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…
How do I pay for flight training? It seems like lately there has been a plethora of articles and blog posts on the internet about the cost of flying and how our population is shrinking. I felt it was appropriate to provide some ideas on how to pay for, and defray, training costs as the antithesis…
Balancing Flying with Family editorial If you are a family man or woman, you need to balance your flying activities with your home-life. Certainly every situation is different so many of these points won’t apply. If your whole family is into flying, you are probably in the best possible position and the envy of many…
Checklist Discipline (Update) Fellow pilot and friend Mike Wojcik contributed to this piece. See his work below regarding a checklist he developed for the Tecnam. Ever thought about your checklist? I mean really thought about it? It is much more than a faded and tattered occupier of precious cockpit real estate. It is one of…
The Self-Righteous Aviator One of the phenomena that I have observed in the wild is the self-righteous aviator (SRA). You know the one; they think they know it all and everyone else is beneath them. This curious species usually migrates to local airports where they can work the lobby making sure everyone knows they are…