I’m home from AirVenture in Oshkosh and ready to go back again. Sunburned. Tired. Sweaty. Twenty pounds heavier in the belly and $_____ lighter in the wallet. Full of memories of new friendships, long and winding conversations, glistening airplanes, cool new toys tools. I saw more awesome airplanes than any guy has a right to […]
“And do you fly, too?”
I did not realize it until I spent a week at AirVenture with David but the only polite response to the introduction, “and this is my son, David,” seems to be an outstretched hand and the question, “Nice to meet you. And do you fly, too?” David started out the week with his standard answer […]
A Few AirVenture 2007 Photos
The weather was gorgeous yesterday for the airshow and I got some good shots that I cannot wait to share. Jump over to my AirVenture 2007 Highlights photo gallery and enjoy. Here is one of my favorites, just to whet your appetite.
AirVenture 2007, Part 1
Last year, Kevin and I flew to AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI (OSH). Being the first time that I had been to Oshkosh, since a single trip in high school, we only planned to stay for three days. On Friday afternoon, we left tired, sore, and wishing we had had a lot more time. For the […]
Airports I Have Flown To, Part 2
Candy and I ran through my logbooks this morning, entering all of the airports that I have flown to into OurAirports.com. Trips down memory lane are always good ways to spend lazy weekend mornings. I got to remember flying to places like Munchen (Munich, Germany); Hesperia Ranch, CA; Calistoga, CA; and, well, I’ll spare you […]
Airports I Have Flown To
David Megginson has created a cool Google mash-up where you can create a map of all the airports you have visited. Here is my map at OurAirports.com. I am only listing the airports that I have actually flown a plane into, not the ones that I visited while flying in commercial airliners. So far, I […]
Why Pilot’s Prefer Airplanes to Women
Airplanes usually kill you quickly; a woman takes her time. Airplanes can be turned on by a flick of a switch. Airplanes don’t get mad if you do a “touch and go.” Airplanes don’t object to a pre-flight inspection. Airplanes come with a manual to explain their operation. Airplanes have strict weight and balance limitations. […]
Celebrating Independence
I am flying northwest along the Mississippi river. A few boats are cutting curly wakes in the river below but most are just sitting still. Perhaps the people on the boats are idly wondering what the airplane is doing 1,000 feet above their heads. The ferry just north of St. Charles has a single car […]
The View From an RC Airplane
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in an RC airplane? Watch this: Father’s day is coming and I would gladly accept one of those.
Ignore Safety, Reduce Airline Costs
There is a tempest brewing in the Washington tea cup. Congress has to pass a bill that provides funding for the FAA by the end of September or the FAA ceases to exist. Background The airlines and the FAA are pushing hard to reduce the costs imposed on airlines while increasing the costs for pretty […]
Turbine Toucan: One HOT Airplane
The Turbine Toucan looks to be the ultimate propeller driven toy-in-the-sky. Target air show weight will be under 2000lbs with thrust targeted at 3300lbs. This will be close to a 1.65:1 ratio, unheard of in any GA aircraft. To put it in perspective, the F/A-18 Hornet (at fighter mission weight) is 36,700lbs@32,000lbs of thrust. This […]
Garmin 396/496 Legal for IFR
Note: This was an April Fools joke and the web site is gone. (Unless you are a pilot, you probably do not care about this.) Finally! Honestly, I believed Garmin when I bought my GPSMAP 396 and it said “VFR Use Only.” We get a present today: the ability to use our Garmin 396 and […]
FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
Thanks to the dedicated government researchers at the Cherokee Pilot’s Association for finding this critical information. Subject: FAA NPRM NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (NPRM) Part 0, Section 000 (a) 1(c) Preface – As for the first part of the last part, see Section V, the Administrator may be a him or a her, but shall […]
Flying the T38
These guys must love their jobs! Merry Christmas!
Owner Assisted Annual Inspection
October brought the deadline for my airplane’s annual inspection and, having no in-depth knowledge of the process and liking to get my hands greasy, I decided to get involved as much as possible. That meant finding a shop that was willing to work with me. In the end, Jeremy at St. Charles Flying Service came […]
Reaction to Cory Lidle’s Airplane Accident
Tragically, Cory Lidle and his flight instructor died yesterday afternoon when the Cirrus SR-20 airplane that they were flying crashed into a high rise building in New York City. {Added 11/19/06} The New York Times has created a wonderfully informative, interactive graphic showing the flight path. AVweb’s article, New York City Crash Aftermath, nicely brings […]
Flying High, Flying Fast
I took a trip in my plane on Tuesday that was faster, more fuel efficient, and higher than ever before. Usually, I fly at about 6,000 feet and get ground speeds of about 130 knots (nautical miles per hour) which is the equivalent of about 150 MPH (statute miles per hour). The plane burns 9.5 […]
Keep B-29 Fifi Flying
Did you know that, of 3,900 B-29 Superfortress bombers built during WW-II, only one is still in flying condition? The B-29 has been called the weapon which won the war in the Pacific. It was the only bomber we had which could fly 3,700 to 4,500 miles carrying up to 20,000 pounds of bombs. Believe […]
Aerobatics Joy Ride
Boy oh boy, this makes me want to try aerobatics 🙂 What impresses me most is how the pilot keeps narrating in a normal tone of voice throughout the movie.
What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?
What happens when lightening strikes an airplane? According to Edward J Rupke, senior engineer at Lighting Technologies, Inc., not much. (Image courtesy of Edward J. Rupke and borrowed from Scientific American.com.) Although passengers and crew may see a flash and hear a loud noise if lightning strikes their plane, nothing serious should happen because of […]
