My 8 year old daughter Mary, goes flying with her dad! Although the RV-8 has been flying for over a year, my two daughters have not been up in it yet – seems mom is more than a bit nervous about them flying. Well yesterday the opportunity presented itself for Mary and she had to…
October 11, 2012 For Immediate Release: FLY AWAY IN AN S-LSA RV-12! Van’s Aircraft, Inc. is pleased to announce a new program to build completed, fly-away, RV-12s. Better yet, Van’s has a working agreement with Synergy Air of Eugene, OR to manufacture the airplanes in the U.S.A. Nearly 200 kit-built RV-12s have been completed and…
Editorial Is the romance gone from professional flying? Why do most of these pilots choose golf, boating, hunting, ad nauseam over a pleasure flying on their days off? (For our purposes, professional flying refers to the airline, charter, or corporate pilot.) I am going to throw out some harsh estimates; these are not based on any…
This week I get the privilege of repeating a tradition that has gone on for the last 16 years -recurrent simulator training. I don’t know of many professions where you literally put your career on the line twice a year in exchange for keeping the right to practice your craft for-hire. Take a high-level journey…
On Friday, October 5th, two Piper aircraft collided in the skies over Arizona. At least one of the aircraft was on an IFR training flight. As you view the pictures you’ll realize how miraculous it was that no one was injured. One aircraft made it into Gila River airport and the other landed on a…
Editors Note: As a native of Oklahoma, I have been excitedly watching the progress of this fascinating project coming out of Tulsa. I can’t wait to see it fly! By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer In June 1940, as Ettore Bugatti and Louis de Monge were preparing to roll out their technologically advanced Bugatti 100P…
Sunday Sortie Due to my annual inspection and vacation, post-Oshkosh flying has been minimal at best. My usual ritual of once-a-week sorties all but dried up. Looking to correct this issue, and with perfect fall flying weather at my disposal, I got organized and set aside firm plans to fly Sunday (Sept 30th). A quick…
The Fokker Triplane: My Secret Obsession Ok I have a confession. I’m in love with another airplane besides my darling RV-8 and I’m not entirely sure what to do about it. It started innocently and impulsively. I was strolling through Kitplanes and came across a company selling plans for a full scale Fokker Triplane….thus my obsession began….
This story starts out innocently enough, my dad and I were looking for a good used airplane. Nothing fancy, just something that carried two people and it didn’t have to be fast or flashy – our mission was low-cost! Our 1946 Ercoupe – N3466H with partners. If you know my dad, he is consummate…