight, stopping them before they can actually happen is fairly simple -- if you know how. continued»

In recent months, there have been numerous cases of the control wheels breaking off of the control column, causing an in-flight emergency for the pilot of the plane -- so, no, this is not a culinary article. continued»

Corrosion of your battery terminals can cause real problems in flight, and even on the ground. continued»

The majority of tachometers on the market are mechanical meters, which translate the engine RPM from a cable into a meter reading of how fast your engine in running -- and they don't always work right. continued»

As I entered the downwind leg, the controller informed me he had visual contact, and cheerfully confirmed I was cleared to land ... then, he did something that I had never encountered in my life – he said “Check Gear Down.” continued»

How many times have you stared at the display of your lightning detection equipment, and questioned whether it was telling you the truth? continued»

On May 12, 2000, a Beech Baron was destroyed when it impacted terrain after takeoff. continued»

It could happen to you at any time and, from the moment the ice begins to form, your actions, and the time you take to implement them, will either keep you alive or get you killed. continued»

If you were flying in the military, and were in a hot spot where your aircraft was at risk, you would be flying with your IFF, or Identification, Friend or Foe System on high alert -- things are a little different in the civilian market. continued»

Every plane has at least one -- a crack in a formed part, or more than likely, a composite part or fairing of some sort on the airframe. continued»

If your airplane has an electric starter, you have a battery on board and, over time, a number of factors can help to rob the capacity from your battery, making it too weak to start your airplane. continued»

Just about every General Aviation airplane flying today does so with the assistance of specifically loaded cables -- when was the last time that yours were checked? continued»

It happens every once and a while: You are flying, you hit the button to report something and your transmission doesn't end when you want it to... continued»

Ah, yes, spring has arrived in all of its beauty and glory -- the bugs are flying, the birds are back in the northern parts of our country... and that's bad news for pilots. continued»

Pneumatic systems, while simple, can prove to be difficult to troubleshoot. If you're ever host to a pneumatic gremlin, getting the aircraft back on the ground may be only the beginning of your problems. continued»

Whether your plane has rubber bladders to hold the fuel, a wet wing, or a metal tank inside the wing, fuel leaks can result in in-flight fires or a loss of engine power. continued»

The fuel caps on your airplane keep contaminants out of your fuel tank -- provided they're new. continued»

THUNK! As you rotate and lift off, you hear a healthy noise from the top of the plane, followed by a rattle. continued»

In my years as a pilot, I’ve had some bad days. I’ve been socked in, hundreds of miles from home, stuck to the ground by hard IFR. I’ve had instruments fail in flight, minor electrical problems ... even an instructor that seemed intent on killing me... continued»

Take another look at the title -- we aren’t talking about the taxiway here! continued»

If you think we are talking about a new style of props, we wish we were. Instead, we’ll tell you the sad story of what can happen if you aren’t cautious around airplanes. continued»

Accident records show that airports with short runways -- less than 2500 feet -- can present some real challenges to pilots of high-performance aircraft. continued»

Since about 1980, aircraft have enjoyed certain changes that allow pilots to fly more safely. continued»

The placards and instructions in the POH of our aircraft are there for our protection... usually. continued»

The Cessna line is not the only plane with a built-in weakness in the landing gear. continued»

Landing gear on aircraft can have some problems, and early Cessna 170 landing gear have a real doozy! continued»

No, we aren’t talking about your choice of shoes -- the sound of your aircraft's wingtip hitting something is distinctly different... continued»

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are involved in plane wrecks every year... continued»

Think about your training and experience as a pilot -- you covered stalls, turns, takeoffs, and of course, the always exciting landing, but there was probably something missing. continued»

The title gives this one away, but it is still worth explaining how it happened, so you can avoid having a similar problem in your life. continued»

Have you ever flown with a pilot that set your teeth on edge? continued»

Things are a bit messed up right now, so if you do get the chance to go somewhere, you'd better know what you're doing, because getting it wrong might result in a military escort followed by an unplanned landing at an unfamiliar airport. continued»

Terrorists struck at the heart of America with acts against civilian targets... continued»

In our last story about Dick, we found him 'fast-taxiing' (read: flying) down the runway, to his taxiway. continued»

We make landings (hopefully) after every takeoff -- it's a reasonably simple process, once you learn how to do it right the first time, but there are some times when landings just don’t go the way we expect them to. continued»

