General Aviation Aircraft
Explore the world of general aviation aircraft with our reviews. Written from a pilot's perspective, these reviews provide fantastic insight into what these general aviation planes are really like.
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Commitment To A Cessna 172B
Dream hot, work hard and make sure there’s money in the pot: The chronicle of a 40-year path to the perfect C-172B
 There are those seeds, like Jack’s, that explode overnight into giant beanstalks. And there are those, indigenous to certain biospheres, that only germinate when exposed to fire and, so, possibly wait for years to grow.
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Wednesday, February 1, 2006 The Complete Corkscrew Pilot
Here’s the drill: Drill hundreds of students to fly a Pitts, drill on teeth for a living, then drill holes in the sky for the weekend...in a Pitts S2C!
 “I imagine that it’s something like taking drugs,” says Bill Finagin, Pitts Special Pilote Incroyable. The affable, energetic 68-year-old (who looks and acts 15 years younger) is talking about mounting up in his favorite aerial steed—the Pitts S2C. “It’s a difficult relationship to tell somebody about,” he says with a chuckle, “but when I get into that airplane, I’m that kid in the big candy store for the first time. I’ve never had a flight in a Pitts I haven’t loved.” |
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Sunday, January 1, 2006 Maules Are All That
This taildragger can just about do it allScott Perdue, Photography By James Wilson
 It’s true, Maule pilots do it on dirt, sand, gravel, grass or any straight stretch of open area at least 250 feet long. And they have more fun! Probably because of where they like to go or what they like to carry. Lonnie Messenger of Dallas bought his Maule M-7-260C to get away from it all. As he says, “My flying is totally recreational. I like to stay away from people, TFRs and stuff like that.” |
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Thursday, December 1, 2005 How Old is Too Old?
A number of recent airworthiness directives for the general aviation fleet seem to be directly related to the aircraft’s age and flight time. So when is it safe to fly an aging plane?
 In just the last few years, a series of T-34s, the military equivalent of a Bonanza, have suffered wing separations. An emergency airworthiness directive (AD) grounded the fleet. Just a couple of months ago, a well-maintained T-6, a World War II trainer, lost a wing doing maneuvers over Florida. With the general-aviation aircraft now averaging just less than 30 years of age, how can you tell if an airplane is safe to fly? |
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Thursday, December 1, 2005 Straight Talk From Thielert Aircraft Engines
Its new diesel aircraft powerplants are bringing Jet A to GA
 The diesels are coming…the diesels are coming—to general aviation, that is. And the company that’s leading the charge isn’t one of general-aviation engines’ “big two.” No, it’s a relatively small company that has its sights clearly set on relieving your dependence on avgas. |
Thursday, December 1, 2005 What Makes Airplane Tires So Special?
We went to Michelin for a short course
 Airplane tires are a breed unto themselves. A tire on your car has it easy compared to one on an aircraft. Your car doesn’t drive along a sun-baked, 120-degree F taxiway, then climb into sub-zero temps several miles above the Earth, hanging in a 100-mph wind, then come down and smash onto the ground at 80 miles an hour, maybe even bouncing a few times. Not just any tire is up to the mission.
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Thursday, December 1, 2005 New Piper Meridian
Entry-level turbine with an all-glass cockpitBill Cox, Photography By Rich Cox
 The newer generation of pilots may not remember that Piper had a proud tradition of building turboprops long before the advent of the company’s current flagship, the Meridian. As far back as the mid-1970s, Piper was selling Cheyennes, and true Piper trivia buffs like to remind us that the company also built a turboprop version of the P-51 Mustang called the Enforcer. Piper attempted to market the fire-breathing Enforcer to U.S. and foreign governments as an economical, military ground-pounder. (The Enforcer mounted a whopping 2,455 shp Lycoming turbine out front and could carry a range of ordinance.) |
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Tuesday, November 1, 2005 The LSA Boom!
Private and sport pilots alike have driven the market to new heightsCharles H. Stites, Photography By James Lawrence
 Looking back to Sun ‘n Fun 2005, it’s fair to say that was when the light sport aircraft bell was rung, and since then, they’ve been off to the races. In the short four months between early April and early August, 14 new aircraft received airworthiness certificates in the special light sport aircraft (S-LSA) category. Although several of these airplanes have been flying in Europe for years and the number of additional new aircraft receiving approval will certainly slow down over time, the figure is remarkable nonetheless.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2005 American Champion High Country Explorer
The newly certified, go-anywhere two-seaterBill Cox, Photography By Rich Cox
 By the time you read this, I will have completed a two-week vacation trip circumnavigating most of Alaska and some of Western Siberia with an Indiana dentist, Dr. Bill Grider. (Hey, it’s a tough job, but...) Alaska is my kind of place, and despite a dozen trips around the state, I’m always eager to return.
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Saturday, October 1, 2005 25 Bargain Birds For 2005
The aircraft market continually changes, creating new low-cost airplanes for pilots who dream of owning their own plane
 Compiling any list of the 25 best bargain buys in general aviation is almost guaranteed to ruffle some feathers. Our choices aren’t always going to agree with everyone else’s. No matter how much we try to be fair and impartial, our selections have to be at least a little subjective. We’re probably as subject to partiality as the next pilot, even if we’re allowed a broader frame of reference. |
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