[sc:Top-of-Post ]   Knowing how and when to unload the wing can save your hide.  You can stop reading there. The remainder of this post will only seek to emphasize that not-so-subtle point.   If you are confused or curious keep reading.   Airplanes are fantastically designed machines. They seek equilibrium in virtually all states,…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Well it was bound to happen. I had started with a pretty clean website and gradually over time it became a little (or a lot) cluttered. As someone that fancies themselves a purist, particular when it comes to visual things, it was starting to grate on me.  To make matters worse, my friend…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] 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…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] You might note that I have written about UAVs on several occasions, usually in vain. Let me say for the record that UAVs (or Remotely Piloted Aircraft – RPAs) are great use of technology, particularly in the military.  But…   Ok, I was listening to an interview recently and they were talking about…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] I recently had an opportunity to go through a upset recovery course and while I learned a lot that I’ll be sharing, one of the the things that strikes me is how many folks don’t know the fundamental difference between a slip and a skid.    I admit that my own perfunctory knowledge…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] I having been working hard for the last several months to get this ebook completed  (I actually like to think of it as a guide). It is almost across the finish line and I’m really happy with how it turned out thus far. Credit goes to several folks for their contributions: Eric Auxier of Cap’n…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] This is my humble contribution to the blogging in formation series.  Inspired by the video that I will link to at the end of this post, I wanted to summarize this incredible story of aerial courage and daring. After the United States entered the European theatre, it would have been a strange sight indeed…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] by Chris Oquist So you’ve finally done, you decided to buckle down and make your dream of flying a plane a reality. Now what? Well, you are going to need a few things before taking flight. Some items on this list may seem like little things, but they can make a big difference. An important aspect…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Are we letting the computers fly too much? I believe so, I know many of my blogging colleagues would also agree.  We seem to be going backward – better technology, but crappier pilots. I have noticed that training vendors for professional pilots tend to assume that you know how to fly the airplane…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Everyone has their list of airplanes they “must fly” or dream of flying someday. Some of these are out of sight for most mere mortals. Airplanes on that list might include the ‘stang, the 787 Dreamliner, and pretty much anything in the previous or current US military inventory. But I’m a realist. I…