We have an MX300 in our 172 that has started producing squeals and static whenever it is turned on. It was intermittent a month ago and proceeded to being continuous. We can still transmit and receive if we can stand listening to the noise. I turned it on today and could clearly hear a...

We are upgrading the McCaully three piece main wheels and brakes on our 1977 172 N because of the unavailability of a brake cylinder that went bad. If you are faced with the same $2300 upgrade because of a cracked wheel or bad brake cylinder, we will shortly have the whole set, with one bad...

I stopped by the shop yesterday for what I thought would be a quick check on the progress of the annual. The fellow had stopped working on the windshield replacement and moved on to other things in hopes I would stop by and discuss the appalling appearance of our glareshield. I had to agree that...

Annual costs are a hot hanger topic. All of us who follow GA maintenance issues have seen how it goes. Preferred Aviation gives good advice so an owner spends $5000 on his Skyhawk while it's in for the annual. When his friends ask why the long face, he tells them he just had a five grand annual at...

I need 30 answers by Friday morning. What is your favorite type of car? (The one you dreamed of as a kid, that is) BMW Lamborghini Farrari Jaguar

Anyone have experience with installing the oversize roller service kit for Cessna's from McFarlane? Our tracks have a little ways to go before the .6035 wear limit but the wear is not even. We are getting some skin wear between the flaps and wing. Would these rollers be a viable alternative to new...

Does anyone out there have a good handle on the two year depreciation (percent) in probable sale price of a new airplane such as a Skyhawk SP? Even though this is a newsgroup, this time I'd prefer answers based on actual facts and real knowledge. -- Roger Long

I'd like to hear from anyone who has a Franklin 220 h.p., especially in a 172. Any other comments or rumors, informed or otherwise, fire away. -- Roger Long

The FAA is looking for two things when considering the question of whether a private pilot was carrying a passenger(s) legitimately. One is evidence that the passenger is incidentally aboard on a flight that was going to take place anyway. Second is that the pilot and passenger have a shared...

I was always taught that WOT was a "renter's setting" and that you should back off to 2300-2400 if you want to get good life out of your engine. I keep running across the Advanced Pilot Seminar guys asking, "Why EVER be partial throttle in cruise? Of course, they are probably also talking about...

We have a shop that's proved that shimmy isn't inevitable in Cessnas, as other shops have tried to tell me in the past. The nose gear started to shimmy after 18 months solid as a rock. Turned out to be water in the wheel, trapped between the two halves and acting like a wheel weight. How it got...

The particular O-320 in our 172N is the sweetest running aircraft engine I have ever known. We maintain it rigorously and proactively and lean aggressively for all ground operations. I have not had to clear a mag once in the 880 hours since it was installed. I flew the plane the day before...

RI appears to be back pedaling fast. The state sent a letter to AOPA today saying that it was clumsy wording and the provision was never intended to apply to residents of other states. It was intended to "help" state residents by letting them buy an airplane that the kept and used out of state...

We still have one of these and it works great in the simple airspace we fly in. Also good backup for the handheld GPS. The database is very old however. Does anyone out there have one of these that they have retired? I'd like to get a more recent database card? -- Roger Long

Has anyone ever dealt with them.

Every day these noisy, small private planes from Palo Alto airport destroy my living space. They fly too low, and this causes their low frequency motor noise to enter my home and drive me crazy. Especially on weekend days, there is either one plane entering or leaving my airsapce, so there is a...

All day long heard private plane noise, couldn't have my usual barbaque outside, drove me crazy. Had to go inside, cook ribs inside with loud music playing to drown out the plane noise.

Well, I finally made it out to the airport (3BS) today. With the 4-Runner in 4WD I managed to get within about 10 feet of the man door. That's where those big tires dropped through the ice and snow to the sod underneath. sigh at least the ground is still frozen but I think we may be missing a...

What's the difference between the KY 197 and the current KY 97? Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com

My old Telex ANRs finally gave out. They still work in the passive mode, just not the ANR. I need to find a schematic to check them out, although there's not a whole lot there. I've e-mailed Telex, but heard nothing so far. Roger (K8RI)