For those occasions when you need to leave the rollaway behind, Irwin Tools has introduced a 26-inch professional toolbox. The industrial structural foam construction makes the box lightweight yet durable and able to withstand temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. All the hardware is attached without penetrating the interior space, which rainproofs it, helping to keep tools dry when working in inclement weather. The outside latches are made of rust-resistant metal and there is a built-in eye for a padlock. The 26-inch size is big enough to carry a good selection of larger tools, including long ratchet handles. The size is not too big however, as it fit, with room to spare, in the trunk of my VW Bug. Irwin has included the standard removable tray inside for smaller tools. On the outside, the manufacturer has designed in easy-access open storage, as well as small parts storage in two secure snap-shut compartments. The handle has rubberized padding, which makes the prospect of carrying the fully loaded box across a long ramp less daunting. It also has extra handle grips molded into the sides to allow for more ergonomic lifting when necessary. Phone: 704-987-4339, web: www.irwin.com

Brackett Aero's Air Filter Kits

I've always liked the Brackett Aero Filters replacement air filter kits, which are available for hundreds of airplanes and helicopters. The kits are easy to install and include replaceable elements, which ensures clean air delivered to engines as long as the filter system is maintained properly. I recently installed a Brackett kit on my airplane, replacing the original Donaldson paper air filter. The Donaldson filter is subject to a recurring airworthiness directive–AD84-26-02–which calls for replacement of the filter every 500 hours. Installing the Brackett system eliminates that AD, although the Brackett filter element does have to be replaced periodically. The one drawback to the Brackett system is that the FAA requires that a Form 337 be filled out for a major airframe alteration. This seems silly. First of all, this doesn't seem like it ought to be a major alteration. And, thousands of Brackett filters have been installed over the years without problems. Surely it's time for someone at the FAA to recognize this and grant some sort of non-major status to the Brackett air filter system.

Book Review: Fire Flight by John J. Nance

(Simon & Schuster, 2003)

With all the news about fire-fighting airplanes breaking-up during fire-fighting missions, it was inevitable that someone would tackle the subject with a fictional account of the brave men and women who fly these aging beasts. What is interesting about John J. Nance's Fire Flight� is that he includes a mechanic as a key character.

Granted, Nance's Trent Jones is not a stellar example of the breed, what with his moody abusive treatment of his beautiful smokejumper wife and unfocused attention to the maintenance of the fire-fighting fleet. Still, it's gratifying to see someone, anyone write about aviation mechanics. Nance, an airline pilot and military aviator, comes close to capturing the maintenance flavor, but the book leaves some questions unanswered.

Fire Flight revolves around the crisis created when the wing of a Stein Aviation DC-6 breaks off while dropping fire-retardant on one of the biggest fires to hit the western U.S. Naturally, this generates all sorts of trouble for embattled operator Jerry Stein, including visits from NTSB and FAA personnel and calls for grounding the aging fire-fighting fleet and for the military to take over aerial fire-fighting duties.

The descriptions of aerial fire-fighting seem accurate and are enjoyable. Nance did a lot of research and consulted with many experts to make sure his story was accurate. It appears, however, that Nance dropped the ball a little bit on the maintenance end. In the middle of the book, he implies that Trent Jones was involved in hiding information about overstressed DC-6 wing-box parts, and there is a complicated cover-up that accounts for the excessive wear-and-tear that caused the failure. But Nance neglects to follow-up on Jones's part in the cover-up and leaves the maintenance-oriented reader unsatisfied at the end of the book.

Fire Flight is overall a fun read, more grounded in reality than many of Nance's other aviation-themed novels such as the endless Pandora's Clock or another book where a Boeing 727 lands on an aircraft carrier. Fire Flight will make a great movie, but hopefully the mechanics get properly recognized in the movie version.