Industry News

Over-the-Top Fuel Prices
If anything good for general aviation emerges from the massive twin disaster of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it may be high gas prices. You read that right. Sustained gas prices of over $3 a gallon may finally shock U.S. drivers and the auto industry into doing that which should have been done a decade ago: Insisting upon and forcing higher fleet mileage standards for cars and trucks. As gas prices recede from the royal gouging the oil companies gave us in early September, consider $3 gas a relatively harmless shot across the bow.

The U.S. leads the world in transportation fuel inefficiency and since the government has shown no interest in a cogent…

More Crankshaft Recalls
Any day now, Im hoping to hear that satisfying clunk that indicates that Lycoming has finally hit bottom and is on the rebound. But the only noise this month is the sickening crash of more bad news from Williamsport in the form of another crankshaft recall, the latest somewhat less all encompassing than the last, which took months and millions to sort out. And then there was the lawsuit in the aftermath of that recall, in which Lycoming is now appealing a $96 million judgment, all because of faulty crankshafts.

If youre a Lycoming owner, you have to wonder how much more of this Lycoming can sustain before someone in the corner office at Textron deci…

Garmin 296
As a long-time Garmin groupie and stockholder of the company, I phoned in my order for a GPSmap 296 the day they were offered and took advantage of Aircraft Spruces trade-in-your-old-295 deal. After a week of using the 296, I began a frustrating six months trying to get a refund, with both Garmin and Spruce stalling at every turn.

I found the 296 disappointing and even dangerous due to its daylight-fading screen. Its perfect in a dark closet, excellent at night and passable on a dull day. But in bright sun? Virtually useless. Im back to my 295 with its bright, primary colors and continue to find it a marvelous piece of gear.

[IMGCAP(1)]Did you actually fl…

Diesels and the Lunatic Fringe
After preparing the report on Diamonds diesel twin for this issue, I freely confess that I am exactly the wrong guy to judge a diesel airplanes market potential in the U.S. In my view, if the thing runs, has an acceptable climb rate and an okay cruise speed, Im pre-disposed to pick a diesel over a gasoline engine. But then Im a guy who will fly a Mooney lean of peak to save a couple of gallons of gas in exchange for seven or eight fewer knots of cruise speed. I think SUVs are a gross waste of gas for trips to the country club and I obsessively turn off unused lights. None of this has a thing to do with environmentalism. Im not green, Im just c…

Lessons from Submarine Commanders
A lot of us like to think that the face of general aviation is embodied by those well-scrubbed wannabes you see in the Be-A-Pilot ads on cable TV. Alternatively, you might find the face of general aviation in the Wings seminars at AOPA Expo, or on the flight line at Sun n Fun or Oshkosh. But youd be wrong.

Unfortunately, the face of general aviation now belongs to Hayden Jim Sheaffer, the hapless PIC of the Cessna 150 that breached the Washington ADIZ in May, sending federal institutions scurrying for cover. Shortly afterward, Mr. Sheaffer appeared with his attorney on the Today Show to answer FAA charges that could result in certific…

Spam Cans vs. Homebuilts
I had to laugh reading the opening paragraph of your article on used Experimentals in the May 2005 issue. It described the day I opted out of spam cans almost exactly. But instead of doing the semi-sensible thing and buying one already built, I bought a nearly done project that someone needed to get out of.

If my mission were less than 1000 miles and I knew what I know now, I would just buy a turbonormalized Tornado Alley Bonanza with TKS and be very happy. But my mission is longer so Im still in the Experimental game.

I think you captured most of the issues. I would like to add a few more: While some of the kit companies engineer the origina…

Diamonds Delayed Diesels
I don’t know if 2005 will become a watershed year in the world of general aviation but my instinct tells me a sea change-a big one-is afoot. A couple of weeks ago, I got an alarmed e-mail from a Cessna 210 owner who was shocked at having paid $5 a gallon for avgas in Teterboro, New Jersey. While that price is an anomaly in a world of $3 avgas, it portends a trend we had all better get used to. Escalating avgas prices were much on the mind of vendors at Sun n Fun in April and the fact that the show was lightly attended and we saw little in the way of new products this year suggests a certain lack of confidence.

High fuel prices might not threaten th…

EHSIs
Just read the April issue. Most flying magazines could take a lesson in how to fill 32 pages with useful information. I enjoyed the commentary/suggestion regarding a device in between a full-up glass cockpit and an EHSI. Larry Anglisanos article on the EHSIs was excellent and reading between the lines, seemed to be looking for the same thing.

A few years ago I read that Dynon had designed an all-electronic EFIS system that was relatively low cost for the homebuilt market (www.dynonavionics.com) . Why not the Dynon HSI to fill the obvious void? If there is a market and will someone step in to take the system throu…

Jet-A engines are hot in Europe so why arent they here yet? You wont like the answer: Gas is still too cheap and service is non-existent.

Some customers are steamed by JPIs move to code the digital output of its engine monitors. If data analysis is a priority, buyers should consider EI.

Lycoming Crankshaft Suit
As I write this, were barely six weeks into the new year but already the first colossally bad development of 2005 has bubbled to the surface: The Interstate Southwest Ltd. lawsuit against Lycoming. In mid-February, Interstate won this suit and was awarded a staggering $96.1 million in damages.

In case youve deleted the details from your short-term memory, recall that Lycoming blamed Interstate for a bad batch of crankshaft forgings that resulted in a massive recall. The problem came to light in mid-2002, following a spate of engine failures caused by broken crankshafts. A joint Lycoming/FAA investigation blamed the problem on improper heating and…

A Texas jury finds that defective structural design caused failures in Lycoming six-cylinder crankshafts, not overheating during forging.