Table of contents for January 2018 in Flying

You’ll notice that this month’s edition of Fly ing looks quite a bit different from what you’re used to receiving in your mailbox or calling up on your iPad. From the striking blackand- white image of a Cessna Citation Longitude on the cover to the expanded center section of the publication (what we in the magazine business call the “feature well”), this month’s issue represents a notable departure from the norm for us — for very good reason. I’m pleased to present to you this special issue — a project by turns stimulating and nerve-racking for our expert staff — the first comprehensive aircraft buyers guide in the 90-year history of the magazine. We’re billing this issue as more than merely an aircraft purchasing guide — you can think of…

When I earned my private ticket in 1960, jet aircraft were still rather rare, even in the San Fernando Valley. My home field, Whiteman Air Park in Pacoima, California, was near Van Nuys and Lockheed airports, both of which were busy commercial fields. The local landing and departing traffic was mainly at piston-engine airspeeds, which rarely exceeded 120 knots. Maintaining 100 knots on final either in front of or behind a DC-6 or a Connie was no problem. But when I started working on a commercial ticket at San Jose Airport in 1969, we had entered the DC-9 era. In spite of the 250-knot airspeed limitation below 10,000 feet, flying in the traffic pattern of a major airfield required an increase in situational awareness. The big difference in approach speeds…

My wife and I stood up from the couch in the wellappointed office and shook hands with National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt. We thanked him for taking the time to squeeze a visit into his packed schedule. The visit was the culmination of our personalized tour at NTSB headquarters, an opportunity not often afforded the public. With a sincere dose of humility, the chairman provided me a signed copy of Aircraft Accident Analysis: Final Reports, a book he had co-written with James Walters. The book would assist in research material for my next novel. I reciprocated by presenting a signed copy of my novel Paper Wings. Although I was biased by the fact that Sumwalt had originally come from within the ranks of airline pilots, the day’s interactions…

a. The ignition controller pack tells the coil when to fire the spark plug based on information from the magneto timing housing. b. The magneto timing housing unit replaces one of the two magnetos on the aircraft. c. The coil pack produces a 70,000-volt spark of longer duration than the one produced by a traditional magneto. d. The manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor gauges the strength of the vacuum inside the intake manifold. e. The state-of-the-art wiring harness supports a more consistent spark, while also reducing radio interference. Since the introduction of the internal combustion engine, engineers and entrepreneurs alike have searched for ways to squeeze more horsepower from each gallon of fuel. Despite those efforts, the traditional two-magneto system that provides the spark for combustion in an aircraft piston…

RELEVANT DISCUSSION: FAR 91.527, 91.1101, 121.629, 125.221, 135.227, 135.345, AIM 7-5-14, OPSPEC A023, AC 20-73, AC 20-117, AC 120-58, AC 120-60, AC 135-17, NASA There are four standard aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluid types: Type I, II, III and IV. Type I fluids (red-orange in color) are the thinnest of the fluids. They are essentially deicing fluids but can also be used for anti-icing. Because they’re not thickened, they will shear or blow off the airplane at relatively low airspeeds (around 60 knots). However, their low viscosity results in the shortest set of holdover times (HOT). Type I is always applied heated and diluted; it flows off easily, and can fail suddenly. Type I is available throughout the world. Type II fluids (clear or straw color) add thickening agents to…

I think it’s a prett y safe bet that there’s not a pilot alive who doesn’t have a soft spot for the Stearman biplane, except, perhaps, for the select few who have groundlooped one. My infatuation with Stearmans began at 7 years old, when, while piled into the back of our Oldsmobile Cutlass station wagon on a family road trip to Florida, I spied a barnstormer in a brilliant blue-and-yellow airplane plying his trade from a nearby airstrip. I pleaded for my parents to let me take a ride, and they actually discussed it, but decided the cost was well outside our tight vacation budget. Soon tin models of all four Red Baron Pizza team Stearmans adorned my bedroom, and a poster as well. There’s just something about that airplane…

