Letters

I would not choose any of the three warbirds mentioned in “Aircraft for the Mission: Buying a Piece of History,” by Ian J. Twombly (July 2022 AOPA Pilot). Given a budget of $70,000, I would choose an overlooked T–42A. The Beechcraft T–42A is a great cross-country flyer with fuel injected IO-470 engines. Many are equipped with weather radar. The largest difference between the T–42A and Baron B55 is the T–42A’s wing is two feet longer than the B55.

Stephen Paschke / AOPA 7062185
Lakewood, Colorado

As a former Nanchang CJ–6A owner, I feel you left out one of the better options. You can get a very nice CJ for $70,000—and even less if you’re adventurous enough to restore one of the pickled ones. There is more room in the cockpit, it can run on automotive gas, and you can work on your own airplane (experimental exhibition). Flight characteristics happen to be better as well. No worries about an inverted flat spin in the CJ. As a matter of fact, spins are so docile you think you’re more in a spiral.

Michael Di Marco / AOPA 700905
Orlando, Florida

Test Pilot

In Barry Schiff’s Test Pilot in the June issue, I believe there is a mistake in answer to question four (When the date June 23, 2022, first occurs on Earth, how much time will elapse before this same date no longer exists anywhere on Earth?). There are some exceptions around the international date line: Baker Island’s legal time is UTC- 12 and Kiribati’s legal time is UTC+14, thus making a difference of 26 hours between them. So my answer is 50 hours, not 48.

Stephane Mayer / AOPA 7486687
Paris, France

Those small islands that cause the International Date Line to shift are the exceptions that prove the rule. You are, of course, correct.

The problem is that it is difficult enough trying to explain why each day lasts 48 hours, but trying to explain why each day lasts 50 hours was just too challenging, especially in the limited space available to write the answers. I probably should have just said that each day lasts “at least 48 hours.” That would have covered all bases but would then have had people writing and wanting to know what I meant by “at least.” Sometimes there is just no winning.

Good catch, by the way, and many thanks for taking the time to write.

Best wishes,

Barry Schiff

Stalls and Spins

I just read Catherine Cavagnaro’s article “Stalls and Spins” (August 2022 AOPA Pilot). About 42 years ago, I was an active CFII and relatively competent with spins (actual demonstration of that skill during the checkride was required to become a CFI back then) and very competent with stalls. I decided to take a basic aerobatics course, which I thought would improve my stick and rudder skills.

During the very first lesson, my instructor had me purposely stall the Decathlon while pointed nearly straight down by pulling out of a spin too aggressively. It was his way of emphasizing that an airplane can indeed stall at any speed and in any pitch angle. I remember the odd feeling of pushing the stick forward to recover, although we were already still pointed steeply toward the ground. It was a good lesson.

Cary R. Alburn III / AOPA 511018
Loveland, Colorado

See and be Seen

I compliment Col. Thomas Gross in the June edition of “Never Again” for highlighting the need to make your aircraft visible. I would add the importance of carrying GPS location devices such as the inReach transmitter or a satellite phone. Because I regularly fly in mountainous and heavily forested terrain, I have a dash-mounted GPS locator also. The old emergency locator transmitter’s are essentially useless.

The reality is that—particularly in heavily wooded areas—location is quite difficult. If you add injury, fire, and aircraft damage, using a survival vest supplied with basic supplies and a GPS locator allows a pilot to exit the aircraft quickly, improve identification and location, and thus increase odds of survival. It is no surprise that military pilots wear such devices.

Eric A. Voth, M.D. / AOPA 1497267
Topeka, Kansas

Flight Control Failure

Captain Barry Schiff’s article “Flight Control Failure” (July 2022 AOPA Pilot) brings up a salient issue for us as pilots. We should also consider that flight control failure can occur not only due to hydraulic or control cable issues, but also for other reasons. I can attest to this, as it has happened to me while airborne on two different occasions. The first time followed a service visit due to an avionics squawk with an aberrant ILS. Full aircraft controls functioned properly prior to takeoff; however, because of a crosswind and full deflection of controls on takeoff, the scissors control of the Bonanza hung up on an improperly replaced ILS encoder. This in turn would not allow right aileron down deflection.

The second time involved loss of up elevator on takeoff while about 50 feet over the runway. In that case, the transponder encoder apparently was improperly secured, causing it to jam the up elevator controls. Fortunately, there was adequate runway left to cut power and land. Lesson learned: Check carefully after work performed on the aircraft. Although rare, mistakes can and do happen.

Mike Pardis / AOPA 868051
Helena, Montana

Richard McSpadden’s article in the June issue of AOPA Pilot (“Analyzing Pilot Error”) presents a very connected and in-touch flight safety officer, if I may, who never forgets the underlying humanity behind every decision we make and why science must always prevail without leaving the human behind. A talented, balanced approach, nothing else.
—Marc Arsenault / AOPA 5229709, Saint-Lambert, QuebecFueling Safety

I had a Cessna 172L for more than 30 years and bought the supplemental type certificate for auto fuel. The modifications consisted of decals near the fuel caps for the airframe and a bolt-on wire tie with the STC number on it attached to the pushrod tube for the engine modification on my O-320 E2D engine. I was then authorized to use auto fuel.

I always tested for alcohol in fuel by using a small, clear glass bottle, and marking the bottle in 10-percent increments up to 100-percent full. Since water absorbs alcohol, the test was simple. Add water to the bottle to the 10-percent line, then, fill the bottle to 100 percent with the gasoline. Cap the bottle and shake vigorously for about a minute and then let it settle on a level surface. After about five minutes the water would resettle to the bottom. If the reading was still 10 percent, the gasoline was alcohol free. But if the water reading was 20 percent, the gasoline had alcohol.

I talked to my local station owner and told him I needed alcohol-free, high-test fuel and asked if he could order that instead of 10-percent gasohol. It made no difference to him, so I had a 91-octane auto fuel supplier. I did check for alcohol before filling my drums as a safety precaution.

I never had any problems from using auto fuel. I flew that airplane for 1,800 hours over 25 years without any engine problems and no spark plug fouling.

Rolf Kraft / AOPA 584729
Martin, South Dakota

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