Steve Ells Electronic ignition promises enhanced fuel economy, less maintenance, and safer operation when compared to traditional magneto ignition. Steve Ells takes the plunge and upgrades his 1960

Picks vary based on mission and budget, yet almost every Piper has a niche. By Kristin Winter With photos by Jim Lawrence Almost all airplanes are good for traveling, when compared to cars. In

In the early 1930s, businessman William T. Piper became involved with the Taylor Aircraft Company. C.G. Taylor designed a light aircraft with steel framework, tubular struts, rubber shock cord

Try these troubleshooting tips before you visit your favorite avionics shop for service. We all know it takes fuel to fly our aircraft from point A to point B, but we sometimes take for granted

July 2015 The “modern classic” Comanche is perhaps one of the most modified airframes in GA today! So you are looking for a Comanche. This advertised airplane looks good, but it’s way overpriced

June 2015- 1965Flo Irwin starts a new business in the basement of family home in Fullerton, Calif. selling just one product: spruce lumber for aircraft builders. She takes orders by mail and phone,

Carl Miller and his wife Donna are lucky people who, when it came to finding their perfect light twin, didn’t have to compromise—they just went shopping for a Piper Twin Comanche. June 2015- One

Today is a good day. The Avidyne IFD540 GPS/NAV/COM that I purchased has arrived—and today my radio shop guru, Eric, started the install. Here’s part one of my story. June 2015- Avidyne

While Milwaukee-area weather personality John Malan is teasing me with weather forecasts that approximate the coming spring, I can testify that spring is truly here. So get on out there and fly—once

May 2015- Needing a large dose of slow-down last fall, I traveled from California back to the Great Northwest—land of the big trees and water—where I first learned to fly. I had family in the

“If you’re at 65 percent of power or so, 50 degrees rich of peak probably won’t get you in trouble, and will give you close to maximum power for that manifold pressure and rpm. But the fact is that

“Our experience has shown that in regions of high humidity, active corrosion can be found on cylinder walls of new engines inoperative for periods as brief as two days.”—Lycoming Service Letter No.

In buying or selling, as in flying, you can minimize your risk by following the rules. April 2015- If there ever was an endeavor to which the phrase caveat emptor applies, it would be purchasing

Don’t discount the PA-22/20; it can serve well as a family aircraft. April 2015- Both my husband, Owen, and I are pilots who fly for fun. We met over Unicom: I was working at an FBO and Owen made

Buying and maintaining a Saratoga doesn’t have to be confusing, provided you have all the facts. March 2015- As Jennifer Dellenbusch writes in her model history “Saratoga Tale: PA-32 tangents”

Start flight planning today to point your Piper at these destinations, where an awesome meal awaits. March 2015- In part one of the “Best of the Best” Airport Restaurant series that ran last month

A clear understanding of FAR 91.207 is just the beginning for pilots looking at installing a new ELT. March 2015- “ELTs are specialized radio transmitters that sit in the aircraft and are designed

With four years of flying experience at age 21, the sky is the limit for Mitchell Miller. February 2015- Instrument-rated pilot Mitchell Miller is a native of Riverside, Calif. who attained his

From understanding splash lubrication to reduced braking action, winter flying is just… different. February 2015- Ready or not, winter is in full effect across the northern United States. Several

January 2015- The choices may seem bewildering (and they can be!), but at least prices seem to be settling down. In 2014, EAA AirVenture's exhibit halls were filled with ADS-B vendors who have

January 2015- Aviation is big—really big—in Colorado, but only one destination calls itself "Colorado's official air and space museum," and has a bill passed in the state legislature to prove

December 2014- Nearly 35 years since it was last produced, Piper's Turbo Aztec continues to prove that it's a true heavyweight among light twins. Once upon a time, piston engine aircraft

December 2014- Active Noise Reduction UpgradeYou can install ANR electronics intoan existing passive headset, and youcan do it by yourself. Several months ago I explained the mechanics of human

December 2014- Here we are again! Things surely didn't start out this way. I'd retired in March of this year and was looking for a simple project to consume a week or two in the summer and allow