Buying an airplane can be one of the most exciting, and the most terrifying, experiences you will undertake in your flying pursuits. It’s important to choose an airplane that will serve your needs for the foreseeable future without breaking your pocketbook. If you get it right, expect to become emotionally attached to this prized possession. We’ve all heard pilots say it: “Oh, I wish I had never sold that airplane.” Apart from scratching the flying itch, the right airplane can help you spend more time with your family, with the ability to travel efficiently to and from meetings or vacations in faraway places. How much is it worth to be able to return home in time to tuck your kids in every night? So how do you choose the right…

The skyBeacon standalone ADS-B Out solution from uAvionix features an integrated WAAS GPS receiver, wireless connection to any Mode C transponder and Wi-Ficonfiguration, all packaged into an LED nav-light replacement. While the $1,499 price tag makes it easy on the pocketbook compared with other ADS-B options, the system’s extremely inexpensive installation costs evolved from the ability to use a nav light’s current wingtip mounting location, wiring and circuit breaker. The unit is also capable of operating in “anonymous mode” to mask your tail number. According to uAvionix, total installation time is less than 10 minutes, with no requirement for periodic service, inspections or preventive maintenance for continued airworthiness. Certification is expected next month. COMPLIANT This ingenious product is a fully FAA-qualified ADS-B Out transceiver with an integrated satellite navigation source…

Although the Morristown Six could easily be confused with a ’60s rock-and-roll band, the name actually applies to a standard instrument departure procedure, also known as a SID. SIDs look and feel different from traditional approach procedures, often including far more information arranged in a complex layout some pilots might find confusing. Air traffic control may issue a SID as part of an IFR clearance to speed the process of moving traffic and reduce the opportunity for communications errors by controllers and pilots. Rather than the clearance delivery controller repeating essentially the same lengthy instructions over and over, use of a SID allows each aircraft to receive detailed instructions about its route in a format the pilot can review before even cranking the engine. A SID will normally include an…

“There can be no compromise with safety.” “Safety is our No. 1 priority.” You hear these kinds of quotes all the time from well-meaning people — very oft en people like the secretary of transportation or the administrator of the FAA. The assertions are meant to be comforting, and they are — especially after a crash. They assure the public of the firm resolve by people in power to do better. The problem is these words aren’t, and can’t be, true. You can’t start an engine without compromising safety. If safety were our No. 1 priority, we’d never move an airplane. Clearly, going somewhere is in itself a demonstration that moving the airplane ranks ahead of safety. It would always be safer to stay put. These little intellectual dishonesties tend…

At the close of each year, the editors of Flying convene to consider the positive attributes of the best aviation products to emerge in the preceding 12 months. Our annual Editors’ Choice Awards are as much about honoring the innovative ideas behind exceptional new products as celebrating the hard work of the people in aviation who create extraordinary things. To be eligible for the award, however, a company cannot merely announce a new product; the recipient must cross the certification finish line and introduce the product to the market — in aviation, sometimes a high bar indeed. Last year, we upped the ante by introducing a new prize, the Flying Innovation Award, presented to one outstanding winner from among our Editors’ Choice recipients as the top overall product of the…

Few events in life compare to the thrill and excitement that come with earning a pilot certificate. A close second, though, just might be owning your own airplane. For me, it seemed at first like aircraft ownership might merely be a natural progression to the commercial pilot certificate I was already working on. The taildragger I eventually bought, however, became more of a friend — a pal who shared my deep commitment to flying. The airplane, a Champion 7ECA Citabria (that’s “airbatic” spelled backward, by the way) sported a big “For Sale” sign when I first saw it. I thought, Why not? I had a job. And I owned my own car. I quickly pictured myself taxiing around the airport, giving a thumbs-up to people I passed. Then there was…

The winter months are upon us, and for many airplanes that means a lot more hangar time. But in many parts of the country, winter offers the best flying season of all. Colder temperatures and fresh snow mean new opportunities for exploring areas that, in many cases, are off limits any other time of the year. Ski flying opens up a whole new world, and many new challenges. So if you live in an area where water turns to ice and rain turns to snow, maybe throw some skis on your airplane and go play. Learn all about ski flying in our upcoming feature article on the topic in the February issue.…