I see on AOPA's web site that the FAA has blown off AOPA and all the other industry groups on DRVSM implementation. Does not getting your biz jet or turboprop outfitted with this equipment mean you won't be able to fly it above FL 290 or only at the new intermediate levels? -- Roger Long

Every 172 I've ever flown has had so much air pouring in around the left doorpost that the pilot's air vent was superfluous. I've thought about wearing a ski mask for winter flying. I, and many others, have always thought it was coming in through the stall horn and just something you had to put up...

Word was just getting around about a year ago that it is possible to run some carbureted engines lean of peak. It was discovered that using carb heat would improve the mixture distribution. I had a lot of time early in the year to look into this because our O320 H2AD was apart due to premature...

I stopped by the shop yesterday for what I thought would be a quick check on the progress of the annual. The fellow had stopped working on the windshield replacement and moved on to other things in hopes I would stop by and discuss the appalling appearance of our glareshield. I had to agree that...

I am looking into the possibility that a large number of substandard quality valve lifters were introduced into the supply pipeline in the late 90's. If you have experienced lifter spalling at mid TBO or before, I would like to talk to you. I am particularly interested in cases where there are...

Annual costs are a hot hanger topic. All of us who follow GA maintenance issues have seen how it goes. Preferred Aviation gives good advice so an owner spends $5000 on his Skyhawk while it's in for the annual. When his friends ask why the long face, he tells them he just had a five grand annual at...

Despite a very favorable service profile, careful preheating, and frequent lifter inspection, the engine in our 172 N has fallen victim to the sudden lifter face disintegration that the Lycoming O-320 H2AD is especially prone to. Conventional wisdom is that his problem is the result of poor...

We put a fresh battery in our plane for the winter starting season even though the old one was in good shape. On advice from several sources, I put the old one on a Sears trickle charger as a spare. The charger claims to sense the battery condition and be suitable for long term connections. I...

I need 30 answers by Friday morning. What is your favorite type of car? (The one you dreamed of as a kid, that is) BMW Lamborghini Farrari Jaguar

Anyone have experience with installing the oversize roller service kit for Cessna's from McFarlane? Our tracks have a little ways to go before the .6035 wear limit but the wear is not even. We are getting some skin wear between the flaps and wing. Would these rollers be a viable alternative to new...

Does anyone out there have a good handle on the two year depreciation (percent) in probable sale price of a new airplane such as a Skyhawk SP? Even though this is a newsgroup, this time I'd prefer answers based on actual facts and real knowledge. -- Roger Long

I'd like to hear from anyone who has a Franklin 220 h.p., especially in a 172. Any other comments or rumors, informed or otherwise, fire away. -- Roger Long

I started a thread about a week ago in which I passed on something I was told by AOPA two or three times. You can be in violation of your private pilot privileges if you make a flight solely to accommodate the needs of your passenger, even if you accept no reimbursement for costs. A number of...

The FAA is looking for two things when considering the question of whether a private pilot was carrying a passenger(s) legitimately. One is evidence that the passenger is incidentally aboard on a flight that was going to take place anyway. Second is that the pilot and passenger have a shared...

I was looking over the web site of a flying club that posts the minutes of their meetings. One item said that fuel was running out of the wing of their 172 when the flaps were fully extended because the overflow drain was broken. They asked that the tanks not be completely filled until this...

**Shameless Plug Warning** My fourth aviation article is about to hit the stands. The next "Aviation Safety" will have a piece I wrote on prop nicks. You do read "Aviation Safety" don't you? If not, you should. -- Roger Long

What's the rough hourly cost of operating a high end corporate jet such as a Gulfstream? -- Roger Long

We still have one of these and it works great in the simple airspace we fly in. Also good backup for the handheld GPS. The database is very old however. Does anyone out there have one of these that they have retired? I'd like to get a more recent database card? -- Roger Long

RI appears to be back pedaling fast. The state sent a letter to AOPA today saying that it was clumsy wording and the provision was never intended to apply to residents of other states. It was intended to "help" state residents by letting them buy an airplane that the kept and used out of state...

On 27 Jun 2003 02:57:39 -0700, (Patty) wrote: Jizhong: Try Calling Brian Eklund at Suburban Aviation at the Toledo Suburban Airport. They're a Cessna Service Station and Brian knows the Cessna Aircraft like the back of his hand. The Airport is also very...