by Joe Godfrey | Jul 15, 2016 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Franklin P. Jones, a Philadelphia reporter, said that experience is what allows us to recognize a mistake when we make it again. That’s a mildly cynical approach, and the true value of experience should be to recognize the pattern that led to the previous...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2016 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
The definition of this ubiquitous term depends on the context. A bit over two years ago, a fellow I’ll call “Bob” bought a 10-year-old Cirrus SR22 from another fellow I’ll call “Sam.” Prior to the purchase, Bob had a very thorough pre-buy performed by an independent...
by Joe Godfrey | Jun 15, 2016 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
I MIFfed my airplane this week. I was installing the passenger seat in my Bellanca Viking – something I’ve done many, many times over my 26 years of ownership, and broke a weld between the seat frame and the seat rail. It’s not a huge repair, and...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2016 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Aircraft parts are expensive, so we really should be repairing rather than replacing them whenever possible. When the co-owner of a 1976 Cessna 172M emailed me, she had just come from talking to her mechanic and was clearly in a state of sticker shock: “Where can I...
by Joe Godfrey | May 15, 2016 | SavvyAnalysis Puzzlers
Every flight is a series of decisions. Sometimes the decisions are easy — weather’s too bad, pilot’s not feeling good, airplane’s not ready or equipped for the trip. This month’s Puzzler is a series of three flights, each with its own...