Pelican's Perch

The Japanese Zero of World War II was so light it could out-turn just about any American fighter, but that meant it had very little armor, so one good shot would take it down. Nowadays, there are maybe two flying examples in the entire world -- and AVweb's John Deakin is now a qualified pilot in one of them.

Last month, AVweb's John Deakin told us what it was like to live the life of an itinerant Gulfstream IV pilot. This month he digs into the actual operations in the cockpit and, guess what? It's a good thing he likes computers and can read computer screens.

Two years ago, AVweb's John Deakin wrote about taking Gulfstream IV training and the start of his move from airlines to bizjets. This month, John chronicles the long and challenging process that still hasn't quite settled down.

AVweb's resident Pelican talks of a different kind of borescope -- one that may well save your life.

GA engine failure captured digitally in full color! AVweb's John Deakin shows us engine-monitor data from an aircraft that lost power on takeoff just after an annual inspection. As you might expect, John disagrees with the engine manufacturer's post-mortem.

After a short discussion about whether running engines "the factory way" or "the skydiving way" will hurt or help engines, AVweb's John Deakin settles in for the descent. And, yes, there are more old wives' tales to be debunked, and better control settings to use.

Cruise -- Time to sit back and enjoy the flight. But wait ... did you leave the mixture set where it was during the climb? Or do you just set it where it "feels" right? You know AVweb's John Deakin is going to have something to say about that.

AVweb's John Deakin has been studying, testing, and teaching about piston engines for a long time. This list is a collection of all his Pelican's Perch columns related to piston engines.

Last month, AVweb's John Deakin started a discussion of where to run an engine during a typical flight. With so much detail needed, he ended the column just as we took off! Now he's back to talk about the climb, and as usual he has real-world data to back up his explanation.

In his many columns about how to lean, whether to use full power after takeoff, oversquare operation and so on, AVweb's John Deakin has left many of the details up to the pilot/owner. Yet many readers would just as soon have him tell them exactly how to set up and run an engine. In this month's column he does just that, with a step-by-step guide to smarter engine operation. Fair warning: his advice may not always agree with the POH.