November 2014- A Piper Vagabond finds it's way home.      No matter where it landed, a yellow Vagabond with "North Florida Motor Co." and "Lincoln Mercury Dealer" in bold blue lettering on the

November 2014- Yes, combustion cabin heaters can be very safe to operate when properly maintained. Pilots and owners need to take an active role in making sure these heaters receive the service

November 2014- If you hit rain or turbulence, you can deviate; if it's hot, you can just keep climbing untilyou find cool air. But when it's cold, it's cold everywhere. Here are some simple steps

October 2014- While other light twins have gone away, the PA-44 is still doing what it does so well—safely teaching pilots how to fly twins.      I've set my Wayback Machine for Feb. 21, 1978. The

October 2014- All restoration projects seem to start the same way. There is this one little thing on your plane that doesn't look good, so you restore it... then everything around it looks bad and

September 2014- At the turn of the 20th century, George Hartzell and his son Robert were making rifle stocks from various hardwoods using a proprietary process they had developed that strengthened

August 2014- It is most definitely not about speed: the 65 hp J-3 Cub is so slow it can barely get out of its own way. From the pilot's seat you can watch the landscape sliding by—or, if you are

July 2014- Flight simulators have been around in one form or another for the better part of aviation's history. The earliest units were typically built from plywood. They sported vacuum tubes, were

July 2014- I have heard it said many times by many boat owners that the two greatest moments of boat ownership are when you purchase your boat, and when you sell it. I understand the message

June 2014- Historians will tell us that a recession began at a particular time and ended on another. Economists will give us the reasons behind the recession: inflationary pressures, tight credit,

June 2014- In our endless quest to find exciting places to point our airplanes, there are two undeniable factors that almost always dictate if any new destination is going to end up at the far end

June 2014- General Aviation is a homegrown American industry that is responsible for 1.2 million jobs and pumps more than $150 billion into our nation's economy. But it's also an industry that could

April 2014- Propellers take a beating. During operations that range from the instant takeoff power is cranked on to power-off stalls and descents, blades continually flex due to changes in

April 2014- Flying over Kansas can seem like a never-ending view of wheat fields from horizon to horizon. That is a good situation if you are looking for an emergency landing place… but many of you

 April 2014- It seems the articles I’m reading in aviation periodicals these days are all harbingers of doom: armed guards when we land; UAVs crowding us out of the skies; rising taxes, fuel costs

February 2014- Shell Oil issued the following press release on Dec. 1, 2013: SHELL REMOVES LEAD FROM LIGHT AIRCRAFT FUEL  Shell today became the first major oil company to develop a lead-free

March 2014- Alaska is called The Last Frontier for good reason. The state has over 500,000 acres of uninhabited land (about 94 percent of its total acreage). It’s home to about 30,000 brown bears

I recalled from my days as a tech rep that the most common failure of a light airplane fuel bladder is age-related deterioration of the top surface due to long-term exposure to heat. So my first

Since its introduction in 1956, Cessna’s 172 had been dominating the single-engine market, both for personal use and flight training. The folks at Piper thought a version of its popular Cherokee

Ever since the dawn of the Computer Age, two engineering factions have regularly engaged in trench warfare. One group believes that hardware-centric devices are inherently more stable solutions for

September 2013 If you’ve never thought that your propeller will need an overhaul, think again. Without a doubt they’re the hardest working, most underappreciated part of your airplane. I’m of

September 2013 All pilots should visit the place where it all started. I’ve been a pilot almost all of my adult life. I love machines that fly, the people who fly them fascinate me, and I am sort

July 2013 - April 21, 2013 1340Z: "Columbus Clearance, Shane 1. Through the Warren County RCO requesting VFR Flight Following to South Bend Regional at six thousand, five hundred." "Shane 1,

Freshening up your aircraft’s interior can be an important update for many reasons. In addition to looking good, it increases your and your passengers’ comfort. New carpet and seat coverings often

In the first few decades of the aviation age, airplanes quickly became a part of Americans’ daily lives. In addition to providing invaluable service in World War II, aircraft also served in a war