Airplanes can be fun but at the end of the day, they’re just metal, wood, and composite.  The one ingredient required in enjoying aviation is people.  I have written before that I am the luckiest guy I know.  Line guy to pilot has given me a great life.  But without the people that have been…

A Guy I Know Better Than Myself.  After switching frequencies, I heard a new voice come across my headset.  “Four Uniform Foxtrot.  Your are number two behind a Citation Sovereign on short final.  Cleared for the option” We had just hit our Comm Transfer button, changing our radio from Chicago Approach to Tower at Chicago…

My favorite airplanes (non turbine) Lets do a little dreaming. Image you have a bottomless bank account. What would we find in your hangar? This would be a real challenge for me since I love all airplanes, but somehow I’d make due. He’s my choices as of today, ask me tomorrow and it’ll change. It…

Luckily I have had the opportunity to fly an Extra a few times – from the passenger seat [PREVIOUS POST HERE]. I felt compelled to offer my thoughts on what might be one of the coolest machines I have ever handled. Extras are built at the Dinslaken Airfield in Germany. It is a certified, factory-built, thoroughbred…

So those of you that have been reading this site know I have a strong predilection to gawking at used aircraft classifieds. Besides various writing ventures, this might be my #1 pastime when I’m not actually flying.   In the past there have been a couple of primary classified sites that I frequent and the rest…

I have taken a break from my monthly series of picking out an airplane based on a specific criteria of mission-capability and price. In fact one of the last airplanes I selected was actually in the same category as the one I’m discussing here, but older and less expensive (see my Bonanza article here). As…

We are going to explore a few commonsense ways to stay out of trouble out there. The headline is a bit of a “grabber”, the point remains that flying is unforgiving. It can be extremely safe, but we can’t take that for granted. Keep flying the airplane. This is a huge issue. Flying in this…

  Tecnam P92 and the Piper J-3 Cub – brothers from different mothers There are plenty of articles that talk about the very specific niche that is the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), but I thought it would be fun to discuss it from a little different perspective. One of the interesting things to look at…

I Love Biplanes! One of the most existential things you can do as an aviator is fly a biplane, especially an open cockpit variety. Having been lucky enough to have been a steward to one of these sentient vehicles in my youth, I can say I have tasted it’s nectar first hand. There are few…

Anti Air Cam I pride myself on being a pretty reasonable guy. I’m not quick to judge and I’m pretty considerate of others, but in spite of all that I couldn’t restrain myself from sharing my thoughts on Sport Aviation’s most recent cover-plane. So what is it about the Air Cam that stirs in me…