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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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,...
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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:...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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