A few months ago, I was walking down the flight line, and I noticed that one of my favorite airplanes on the line was missing. continued»

We all have those experiences as pilots that leave us with marks for life. continued»

Keeping your airplane warm and dry has some advantages; let's take a look at your propeller, for example. continued»

This isn't a story about Dick, but it seems to be about some of his cousins. continued»

After a hundred hours, I thought I knew my airplane... continued»

Did you ever take a good look at your aircraft’s induction system? continued»

When I heard this story, I couldn't believe it. It concerned the owner of a nice Cessna 172, who had a bad case of get-home-itus, and the sad story of how his pride and joy managed to take off without him... continued»

If you think about how the various temporary flight restrictions and outright groundings have affected your ability to fly, think some more and consider how these actions have affected your FBO... continued»

There are two things that are given in aviation: First, the cost to fly will go up each and every year; second, if you don’t keep an eye on your exhaust system, it will most assuredly kill you dead! continued»

If you're a fan of these stories, yes, Dick did it again... continued»

Oil leaks and airplanes seem to go together like butter and potatoes, but not all oil leaks are benign... as I found out, first-hand. continued»

There is a considerable gap between the creativity of people who fly airplanes and the limits set by people who write regulations... continued»

Despite all our precautions, problems can occur in the cockpit -- typically when you least expect them, and even more often when you can least afford them... continued»

Amazing things can spill out of pilots' mouths when they manage a particularly skillful response to an event that was initiated by their own stupidity -- running out of fuel, for example. continued»

The runway at an airport has a specific purpose -- to present a surface amenable to consistent takeoff and landing; things get complicated when the surface itself isn't so consistent... continued»

Our friend Dick has a friend named Dave. Dave flies a high performance biplane called a Christen Eagle... continued»

Sad stories like this one don’t turn up very often; fortunately for the rest of us, they leave lessons behind. continued»

Well, it's cold, flu, and who-knows-what-hellish-other-kinds-of-sickness weather season again and that means it's time for a quick review of the “dos and don’ts” of flying while medicated... continued»

It stands to reason that the goofiest stuff that you will ever experience as a pilot will usually come at the moment you are least prepared for it. continued»

This story is more for owners than renters, but everyone can learn from this... continued»

How many times have you heard this story -- a plane comes out of major maintenance and things don’t work quite right. continued»

I was talking with an old friend the other day, and he related a story to me that quite honestly threw me for a loop. continued»

Are the avionics in your airplane yours or someone else's? continued»

This is one you don’t hear about every day, and it concerns something that all piston engine pilots do and take for granted. continued»

Just because your lightning detector doesn't see it, that doesn't mean that the Level 5 thunderstorm isn't there. continued»

Frankly, when I hear all the hubbub about airport security, I have to laugh... continued»

Every part on a certified airplane must at some point be approved, but that doesn't mean that the plane you fly isn't full of bogus hardware. continued»

This is a weird one, but it happened just the same -- which means it could happen to you. continued»

Okay, okay, I admit this story isn’t about my friend Dick, who has amazed us with some impressive acts of pilot... well, stupidity... still, when I heard what this fellow did to his plane, I nearly fell out of my chair. continued»

This trip took place back in the mid-1970’s: flying down along the western coast of Mexico and meandering down to the South American continent sounded like just the trip these US-worn pilots needed -- until... When I think of this story, it still gives me the chills... continued»

I can still remember the day as clearly as when I was there. I was sitting with my instructor, a gentleman named Don, just after finishing my first night cross-country... continued»

With the arrival of summer comes the need for many pilots to shake off the rust, and get back into the air in their trusty airplanes. continued»

In the furor of the Post September 11th attacks, a subject seems to come up again and again -- that of whether or not flight crews should be able to carry firearms in the cockpit. continued»

You wonder how he does it -- every year, a pilot on the field seems to get 13 months out of his plane between annuals; and even though your financial lives are identical, his plane seems to get a little nicer each year, too. continued»

Even some VFR pilots -- to keep the aircraft upright in marginal conditions (hazy days of summer included) often use the Attitude Direction Indicator (ADI) -- but even good instruments fail. continued»

Every once in a while, we do things that we regret... continued»

The landing gear on our planes is really taken for granted -- even though it's often the only thing between you, your airplane, and the ground. continued»

