Plane & Pilot November 2021

Light, owner-flown aircraft are at a crisis point. It started 50 years ago, when 100 Low Lead (100LL) became the solution to the high levels of lead in the previous blends while being a solution that didn’t really solve anything. It put off the inevitable. Earlier this year, we arrived at the inevitable. The offending substance in GA’s dependency problem is lead, specifically the tetraethyl lead in 100LL, the universal avgas these past almost 50 years. Lead is toxic everywhere it once was used, from pipes to paint to gasoline. So, it has been wisely phased out. Except for us—our little niche of GA that doesn’t matter much to the EPA or to environmentalists, which makes it somewhat of a miracle that we’ve lasted this long using lead. It really is a…

From rescuing wounded soldiers on the battlefield to extracting vehicular accident victims, air ambulances have been saving thousands of lives for more than 100 incredible years. Their ability to reach people fast and access remote areas even in challenging terrain gives them a clear advantage over ground EMS vehicles. Some hefty downsides exist, however—namely with steep costs and safety hazards. The pressure to respond and save lives, even in adverse weather conditions, has led to many tragic, and often fatal, incidents. Accident rates within the air medical service industry are almost double that of general aviation. This has led to a recent revamp of safety protocols and technology. Still, the life-saving benefits far outweigh the risks, with studies showing an almost 60% boost in survivability of trauma patients when transported…

MYSTERY On April 1, 1997, a Cessna 337D Skymaster entered into an uncontrolled descent from 28,000 feet after the pilot suffered hypoxia and succumbed. The plane broke up and fell to the earth in pieces, yet the passenger survived with barely a scratch. How in the world is that possible? BACKGROUND On a beautiful VMC day in April of 1997, a private pilot with around 3,100 flight hours took off on a mission to collect aerial imagery with his photography assistant. Departing from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (WAY), in a Cessna 337D Skymaster (N2685S), they shot a few locations and landed at North Lima, Ohio (4G4). There, they fueled up and took back off for home at 1:45 p.m. At approximately 10,000 feet, the pilot and his assistant put on their oxygen masks. Once they…

SKYTYPERS CRASH Andy Travnicek of Hampton, New Hampshire, one of the GEICO Skytypers demonstration pilots, was killed in a crash during team practice for the Pocono Raceway Air Show in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Travnicek, who was the sole occupant of the AT-6, was a former C5 Galaxy Air Force pilot and first officer for a major U.S. airline. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash. No one on the ground was injured. AIRLINE VACCINE MANDATES With the delta variant of COVID-19 wreaking havoc across the United States, several aviation organizations have either mandated or come close to mandating vaccinations for their employees. Recently, Delta Airlines announced that employees who choose not to get vaccinated will have to pay more for their health insurance, have limited sick time if they catch…

Despite the rise of the delta variant throwing a wet blanket on the United States’ COVID recovery party, the news from aircraft manufacturers is very good, though with much room for growth. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its first-half delivery numbers for the industry, and the news is extremely encouraging, though there’s still a long way to go. “While it is encouraging to see segments improve from 2020,” said Pete Bunce, president and CEO of GAMA, “we still trail when compared to how the industry was faring before the onset of the pandemic.” News for the piston segment was downright sunny, with a 12.3% increase in deliveries compared to the first half of 2020, with a total of 565 planes handed over to customers, a level that would total out…

It seems like everyone has an opinion about what makes up a successful landing. Chuck Yeager may have said it best when he surmised, “If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.” Specific landing techniques and procedures are as varied as the multitude of aircraft shapes and sizes and the talent and training of their pilots. Thirty years ago, Air Force pilot trainees had to master landings in four unique aircraft within a two-year span. For flight screening, they flew the Air Force version of the Cessna 172, then on to the jet-powered T-37 Tweet, which thankfully landed like a 6,000-pound Cessna, and then they encountered the T-38 Talon, which landed more like the Space…