Clik here to view.
I Go to Extremes
Well, the mercury reached 106 degrees Fahrenheit on the California coast a few weeks ago. Iâ€ve lived here since the late 80s and canâ€t remember ever seeing the temperature hit that level. In fact, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two Airplanes in One
Every pilot learns about and is tested on weight & balance. By the time a checkride is scheduled, a student can not only compute the numbers but also expound on the pros and cons of forward and aft...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We’re All Instructors
I donâ€t know if this meets the definition of an official “pilot shortageâ€, but if anecdotal evidence is worth anything, my company is adding pilots and airplanes at a rapid rate. Weâ€re already...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Accidental Solo
Airplanes may have lured me into the world of aviation, but over the years Iâ€ve come to realize that itâ€s the people who keep me here. Theyâ€re about as far from the homogenized 9-to-5 world as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Pioneer Goes West
There are many big names in the general aviation world: King, Collins, Klapmeier, Poberezny, and so on. But Arnold Palmer was something unique, even among the giants in our industry. I think his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A License to Learn
An airplane is a lot like an onion: there are countless layers to peel back. Iâ€ve been flying the Gulfstream IV-SP for five years now, and on every trip I learn something new. Most recently a mechanic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Differences Training Difference
Most pilots have experienced “differences training†in one way or another. Perhaps it was making the jump from a normally-aspirated airplane like the Cessna Centurion to its turbocharged cousin. Or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aircraft Security: Serious Business
Itâ€s counterintuitive, but statistics clearly show that youâ€re more likely to have an accident or incident on the ground than in the air. Think about the hangar rash, ground loops, runway overruns,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Engine That Could
“Don’t make ’em like they used to…” I’m not sure if it was a question or a statement, but the docent who sidled up to my son and I recently at the Museum of Flight was right as rain. We stood silently...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Circular Runway
Well, they’ve done it. A team from the National Aerospace Laboratory in the Netherlands has managed to solve all the aviation world’s problems with a single stroke! Air pollution, noise complaints,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Longest Day
Pilots donâ€t always get much of a chance to interact with passengers, but when we do thereâ€s a good chance I can anticipate some of the questions theyâ€ll ask. Among the more popular queries are:...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fuelish Decisions
Non-pilots are usually surprised to learn that the most involved and challenging part of flying sometimes takes place on the ground rather than in the air. Preflighting the aircraft, making weather...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When Things Go Sideways
I canâ€t determine who first said it, but flying has been described as “hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terrorâ€. The phrase may have been adapted from a description of trench...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Know Thyself
Iâ€ve met so many people on my journey in aviation. Some of them were ridiculously happy, thankful every day for the ability to go to work as a pilot. Others were jaded and surly, giving the distinct...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Big Lie: ATC Stuck in the 1960s
The debate on so-called “ATC privatization†is not a new one. A Google search of the phrase yields 171,000 results, many of them news articles going back more than a quarter century. AOPA, EAA,...
View ArticleNBAA Interview
I normally try to stay away from politics, especially on the internet. I’ve lost quite enough hair, thank you very much. Unfortunately, H.R. 2997 definitely falls into that category. Could there be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stupid Pilot Tricks
Iâ€ve been flying turbine aircraft for more than a decade now (jeez, time flies!), and with few exceptions, those with whom Iâ€ve shared the cockpit have operated in the consistently safe and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Pilot’s Best Friend
If I had to put together a “top 10†list of work-related questions fired at me by friends and family, many of the queries would be unsurprising: “Flown anywhere exciting lately?†(Does home...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Instructional Techniques: Reinventing the Wheel
A fellow CFI recently asked my thoughts on whether instrument flying is more art or science. Long story short, I’m of the opinion that it’s a bit of both. While ruminating on our conversation later...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flights to Remember
I’ve been writing about general aviation for… well, let’s not count the years, shall we? It would be a bit distressing, and age is just a number anyway. (I wish.) For the most part, my output has been...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Uneven STARS
I’m often surprised at the widely varying quality of domestic Standard Terminal Arrival procedures. The name makes for a good acronym (“STAR”), but from an aviator’s perspective there’s precious little...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Connecting the Dots
A friend was searching far and wide for a ï¬rst officer to fly an exquisite Falcon 2000EX EASy, but couldnâ€t ï¬ll the position despite the six-ï¬gure starting salary accompanying it. The company...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Chicken or the Egg?
It seems to me we’re at a bit of a tipping point with the GA ecosystem. There simply aren’t enough instructors around to solve the pilot shortage. And without enough pilots, we certainly won’t have a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Radiation Exposure in Business Aviation
Itâ€s long been known that flight at high altitudes exposes flight crew and passengers alike to greater levels of radiation than they normally experience on the surface, but a recent Harvard study on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alone, Overseas–and Clueless?
When it comes to the ease and freedom of flight, itâ€s hard to beat the United States. We can obtain an IFR clearance moments after filing a flight plan and operate pretty much anywhere at anytime...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Dream Deferred
The latest post from Airscape Magazine landed on my computer screen this morning. Always a welcome respite from the flood of Monday morning email, this one was a loving tribute to a Lockheed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Paranoia Pays Off
Normally, paranoia is considered unhealthy. As it pertains to flying, however, in my experience a moderate dose can keep the doctor away much like the proverbial apple. It’ll keep the FAA, NTSB, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bearing in Mind
There’s a school of thought out there which tells us that the Non-Directional Beacon and it’s cockpit counterpart, the ADF, are things of the past with nothing to offer today’s pilot. With all due...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Choose Business Aviation?
Iâ€m often asked: why pursue a career in business aviation? Most professional pilots measure their career with two metrics: compensation and quality-of-life. If scheduled airlines provide more of one...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Adventures in Flying: Crete to Capetown
I’m always puzzled by the awe with which so many people — some of them pilots themselves — regard those of us who regularly fly to other continents. From Day One, there was clearly nothing superhuman...
View Article