Marc Cook
Marc Cook is a veteran special-interest journalist who started as a staffer at AOPA Pilot in the late 1980s. Marc has built two airplanes, an Aero Designs Pulsar XP and a Glasair Aviation Sportsman, and now owns a 180-hp, recently modernized GlaStar based in western Oregon. Marc has 5000 hours spread over 200-plus types and four decades of flying.
Around the Patch
Recent casualties in the kit-aircraft universe including AirlinkTECH, Pillar Point Avionics and Superior Air Parts reduce services available to builders and potentially eliminate some healthy competiton. By Marc Cook.
25th Anniversary: Loran and GPS take over
Todays GPS technology has largely supplanted loran as a navigational aid in Experimental aircraft, and thats not a bad thing. By Marc Cook.
The Eagle Takes Off
Precision Airmotives Eagle EMS brings electronic management to traditional aircraft engines for nearly turn the key and go flying. By Marc Cook.
Around the Patch
Whenever hes out and about (or in and on the phone), Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook fields questions from pilots wanting to know the best way to run an engine. His advice? Keep it simple.
A New Name on the Alternative Engine Block
When NSI went under in 2005, builders who had an engine or were waiting on parts for one might have found themselves in a world of hurt. But seeing an opportunity, John and Gwen Maxwell acquired the assets of the company and have endeavored since to make a sound product even better; by Marc Cook.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the mood at the annual AOPA gathering, where he found an upbeat vibe, cautious optimism about the FAAs pending homebuilding rules changes, and a positive announcement from Glasair Aviation.
Garmin GPSMap 696
Garmin has introduced at tablet-style portable that combines the best features of a panel-mounted multifunction display and a portable GPS. The screen real estate in itself is noteworthy, but the additional features are impressive; by Marc Cook.
25th Anniversary: The Glasair-Lancair Wars
The origins of Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft precede Lancair Aircraft by a few years, but once Lancair entered the game, competition was not only fierce but also productive; by Marc Cook.
Wag-Aero Sport Trainer
Builder Dave Klages’ Wag-Aero Sport Trainer remains faithful in most ways to the J-3 Cub that inspired it; by Marc Cook.
Around the Patch
The Editor-in-Chief discusses how the improper cut of his instrument panel affected the performance of his Dynon autopilot; by Marc Cook.
In Case You Missed It
Safety Is No Accident: Zenith
Ron Wanttaja examines the accident data for two of Zenith Aircrafts most popular designs, the CH 601 and CH 701.
Around the Patch
Those who plan to build an aircraft from a kit would do well to visit the factory and get to know not only the owners but also the operation. So counsels Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook, whose recent visit to the RANS factory left him favorably impressed. RANS manufacturing is diversified to weather the ups and downs of the market, and the company knows what works and sticks to it.
Alternative Energies
Great predictions about the advent of reliable, readily available and affordable electric aircraft have come and gone. How far away are we? By Dean Sigler.
Building an Addiction
The greatest of a successful builder’s attributes is an unshakable belief in tomorrow.