...And other sounds an Airplane SHOULDN'T MAKE! When you think about it, most airplanes are incredible pieces of formed metal. continued»

“Sloshing” is a process where a fuel tank sealant is put into a metal fuel tank, and the tank is rocked back and forth, to evenly distribute the sealant ... it has nothing to do with beer. continued»

When the engine stops, some numbers are more important than others -- but so are some actions. As pilots, we don’t talk through this problem nearly enough... continued»

I got a real eye-opener from an airport operator the other day. After landing at Brandywine PA (N99), I watched a nice Piper Seneca come in for a landing. The pilot was too high on the approach, and had allowed too much of the 3000 foot long strip to pass by. continued»

There is a saying about old pilots and bold pilots, which ends with the statement that there are "few old, bold pilots." In fact, we see accident statistics every year that seem to reinforce this adage -- as we see several new pilots try to boldly do stupid things in flight that typically end badly! continued»

Ah, it's that time of year again! Spring has rolled past, and with it have come blooming flowers, grass to mow, and finally tagging along for the ride, my annual inspection. While some pilots dread their annual inspection, I look forward to mine with great anticipation. continued»

Excluding certain personalities, AvGas is the most explosive part of your piston-powered airplane. For the energy that AvGas contains, it actually can pose a significant threat to the safety of flight. continued»

Your plane looks very cozy to the mouse population -- they will be more than happy to set up housekeeping inside your airframe, and that's a problem (I speak from experience). continued»

There are plenty of honest aircraft dealers out there... and there are exceptions, too. Honest dealers work to get you the right plane, at a price that will be profitable for them and affordable for you. continued»

Last week, you read about Tricky Rick, the airplane dealer who tried to sell us a Skyhawk but concealed its damage history -- unfortunately, it wasn't our last encounter with Rick. continued»

Some things to keep in mind while we watch the Hurricanes sweep through the Gulf for destinations unknown and any day the wind blows. A few years ago, I had the chance to fly into Cheyenne, Wyoming, after escaping from Jackson Hole. continued»

Insurance is what most pilots use to manage the risk of flying -- it's important for you and those you might meet with misfortune; it's just as important to know the fine print. continued»

Once set into the design, unless changed through the addition of extra fuel tanks, the “fuel hand” you've been dealt is the one you will live with -- unless you're Dick. continued»

In this business, I have to keep my finger on the pulse of aviation. Imagine my surprise when I received a memo from the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA), noting that on the subject of airport security, that complacency is not an effective countermeasure against terrorist attacks. continued»

Years ago, I enjoyed reading the Peanuts comic strip written by Charles M. Schultz -- in one series, one of the characters was terrorized repeatedly by a fear of the dreaded Queen Snake. continued»

My buddy Mike loves to fly, and the only thing he likes more than flying is flying aerobatics. He got the bug a few years back and has been hard-bitten ever since. Every time he can scrape together enough money, he's off to the airport for another hour of inverted fun and adventure. continued»

When problems turn up in your airplane, you need to be concerned -- whether the problem is large or small -- because may just be the tip of the iceberg. Usually, the problems are trying to tell you something, and if you don't listen, that something could cost you your life. continued»

When I was young, I enjoyed watching Bugs Bunny and, on occasion, Bugs matched wits with Marvin the Martian ... who was usually working on blowing up the Earth. Bugs managed to foil Marvin, who had the usual line of the foiled nemesis: "Where's the big Kaboom?" continued»

I received a letter recently from an old pilot friend of mine, who said he had experienced a proverbial "bad day of flying." After reading his letter, I was left with an impression -- while his day was certainly not great, it was a pretty good "bad day" for several reasons. Once I explain what I mean, I think you will understand... and agree. continued»

If you live in the northern climes -- specifically where the outside air temperature dips below the freezing mark -- then you are probably familiar with engine heaters. These little units do a single, simple task: they pre-heat our aircraft engines, so that the engines will start when needed... and not self-destruct in the process. continued»

Did you read that right? Bad C-O-N-T-R-A-C-T-S was the title, not contacts. Believe it or not, some airport contracts (hangar leases) have some real hum-dingers in them. continued»

Oil is the lifeblood of your aircraft engine or engines. Despite what a few vendors will try to show you about additives, without engine oil, most aircraft engines will self-destruct quite quickly. This is one of the reasons why we are all trained to check the oil during our preflight and oil temperature and pressure soon after engine start. continued»

