Letters from our June 2019 issue

I had a tear in my eye at the conclusion of Sheila Harris’s article, “Musings: Fearless, Almost.” I think it was the similar storyline in my life, except I am the pilot and Gail, at age 50, was the passenger. We have spent many hours flying since then, including trips to Oshkosh. To open one’s life up and turn trepidation into opportunity and joy is a revelation that some are lucky enough to experience. Gail and I will have been happily married six years in August.

There is a life lesson in there for flyers and nonflyers, something along the lines of... Live your life. I wish the best to Ms. Harris.

Larry Toto
AOPA 568727
Glenside, Pennsylvania

Risk and reward

AOPA Pilot’s June 2019 article “Into the Darkness” provides wisdom for all single-engine pilots. I do my best to avoid night flying in single-engine airplanes for one simple reason: You are betting your life on the engine.

Terry Leap
AOPA 1278961
Knoxville, Tennessee

Please express my thanks to Sheila Harris for overcoming her fears of flying to slip the surly bonds of Earth and dance the skies on laughter-silvered wings. —Burt Stevens, AOPA 503152, Woodbury, Connecticut Keep your distance

Enjoyed Thomas B. Haines’ article about wake turbulence. I had one of these a number of years ago. It was a beautiful summer afternoon flying into Lorain County Regional Airport (LPR) in Ohio. The crops were greening up and the sun added its yellow warmth to the picturesque flight. I was just entering downwind when I heard a B–17 call long, low final for Runway 7. I looked out to the west and there it was, below me like a cover photo over the green Earth. I was so awestruck that I just followed it right around base, then final, watching it touch down. As sure as my CFI would have warned me, I hit the turbulence of those four big props about 500 feet. The surprise shook me from gawking at the sight of the B–17 to aviating as I recovered from the rock and roll wings (hey, this is Cleveland) and landed safely. I’ll always remember that even though it’s not a jet, if it’s bigger, you’ll still need to keep your distance.

Bruce Bream
AOPA 1308611
Beachwood, Ohio

A big difference

The “Aviation History” piece about James H. Doolittle (June 2019 AOPA Pilot) named his major accomplishments—and there were many. In my opinion, Doolittle, while working for Shell Oil in the 1930s, made one of the more significant contributions of the era and it wasn’t mentioned: He served as the fulcrum between the oil company and engine manufacturers. In the depths of the Great Depression, oil companies were reluctant to do the necessary research and development to develop higher-octane gasolines for engines (and a market) that did not exist, and engine manufacturers saw no sense in spending precious dollars designing and building bigger engines for which no fuel was available. Doolittle, renowned for his piloting and engineering abilities, convinced his employers and engine manufacturers to both work toward a day when there would be big engines needing high-octane fuel, and vice versa.

Loyal Baker
AOPA 768605
Dayton, Washington

Thanks to your friend Mike Filucci for doing before-and-after tests on his airplane (“Efficiency: Propeller Test”). It’s so rare to see actual data! —Dan Johnson, AOPA 656213, Menomonie, WisconsinChanging times

I enjoyed reading Barry Schiff’s article “Proficient Pilot: Times Have Changed.” An interesting fact that he could have included is that early in my career as a flight engineer flying the “Shuttle” the flight attendants were given the chore of passing out cards with a single Wilkinson Sword razor blade attached. As you say, times have changed. Since the short flight was taken up by collecting fares, many of them just pushed the stacks of razor blades into the cockpit and I managed to shave with them for years.

Phil Hansen
AOPA 1619570
Port St. Lucie, Florida

Read the fine print

Mike Busch did an outstanding job in summarizing the essentials of an aircraft insurance policy.

I retired a few years ago after a 33-year career in the aircraft insurance industry, specializing in general aviation. I was both an underwriter (11 years) and a broker (22 years). Since my retirement from full-time employment I’ve been hired from time to time as an expert witness on GA insurance matters, always on the side of fellow aircraft owners. Most often my cases center around the permissive user clause, aka the pilot warranty. There is no standard among the various insurance underwriters as to the wording and meaning of this critical section of an aircraft insurance policy. The terms of the pilot warranty should be understood and agreed by both parties before coverage is bound.

One more caveat: As with any insurance policy each party must understand their obligations. The insurance carrier agrees to make the terms of their coverage understandable and to pay valid claims promptly. The aircraft owner also has responsibilities (beyond paying the premium). The insured has a responsibility to be honest in their statements (both verbal and written) and to read/understand the policy, asking questions about anything that is not clear, especially the pilot warranty.

Bob Leuten
AOPA 983101
Pleasanton, California

Errata

“Savvy Maintenance: A Matter of Policy” (June 2019 AOPA Pilot) incorrectly implied that insurance was not available for Lancair IVs. Such insurance is, in fact, available.

In “Blame It on the Back-country,” June 2019 AOPA Pilot, the Johnson Creek midair involved a Piper Tri-Pacer and a Piper Arrow, not a Beechcraft Baron.

AOPA Pilot regrets the errors.

We welcome your comments. Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or email ([email protected]). Letters may be edited for length and style before publication.