by Joe Godfrey | Jul 21, 2018 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
When guitar strings break there’s no lingering doubt. When an old-style incandescent light bulb fails you might get a bright flash before the darkness, or maybe just the darkness. Either way, no doubt. These are instant, unconditional failures. Then there...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Spark plugs start the fire going, and need some TLC We all know what aircraft spark plugs do: They accept high-voltage pulses from a magneto or electronic ignition unit and produce an electric spark inside the cylinder’s combustion chamber to ignite the air/fuel...
by Joe Godfrey | Jun 16, 2018 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Okay I’ll admit it. The first time someone showed me the selective attention video – the one where the gorilla walks through the teams passing basketballs – the setup was that there was a really nice prize if you could count the exact number of...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
“Autographing a lie” is the worst FAR violation a mechanic can commit By Mike Busch | A&P/IA Inspection revealed that the propeller damage was substantial, apparently the result of a prop strike An IA is an experienced A&P mechanic who—by virtue of having...
by Joe Godfrey | May 15, 2018 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Last October I mentioned Eastern Airlines flight 401, which crashed into the Everglades in 1972 because all three crew members were fixated on a failed landing light. I first read about the importance of that flight, and so many others, by reading books and columns by...
by Mike Busch | May 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
What’s inside your engine’s crankcase? Reciprocating aircraft engines come in a variety of different cylinder arrangements—radial, inline, V, and opposed—but most engines used in piston general aviation are horizontally opposed four- and six-cylinder engines. These...
by Joe Godfrey | Apr 21, 2018 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Strong passwords, frequently changed passwords, biometric scans and two factor authentication are some of the technologies developed to keep information accessible to those who should have it, and away from those who shouldn’t. Every time I have to track down my...
by Mike Busch | Apr 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Basics of piston aircraft engine fuel metering systems If you fly a piston aircraft, chances are it has a spark-ignition (SI) engines that burns gasoline. There also exist compression-ignition (CI) engines—also called diesels—that burn kerosene, but in today’s GA...
by Joe Godfrey | Mar 14, 2018 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
I just filled out my bracket for this month’s college basketball tournament. If you live outside the US, or you don’t follow sports, it’s an annual ritual where American sports fans try and guess which of 64 teams will win every game over the course...
by Mike Busch | Mar 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Some thought-provoking comparisons I received a thought-provoking email from AOPA PILOT reader Nate Bissonette of St. Paul, Minnesota that started me thinking about differences between automobiles and GA airplanes. According to data from the U.S. Department of...