Most pilots agree that crosswind landings are the most common challenging landings they have to make. This should come as no surprise to pilots, since landing straight into the wind is as easy as pie. continued»

Get Lost! Think about how many times you have heard that in your life (alright, some of us more than others). When looking at this from the perspective of a student pilot, getting lost while in the air is somewhat scary, and the fear of getting lost is one of the key issues that ends future pilots when they obsess about that fear. continued»

This is a sad story, with an even sadder ending. Two pilots, who loved to fly their homebuilt Long EZ airplane (a very efficient canard design), got a bad case of get-there-itus. The problem was simple: they should have had a case of stop-and-figure-it-out-itus. continued»

We trim our airplanes multiple times each time we fly. Trim is set based on what is needed at the time, which is typically to maintain a comfortable equilibrium that maintains low control pressures. continued»

Gust locks are our friends... really... but they don't like to be ignored. They keep our controls locked in position, so that they aren't subjected to the abuse of Mother Nature while our airplanes sit out in the weather. continued»

In the flurry of messages that came in the wake of the story on fuel tank explosions during fueling, one of our readers had a really good question. Mark asked what type of containers would be best to fuel his plane at remote locations -- metal or plastic cans. The answer depends a lot on when the plane is fueled, but lets look at the factors involved. continued»

We had even more questions on fueling as a result of the article on explosive potentials in fueling your airplane from a fuel truck. One reader pointed out that he has a professional contractor's tank in the bed of his pickup, and that he uses that tank to fuel his airplane. He wondered if using this rig could expose his plane to a potential static electrical charge, and in doing so, introduce the potential for an explosion while he was fueling his airplane. continued»

The NBAA reports that with the arrival of spring and more VFR days, the government has seen a dramatic increase in the weekend violations of the Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) around Washington, DC and New York City, when compared to VFR winter weekends. This gives the Feds reason to get antsy, and the Office of Homeland Security has another excuse to curtail our right to fly! continued»

IT WAS ALL OVER IN A FLASH, literally in the blink of an eye. The airplane was trashed and a deer laid dead on the taxiway, half-butchered by the propeller of the now-blood-covered plane. How this happened is the sad story of a distracted pilot, the proclivities of nature, and just a bad combination of circumstances... continued»

I loved looking at airplanes when I was looking to buy my first plane. The exploration of the different models was incredibly interesting, and the stories that I stumbled across along the way helped to enlighten me about the challenges and, at times, the outright perils of ownership. continued»

I remember the old "Star Trek" series, in which the communications officer would utter those famous words as she established contact with another vessel. "Hailing Frequencies Open, Captain," Uhura would say, to indicate that the captain could talk to the other ship. continued»

Transitioning to a new airplane can be a lot of fun, if you do it correctly. I can remember way back to when I was making the transition to my Debonair, and all of the fun and challenges that were included. This was mostly due to the fact that I was going from flying Cessna 172s, to flying a complex, high performance, retractable gear aircraft like the Debonair. Let's just say the experience was loaded with opportunities to expand my skills as a pilot. continued»

I love writing about my friend Dick, since his thousands of hours of flying have been so fraught with things that would (and do) give me gray hairs just thinking about them. Still, it is our hope that by bringing these lessons of life to everyone's attention, we will all learn and so avoid our own incursions into Dick's world. continued»

The accessory plug is an often-overlooked part of your airplane. In most airplanes, this was called the "cigar" plug or "cigarette lighter" plug, before pilots and maintenance personnel started to figure out that smoking was bad for you ... and just as bad for your airplane. continued»

Here's a story you don't hear very often. It is a tale of a hard IFR flight, and a chance encounter with a thunderstorm in a twin engine Cessna 421. The results of the encounter would challenge any pilot, and in most cases, would have cost a lot more... continued»

Your plans are all set -- with some excitement, you will be flying up to the All-Star Game, to be held in Chicago this year. Your plane is fueled, your hotel reservations are made, your flight plans are made, and you even bought the charts you need. Everything is all set for your trip, which is scheduled to start on July 12th to allow you to get in and find your hotel and spend some time in the City of Chicago before the big game starts. continued»

