Recent content by NavAir

We watched it from Kestrel. Got a couple of glimpses of it through the clouds. It got really dark during totality, the runway lights came on.

I keep my DA40 at Kestrel Airpark (1T7), just north of Bulverde. Big hangars, but very expensive - I pay $900 a month for an 1800 square foot one, but my aircraft has a 40 foot wingspan, so I need a wide door opening. You might be able to find one to share up there. You could email the manager...

We are right in the path of totality here in S. Central TX, plan to watch from my hangar. Unfortunately, early WX forecast is for mostly cloudy skies at totality. The last eclipse here, the annular one in October 2023 was totally overcast until right before maximum, when the clouds thinned for a...

Even our old subs were pretty quiet. In the 1980s, they usually had to augment their acoustic signatures for us (Patrol - P3Cs) to detect and localize them.

I also use the Permatex anti-seize that comes in the tube, based on the recommendation of my A&P/IA. I am careful to keep it away from the electrode end of the spark plug - none applied to the last thread, and use it sparingly. I haven't had any issues in 23 years using it this way.

Wow! You need to hire an exterminator...

I had smoke in the cockpit once - at night. Luckily, the source identified itself immediately - one of the radios, a KX155A. The display was out. Pulled the breaker and the smoke stopped. Turned out to be a burned capacitor. Shortly after, a SB came out to replace them in the KX155A and KX165A...

I have a lot more night time than the accident pilot, and have flown that area a number of times. No way I would fly there at night...

Even though I have plenty of "obsolete" boxes, my philosophy as well...

When my Slicks came due for their 500 hour, I bought 2 new ones. Installed those and sent the old ones to AMS for service. Each needed a few parts (not coils). They sit on the shelf ready to change out quickly if needed. I am a bit of a hoarder - I also have a spare voltage regulator, rebuilt...

The one that annoys me the most is the new designation for NOTAM: NOtice To Air Missions. How the heck does one notify a mission?

Could have been either... Oh yes, I've owned my DA40 for over 22 years. It is one of the items on the Diamond Maintenance Checklist for 100 Hour and Annual inspections. The mechanism is somewhat flimsy, though. The locking pintles press on thin sheet metal actuators that activate microswitches...

"I always thought it was weird that there’s an annunciator for when the front canopy is even slightly open, something the pilot can easily see, and none for that back door." The DOOR annunciator indicates if either the front canopy or rear hatch is unlatched.

Supply chain issues in aircraft parts are certainly more prevalent nowadays. One reason why I try to anticipate the need for wear items (brake linings), routine servicing items (oil and filters), and even hardware. I keep a good supply in the hangar, and reorder to replace used stock. I even...

I learned to fly in one of these (three, actually: N2447K, N2317D, and N2474F). Back in 1980, they allowed spins in them, so I got to learn spin recovery (I learned spin avoidance later). I liked that airplane - in fact, I think I imprinted on it like a baby duck. In 2001 I bought a Diamond...