Author Archives: Shawn E. Bell

General Aviation

Cessna Aircraft introduces a diesel Turbo Skyhawk: the JT-A

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Now Cessna Aircraft has two diesel-engine aircraft in its single-engine line. The company displayed a Cessna 172 Turbo Skyhawk JT-A at EAA AirVenture and said that certification is expected “soon” for the Cessna 182 Turbo Skylane JT-A.

The Skyhawk JT-A is powered by a 155-horsepower Continental CD-155 diesel engine that is claimed to extend the aircraft’s range to 1,012 nautical miles, a 58-percent jump over the standard Skyhawk, and to increase speed to 131 knots true airspeed while burning 25 percent less fuel. It will be offered as an option in 2015.

The engine is already certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency for retrofit to newer Skyhawks under a supplemental type certificate.

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National Parks, Wildlife

Yosemite – El Portal Fire expands to 2,100 acres

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The El Portal fire started on the afternoon of Saturday, July 26th in the Old El Portal area of Yosemite National Park. As of 6:00am on Sunday, July 27th, the fire has grown to an estimated 2,100 acres with 5% containment.

Multiple structures are threatened, one structure is reported as lost.

The Old El Portal and Foresta communities, along with the Crane Flat campground, have been evacuated.

Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat Road) is currently closed from the Highway 140 (El Portal Road) junction to Tioga Road at Crane Flat (Tioga Road is open only from Highway 120 in Groveland and Lee Vining.

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Questions and Answers

Question: Should I submit to a publisher or only publish on Kindle?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Question: Should I submit to a publisher or only publish on Kindle?

Really crappy answer #1:

If you can get published via publisher, it is always better. The reason is that,
1) you automatically get support for editing your book from publishing house,
2) most importantly you became “validated” author as, most times self-published Kindle authors are not considered professional, because everybody can publish with Kindle even if their work contain plenty of grammar mistakes.

If your book is fictional book, you have less chance to sell your Kindle ebook if readers don’t know you (for example from your blog page, twitter account and etc.) .

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National Parks, Wildlife

Bald Eagles Expand Territories to Five of the Eight Channel Islands

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From the National Park Service:

Bald eagles continue to expand on the California Channel Islands with the discovery of a nesting pair on San Clemente Island for the first time in over 50 years.

This discovery means that bald eagles have reestablished territories now on five of the eight Channel Islands following their disappearance from the islands in the early 1960s due primarily to DDT contaminants in the food chain.

Dr. Peter Sharpe with the Institute for Wildlife Studies who has spent 18 years dedicated to bald eagle recovery efforts said, “This news is very gratifying. I expect to see bald eagles return to all eight of the Channel Islands within a few years which will mark yet another milestone in their successful recovery.”

“This is good news for the continued recovery of the ecosystem of the Channel Islands and the Navy’s ongoing interest in protecting the environment,” said Captain Christopher E. Sund, Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado, which balances responsibility for operations and training with wildlife management on San Clemente Island.”It is also emblematic of the Navy’s good stewardship over many years at San Clemente Island,” he said.

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Questions and Answers

Question: What are some tips that can help me successfully publish a book through a major publishing house?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Question: What are some tips that can help me successfully publish a book through a major publishing house?

Answer:

Well, to start with: you don’t publish. You write. Once you’re done writing, you write query letters to agents to attract one. The agent will get your book to a publisher. The publisher will get your book into bookstores.

Now, as for tips:

    • Get used to failure. You’ll be rejected repeatedly. But if you persevere, you’ll get an agent.
    • Get used to zero response. When you get an agent, get used to no communication, no responses to email, no responses to phone calls. Your agent will, eventually get your book in at a publisher, if you’re lucky.

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