We have covered a lot of ground on the fueling of airplanes lately, but you can imagine our surprise when we heard a new risk to fueling aircraft. That risk allegedly comes from that ubiquitous communication device of the 90's, the cell phone. It seems that someone wants us to think that these little boxes, designed to allow us to communicate between each other whenever we want to, from wherever we happen to be, can really put some excitement into fueling your aircraft or any other vehicle. continued»

There are many planes flying around these days and as, a general rule, the later the model, the better looking it is inside. It's simple, designs have been refined over the years, and newer planes are nicer and more comfortable than aircraft have been in the past. Nicer usually translates to more padding, better insulation, and special covers that hide structural members from the eye, covering them instead with a pleasant, smooth and painted surface. continued»

When I heard about this story, I nearly fell out of my chair. A pilot and his passengers, with a flight plan on file but according to the NTSB's preliminary report not activated, had to wait an hour before he was cleared into the Washington area ADIZ. By the time ATC cleared him in, the aircraft ran out of gas and the aircraft landed deadstick in a field and collided with trees... continued»

Tires are one of the most forgotten parts of our airplanes. After all, we spend a majority of our time flying through the air, our tires getting a “free ride,” as it were, not in contact with the ground. To the dismay of engineers and aircraft designers everywhere, most of the time an aircraft is in use, its tires are just sitting there being heavy. Unfortunately, because of their seemingly secondary role, pilots tend to neglect their tires to some extent, downplaying problems that could eventually come back to bite them in the tail – HARD! continued»

I've managed to see some of the seamy side of the world of aviation in my time, including some pretty lousy repairs. I was thinking about one repair I spotted while looking at an airplane for sale. The plane in question was an older Beech Bonanza, which had looked pretty good on the first inspection. continued»

BEWARE OF WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE ON AN AIRPLANE. That lesson hits home with the plight of a friend, the owner of a perfect, low-time Cessna 182, who had some problems with his nose gear. If you think this sounds like kind of a drag ... read on. continued»

Flaps are a pretty standard device on airplanes, and one that many pilots take for granted. Whether we have manual flaps actuated by a lever on the floor, or fancy electric driven flaps that move at the touch of a switch, flaps can and do fail in flight. continued»

LIFE CAN BE HARD AS A PILOT. Take Bob for example -- he had a problem. It was a minor problem, but one that comes up from time to time and just slaps the living crap out of an unsuspecting pilot. Basically, it sucked ... or didn't really, as the case may be. continued»

I HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS A PILOT, AND WHO OWNED A BEECH SUNDOWNER. The Sundowner had a reputation as a well-built plane, and was one of Beech's first of a less expensive breed of airplane. The truth be told, while rugged, the Sundowner was a little on the slow side, but was still a lot of fun to fly. It was basically an upgraded Musketeer, but in this new incarnation, shared many components with the Sierra, which was a retractable model, and the Duchess twin model. continued»

We are all trained to prepare a plane for landing. Generically, this includes the reduction of power to provoke descent, extension of flaps as called for in the Pilots Operations Handbook or POH, and extending the landing gear on those planes with retractable gear, before we make a safe landing. However, there are times when the use of full flaps isn't necessary, and by knowing when these cases arise, you will be better able to handle them. continued»

The way people work with machinery, or to say it better, the way machines work with people is a field of study called human factors. When we look at general aviation aircraft, few have a worse reputation for human factors incidents than the early Beech Bonanza models. This is because in an effort to make an airplane that was as beautiful to see as it was to fly, Walter Beech created the infamous "piano key" control panel. continued»

I heard about this one from a wanna-be pilot in the California area, which if you've been following the news, seems to be just about completely on fire these days, and I don't mean in a good way! continued»

How many times have you found yourself at the airport looking at another pilot and thinking, "Man, that guy is an idiot!"? Well, it happened to me the other day and the good news is we have still more tales of the experiences of Dick to share with you. continued»

If you've read my work here, you know that I respect Mother Nature. She is the force that creates beautiful sunsets, and gives us the delightful spring rains that bring forth the green fields that feed our world. I also believe that Mother Nature is a witch of the worst order, who will use the weather to beat sense into any pilot who should happen to disregard her power. continued»

We've had a number of accidents at a nearby airport with a "short" runway. The reason I say it is "short" is because at 3000 feet, it isn't a mile long - judging by the number of planes that have gone off the end of the runway and into the creek, some pilots need it to be. If you are the type of pilot that can learn from the mistakes of others, read on... continued»

