EAA Sport Aviation - April 2010

Don’t Rely on Power

EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY TIM KERN, “Right Sizing Your Engine,” in March Sport Aviation. He interviewed some of the experts in the industry, and they all concurred that too much power or engine weight is not necessarily good. Dan Johnson has tested hundreds of lightplanes, and he told me once that some of the most fun craft he flies are the small craft with small engines and usually very light weight. He said as a pilot, you feel more a part of the craft.

In Tim’s article, I really liked Randy Schlitter’s statement, “Don’t rely on power to mask poor piloting.”

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Bob McComb, EAA 483132

Watertown, Tennessee

Great Articles by Mike Busch

JUST READ MIKE BUSCH’S second article on engine maintenance based on reliability-centered maintenance (RCM). I’m a longtime EAA member (since 1982) and have been in the engine business a long time, too (master’s degree, 22 years at John Deere and Cummins, currently at the Engine Research Center of the University of Wisconsin), and everything Mike says is right on. I would like to suggest that he work with the FAA to put out a brochure with most of the information in his articles plus recommended inspection times. The other sources of information would be truck and industrial maintenance groups that do exactly what he’s talking about for deciding how to take care of their engines. I would be willing to help review it for him and might even suggest that he submit a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) paper along the same lines. _ Michael J. Andrie, EAA 252397 Columbus, Indiana

Loves Member Tested

THE MEMBER-TESTED REVIEWS are a great idea! We all know the manufacturers will send you a glowing press release about the next great widget. But actual user experience is what really matters. This is a real positive addition to the publication and EAA members. _ Scott Hobson, EAA 697827 Olathe, Kansas

Awesome February Cover

I’VE BEEN FLYING for 47 years, of which 30 years was spent flying in air shows. Along the way I have lost some of my best friends. Once in a while I get down a little on whether or not it’s worth the ultimate price. But I’m going to frame the February cover just for those rare times so I can look at the joy on John Monnett’s face as he soars through space, as we have all had that special moment. It says it all.

Another great picture by Jim Koepnick.

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Steve Wolf, EAA 132549

Lady Lake, Florida

Correction

In the March issue, we incorrectly reported that LaVoy “Bucky” Whittier of Truckee, California, had passed away. With sincere apologies to his family and friends, we’re delighted to say he’s alive and well...Eds

Getting kids into the cockpit for their first airplane ride—maybe ven giving them a little stick time—is a good idea, but what about taking them to work with you in a control tower? After the recent incident at New York’s JFK airport, Oshkosh365 users didn’t waste any time chiming in with their opinions.

People expect ATC to be focused on their jobs and not running a day-care center.

—John Pischl

That kid might become the best ATCer you’d ever want to hear someday.

—Jay Fortner

I had scheduled a tour of the Camarillo tower for 20 sixth-graders. I was called by the tower supervisor last night telling me that they were required to “suspend all tours for 90 days.” —George Warren

It’s amazing to me that the FAA could immediately cancel tower tours for 90 days without any sort of process when they’re so inefficient at everything else. —Dean White

Cute but completely unprofessional. People, this is JFK, not your local unicom frequency. —Jeff Schneider

To fire someone over this and lose a qualified CTO would be as smart as letting his kid talk on the radio. —Michael Divan

The FAA is perfectly justified in exerting its full weight in dealing with this matter of very poor judgment. —Steven LoGrasso

Yes the media and the non-flying public are blowing this out of proportion…but it would be naive to think anything less would happen. —John Race

FAA should not sweat something this minor; there are other bigger problems at airports such as runway incursions. —Ronald Arif

My dad was a controller, and when I was a kid he took me to work for a day. I got to talk to the airplanes just like this kid…It was a great and memorable moment in my life. —Bruce King

If anyone hasn’t heard the recording without the editing that was done for the media…note that when safety is critical, the controller is speaking. —Paul Dowgewicz

I can’t help but think if this thing happened 20 to 30 years ago…the kid(s) would have ended up on the Johnny Carson show. —Rick Galati

I’m a controller, and I take pride in my work. Just curious, how many of you guys have ever taken your kids flying? Do you ever let them hold the stick? Have you ever let them talk on the radio? I know it’s not the same, but it is. Kinda. —Rick Gleason