I used to be unsure about this until 2 yrs ago. In 8 years of flying our Navajo we had never had a cracked cylinder. 2years ago #2 and#3 cylinders on our right engine (our hotter running engine) came up with low compression due to cracks running from the intake valves towards the top plugs. I decide...

Back during WW II they taught that if all you had left was your mag compass and the ball on your T&B you should descend on a 180 heading. Then you reduced power and used rudder to stay on that 180 heading. There would be minimal compass lag and an increasing heading meant you were in a right turn an...

At NWA back in the 90s we were encouraged to keep up our hand flying proficiency, but a lot of guys would put on the AP at 200 feet and not turn it back off till 200' at the destination. I loved hand flying the A320. With that auto trim it was so easy. My previous Air Force experience in the F111D h...

Thanks for the input fellows.

I might be needing to overhaul a TIO 540 A2B in the near future. Any recommendations on any shops that do excellent work at a reasonable price? Alternatively a lead on outfits that sell used low to midtime engines of this type.

I have a 1968 PA31-310 Navajo with an aftermarket AC unit that uses what I believe is about a 40 amp motor to drive the compressor. The battery is a 17amp hr wet Gill that's 2.8 yrs old. The alternators are 50 amp. Last friday it was so hot I had to run the AC continuously at cruise altitude of 6500...

Thanks for the reply sir.

I am thinking of flying my Navajo up to Canada, and I will definitely be flying some Part135 commercial charters to Canada for my new employer also in Navajos. I seem to remember from my airline days that Canada privatized its ATC and there are fees to be paid if you file and fly IFR. If one of you ...

This doesn't just apply to props. On the DC9, reverse thrust blanks out the rudder. You have to be very careful using moderate to high reverse thrust on a slippery runway with a crosswind. When I was a green FO landing in DTW one winter evening with the conditions just stated, I damned near went off...

I don't know about Canada, but down here it sure is looking that way. Cape Air out of Cape Cod, MA, is losing pilots so fast that it is paying big bonuses for flying extra. A buddy of mine told me that he's getting $45 an hour plus $200 a day for his first 4 days of overtime and then $45 an hour plu...

If this ever happens to you, and you're worried about being able to keep the nose down, the best technique is to roll into a 40 to 50 degree bank while you sort out the issue and pull the circuit breaker.

There was also a Horizon metro that crashed at Twin Falls Idaho in the late 80s as the result of a mishandled V1 cut.

We had a similar incident many years ago at NWA. One of our DC9s was going into Houston Texas, and ice was the last thing on their minds. Anyhow, they either weren't paying attention or ignored company policy and FOM guidance to turn on engine anti ice with temps 6°C or below in visible moisture. Sh...

i finally got it done. The key was a suggestion I got on another forum. My source told me to figure the area for the top of my strut piston by multiplying the radius squared times Pi (3.14.) My strut is 2.75" in diameter so radius is 1.375". Area is 1.375"X1.375"X3.14=5.94 square inches. Divide that...

Way back when I was still in the USAF we joked that if the cost of fighters kept going up at skyrocketing rates, someday the AF could only afford one and we we would all have to take turns flying it. By the way, the F111, particularly the D and F models were incredible machines particularly when use...

My service manual and POH both say the strut should have 3.25 " of piston extension under a normal static load. One of mine is about 1 1/2" low. There is no mention of the nitrogen/air pressure with weight on the gear. I have a nitrogen tank that can put out 1500PSI, but I don't want to blow up anyt...

When the US Air Force sent me to flight safety officer/accident investigation school it was run in partnership with USC.

Lyciming now recommends doing the runup leaned.

The radars on the A320 and the DC9 do a great job of picking up aircraft. You need to use high gain and proper tilt. Planes with large turbofan engines like the A320 and larger are easy to pick up especially from rear or front aspects.

Having flown both the F111D and the Airbus 320, both fly by wire and glass cockpit, as well as having been a Wing Safety Officer and accident investigator, I have strong opinions on this subject. There are times when it is prudent to use 100% of the automation, and there are times to use just parts ...

AM 740 out of Toronto plays a lot of 50s and 60s rock as well as big band. I used to listen to them all the time when I flew the DC9. At night you can get them on the ground as far south as North Carolina and as far west as western Ohio. They have a mighty powerful transmitter.

It was a turboprop Cheyenne doing a test flight after being down several months after an avionics install. The deceased were the chief pilot for an FBO and a father and son who owned the avionics shop. That is a 6000' runway and this plane should have been airborne in less than 2000'. At the end of ...

I think part of the problem is insurance companies. They really frown/sky high premiums for pilots flying ME that don't have a fair amount of ME time.

Hi there rigpiggy, I believe you made a wrong assumption about Cap. Sullenberger's thought process when he was offered a return to LGA. I can assure you that in 5 seconds or less, he couldn't determine for a fact whether or not he had the glide performance to return and land on runway 13. I believe ...

Remember, it's very important to level the wings before pulling. If you pull up while rolling, you'll be subjecting the wings to an asymetrical load. Depending on your roll rate and pull, one wing could be subjected to twice the G load that you feel.