A cockpit is one of the best classrooms. When you fly, there are always chances to learn lessons from what you are doing. Whether it is a long cross-country flight into an unfamiliar area, or handling the chores of a hard IFR flight, each time you get into the plane and turn the key you start a new learning session... provided you are willing to learn. continued»

It's cold, it's dark, it's winter. The alternator is the electrical lifeline for your aircraft. While the battery on board most planes, if you lose the alternator, the life of the battery is typically less than an hour at full load, and even shorter with all the lights on! But many pilots pay little attention to the alternator in their airplane, since it is such a dependable piece of equipment. The problem with alternator problems is that they usually come when the alternator is under heavy load. Translation: The alternator usually fails when you need it most. continued»

This is a true story. It concerns the confession of an old friend of mine named Bob. After years of suggestions that he take up flying, Bob has taken up flying. He has a total of 8 hours of flight time at the time I write this, but he has already started a list of things that you never want to hear from your flight instructor. continued»

I happened to remember the other day while I was driving this experience from my life as a pilot. I was on my way back from an American Bonanza Society (ABS) Service Clinic, where experts on the Beech aircraft line went over my plane with a fine-tooth comb, looking for problems. They poked and prodded, did a retraction test of the landing gear, and found a few problems that needed to be resolved. continued»

STUFF HAPPENS WHEN WE FLY. Whether that stuff is exciting (like an engine failure), or it's just a distraction (like the failure of a radio), how we react to the event frequently determines whether it becomes a big deal, or an event easily corrected. continued»

Cold weather has arrived -- rather brutally this year for many of us. Whether that cold weather translates to life in the mid-50's (as it often does in the southern climes), or in the sub-zero's (for northerners), cold weather means we need to keep an eye on our aircraft's tires, to make sure they stay properly inflated. continued»

Believe it or not, the cylinders in aircraft engines have been known to fail. While this doesn't happen every day (thank goodness!) it certainly can't hurt to know what you need to do, or to understand the telltale signs that will tell you your cylinder may not be a "cylinder" anymore. continued»

You've probably already read my call to watch your tires and preheat your engine when the temperature gets cold. Now I'm going to remind you about another important part of your flying that needs a little time to warm up on those spring mornings (and most any other day) - namely, your Avionics! The key here is to remember that aircraft are generally built for transportation over large distances. (Translation: just because the nights are warm where you came from, that doesn't mean they'll be warm where you're going.) As a pilot you must be very aware of your surroundings -- more so than you are attached to your expectations. continued»

While talking once with avionics professionals at the Aircraft Electronics Association show I learned some problems they found over the course of the years -- one of which was so serious I nearly dropped my flight bag.  The issue involved “paper” altimeter static checks, or the routine check that allows ATC to be sure that your plane is at the altitude it says it is. continued»

You don’t hear about people hand-propping planes very much any more.  While there are still a good number of planes without electric starters out there, the pilots that fly (and hand start them) are generally a well-trained and cautious bunch, and don’t generally get into trouble. continued»

YOU DON'T OFTEN HEAR ABOUT EVENTS LIKE THIS, BUT THEY DO HAPPEN. I happened to notice that there was a fleet of fire trucks headed towards the airport. It turns out they had good reason to be in a hurry, since one airplane had just plowed into three airplanes! continued»

Yep, you read that right, flames, as in FIRE (which is never a good word around an airplane fueled with any kind of AvGas) around your airplane when you are trying to start the engine. If you haven't seen this yet, be wary, because all it will take are the right circumstances, and you not only can see this type of event, YOU WILL. continued»

YOU’D THINK PILOTS WOULD BE SMART ENOUGH TO STAY CLEAR OF HANGARS. I would think so, since when I’m the pilot in command, I’ve managed to slip past any number of obstacles in my life, and have never bumped a parked airplane, person, or hangar with my airplane while taxiing. I guess I always thought of this as my job – you know, to SEE AND AVOID things both on the ground, and of course, while in the air. continued»

Garmin ( www.garmin.com) has long had the relationship as the leader in airborne GPS technology. Their latest additions to the market are the monochrome GPSMap 96 and color GPSMap 96C units, both of which are perfectly sized to fit into the palm of your hand, and yet pack one heck of a punch. We managed to get our hands on one of the color versions of these hot-selling units, and tried it out to see what it could do. continued»