Porsche Aircraft Engines  by Hal Tretbar  Reprinted by permission from the Zuffenhausen News, Spring 2018 Issue (pcasar.com) I really appreciate the Porsche 3.2 liter motor in my 1987 Carrera. This air-cooled, 6 cylinder boxer engine is powerful, dependable, and efficient. Ferry Porsche (company: Porsche AG) must have liked these attributes also. In 1980 he...  Read more...Porsche Aircraft Engines

Flying the KC 135 Simulator  Howard Deevers  My daughter, Barb, moved back to Western Pennsylvania a few months ago. I assisted her in exploring this option last year. We stayed with her best friend, Cindy, who lives in Murrysville, just East of Pittsburgh. Cindy is married to a Lt Col in the Air National Guard at Pittsburgh International Airport, the...  Read more...Flying the KC 135 Simulator

Women Pilots  Howard Deevers  The opinions expressed here are of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Pilots Association or any other group of aviators. By now you must have heard of the emergency landing of a Southwest Airlines flight in Philadelphia on April 17, 2018. The Captain on that flight was a female pilot; the...  Read more...Women Pilots

When Things Go Bump In The Night  Howard Deevers  Is it true that when you are flying at night your airplane makes strange noises? When in IMC you hear things that you didn’t hear only a few minutes ago when in the clear. The airplane is probably just fine, but our senses are in a higher state, so we do think we hear things that we didn’t...  Read more...When Things Go Bump in the Night

Winter Flying  Howard Deevers  The Private Pilot check ride is the final glorious moment in our basic training. You have just finished your check ride, and the examiner hands you your Temporary Certificate. Wow! What a feeling! Now I can take my family members or friends for a flight and demonstrate my newly acquired skills and knowledge. I am a Pilot!...  Read more...After the Check Ride

Winter Flying  Howard Deevers  While Arizona was enjoying exceptional flying weather in January, much of the rest of the country was experiencing harsh winter conditions. We saw sub-zero temperatures, snow, ice, and the "windchill" we all hate. My nephew, John, has come from Minneapolis to Tucson several times for a week of relief from the cold....  Read more...Winter Flying

Looking Both Ways  Howard Deevers  Do you make New Year Resolutions? Almost all of us do, but many of us fail to follow through. The usual resolutions, such as losing a few pounds, eating healthier, exercising more, earning a new rating, or attending more safety seminars, may not materialize, even though we have the best of intentions. But the...  Read more...Looking Both Ways

Thank you card from Girl Scout Troop No. 275    During our Pleasant Valley Fly-in, Recreation staff Gary Lollman found Girl Scout Troop No 275 camped out a mile or two up the road and managed to get them and their leaders over to the airport for their very first airplane rides! Man, what a blessing it was to share aviation with these Girl Scouts and what a...  Read more...Thank you card from Girl Scout Troop No. 275

Understanding Airports  Howard Deevers  Airports are as important to pilots as highways are to drivers. We need places to land, to keep our airplanes, and to get services. Preferably the airport would be near a city or a location that we would like to visit, just as roads and highways will lead to places we need, or want, to go. The bigger the city, the...  Read more...Understanding Airports

Teaching the Teachers  Howard Deevers  Learning to fly was wonderful, getting an Instrument Rating was stressful, training for the Commercial Pilot’s License was eye opening, and then my instructor/mentor suggested that I become an instructor. This had not been my goal in aviation, but he kept encouraging me to do so. His comment was, “If you...  Read more...Teaching the Teachers