TALESPINNERS - May, 2002

Hangar Flying
with Stu Faber

EVER WONDER why FAA never has enough money to do what is needed?  Congress has increased spending for national security.  For instance: after 9/11 they quickly increased the peanut subsidy by $284 million.  Now you will be protected by anti-terrorist peanuts.  Feel safer ?

SMALL WORLD.  About a year ago I wrote in this space that I had read a book about Rearwin and his planes and engines.  In telling of his life it mentioned his attendance at Kansas Wesleyan University and the school's first building, Lockwood Hall.  Lockwood, as in my middle name.  Some of my ancestors came from Kansas.  Following an inquiry the college recently sent me copies of several documents on its founding.  It turns out that my great grandfather Rev. J. H. Lockwood, who I had never before heard of, was the moving spirit behind the founding.  See what you can learn reading about aviation.

INSURANCE.  The May issue of Custom Planes carries an excellent article on the subject.

PILOT'S CHAT ROOM.  The Wall  St. Journal  reports that a web site has been established at  www.pprune.org.  The name stands for Professional Pilots Rumor Network.  There is a page for non-pilots too.

OH! NO!  A Boeing 307 Stratoliner had been restored to flying status.  It is the only one left.  In late March a test pilot had to ditch it into Puget Sound just after takeoff due to engine failure.  It was soon lifted from the water but it looks like another restoration job is due.

FORD AVIATION AGAIN?  Wm. Ford Jr., the new President of Ford, has bought Daimler-Chrysler Aviation which leases private jets to corporations. A long way from a Tin Goose. 

BOOMING BUSINESS.  With the airport delays and other hassles small jets are a booming business. Most are leased or time shares and the leasing companies are buying many new ones.

EARLY NAVIGATION.  In the book Ernest Gann's Flying Circus he writes about 1930s airline navigation.  No traffic control or electronic aids.  Some planes were still open cockpits which made it hard to use charts such as they were.  Published route directions looked like this:

PROGRESS!  Airlines are starting to equip pilots with laptops instead of the heavy flight  bags now used.  Pilots can quickly and accurately calculate optimum takeoff and cruise settings and other information saving considerable cost.  Nav updates can be on disks or down loaded as needed.  Last minute changes can be made in a couple of minutes.

AIRCRAFT SAFETY.  Based on an in depth study FAA is planning to work more closely with manufacturers to better use safety problem data  to build them out of new aircraft.  Maintenance and operating procedures will be tightened also.

OLD IRON.  With the slow down since 9/11 some 800 commercial jet liners have been parked in the SW desert.  Most are older models and will probably have useable parts removed and the rest chopped up.  There are several huge junk yards around Tucson AZ.

Copyright © 2002 by Stu Faber.  All rights reserved.