As calmly as I could, I turned on the fuel pump, then, feigning a casual motion, reached down and switched to a tank with some fuel in it. I turned to mom and Bob in the back seat, summoned what I hoped would be a reassuring smile and said, “Sorry about that. It’s no big problem. I just ran a tank dry. The engine will pick up in a few seconds.”
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Piston-powered crop-dusters don’t get much bigger. The Piper Pawnee Brave stood tall and massive sitting on the frozen ramp at Lubbock, Texas, a behemoth of a Piper.
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Mention the word “abort” to a pilot, and you’ll immediately summon visions of every pilot’s nightmare — an engine failure on takeoff. The airlines have rigid rules for handling that problem; general aviation should have the same rules, but it usually doesn’t
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Suddenly, without warning, the Skyhawk flew through a violent downdraft like none other I’ve felt in an airplane. Dave’s Betacam slammed into the roof so hard that I was surprised it didn’t come apart.
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A Piper pilot’s aircraft problems are only beginning when the en¬gine fails, and the consequences of mismanaging the emergency landing can be considerably more severe. For that reason, and engine reliability is one of the pri¬mary concerns of many aviators. TBO can be a major consideration when operating an aircraft, but an equal¬ly important measure of an engine’s ability to continue running in adverse conditions is how many times it has to visit the shop between overhauIs.
The Lycoming O-320 and O-360 series aircraft engines are almost universally regarded as perhaps the most bulletproof of powerplants.
Senior contributor Bill Cox made his first international trip in 1977, flying a new Piper...
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Aviation writer/photographer and pilot Bill Cox has been in love with airplanes since...
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They’re the words every instrument pilot dreads: “Cleared for the back-course approach.” Yes, I...
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P-51 Thunder Mustang. Photo by Chris Leipelt The sound is unmistakable. Today, I’d recognize that...
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Lightspeed Zulu aviation headset. Photo courtesy of Lightspeed Aviation I was tired. No, beyond...
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Formation flight needn’t be terrifying or dangerous, provided you stay loose Spitfires in...
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P-38 Glacier Girl on display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012. Photo courtesy of EAA Famed airplane...
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Later this year, JP Media LLC will publish a book by longtime pilot and writer Bill Cox entitled “My Sky: The Flights & Times of Bill Cox.” It will detail his lifelong travels as a pilot, in the beautifully scripted way in which only Bill can write. This is Chapter 1.
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Evidence that the Piper Cherokee 180 may be the world’s simplest airplane to fly is more than anecdotal.
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Any Piper Seneca is a flexible, talented machine, simple to fly and fairly easy on maintenance (compared to other twins). Add to that good short field performance, quick cruise, and enough creature com¬fort for most normal-sized creatures and you have all the ingredients that have kept Piper’s tough little Sen¬eca in production for a surprising 49 years.
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From the very beginning, it was obvious the Piper Comanche was intended as a cross-country airplane.
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The fabric-covered Piper Clipper made do with a comparatively tiny Lycoming O-235 engine rated for only 115 hp; yet the PA-16 still managed to offer four seats.
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When Piper PA-31 Navajo was created in the late ’60s, the original concept was to launch a new family of Pipers. The new model was a combi¬nation corporate/freight airplane intended to serve the heavy-haul twin market. The straight Piper Navajo was introduced in 1967, a founda¬tional model available in both 300-hp normally aspirated and 310-hp turbocharged versions. The Piper Chieftain came next in 1973, a stretched, heavy hauler that was to be¬come the top of the line with a pair of 350-hp engines. In 1975, Piper began offering an in-between model, the Piper Na¬vajo CR (counter-rotating), with mirror image engines in 325-hp trim.
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VFR flying can be more difficult than you might imagine. Investigators study accident statistics...
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Night flying can be profitable. Back in the day when I was young and stupid, long before I...
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