Paying it forward: aviation style This year Indiana resident and pilot , Nancy Warren, did an amazing thing. Nancy is a member of the United Flying Octogenarians. That membership requirement is to be actively flying past 80 years of age. At 84 years young, Nancy has been going strong flying her trusty Cardinal. A few…
Each month I will feature an aviation book that I would recommend you add to your collection. I recently finished this book and it was an outstanding read – I couldn’t put it down! If you love books that are written by the person who was there and did the real stuff, you’ll love this…
What will general aviation look like in 40 years? The year is 2053. I drive to my small general aviation airport in my electric vehicle and pull right up to my hangar. There is no need to gain access via gates due to the virtual barrier placed around the perimeter. Any breach will quickly dispatch…
The Instrument rating demystified The instrument rating is really a graduate level course that many undergrads quiver at the thought of undergoing. Lets examine it in detail and discover some common mistakes and misconceptions. What is an instrument rating? We should all understand the basic idea behind being instrument rated, but you might be surprised…
Buying a used homebuilt In this economy there is no question it’s a buyers market. This is the same for the used homebuilt market, there are plenty of good deals out there. But do you really know what you’re buying? Lets examine some key questions and provide some answers from my point of view.
iPad EFB Since GPS nothing else has revolutionized aviation in recent history like the iPad. This was the first time in our industry a consumer electronic device gained widespread acceptance in the aerospace arena, and for good reason. If you already fly with an iPad, nothing here will be new, so feel free to have…
Should I fly into Oshkosh? This is a question that many aviators ask themselves. Airventure Oshkosh is an amazing experience that should be on every pilot’s bucket list and for thousands it is the one event every year they WILL NOT miss. But for some there is a risk versus reward question. Sometimes the answer…
The airport social scene I was lucky to get to work for the FBO in my hometown after flight school to build hours. It was one of the most memorable times of my life. To set the stage, Duncan (KDUC), is a small town of 25,000 located 50nm south of Oklahoma City. Due to a…
RV-10 In Progress A good friend of mine, Bob Leffler, is nearing completion of his beautiful RV-10. I have seen this airplane materialize over the years and it is really going to be a nice ship. As he is starting to get into the firewall forward parts of the build he asked for some assistance…
What would I buy….Luscombe 8A This is the second installment in a new series of articles based on a hypothetical set of airplane ownership criteria. Note: This information is strictly the opinion of the author. Your mileage may vary. See our previous installment here. The goal will be to spend less than $20,000 for a light…