We need more aviation heroes editorial Ever since Neil Armstrong passed away, I have lamented on the status of our aviation heroes. The number of people who have risen to hero status in the aviation world continues to shrink – we just aren’t making them anymore. The days of the military or NASA pilots going…
Why do people live near airports and then complain? Editorial Help me out. Why do people move in next to an airport and then complain about the airplanes? This completely blows my mind. Are they so compulsive that they go through the arduous process of purchasing a home and miss the fact that there are…
A horse of a different color One of things I enjoy, outside of flying, is horseback riding. After a recent ride it occurred to me that there are some fascinating parallels between these two very different disciplines. Starting with the basics; the flight controls are similar in that you use both your hands and your…
As a contributor for Air Facts Journal I penned an article for them on mentorship as it relates to aviation. You can find it here: http://airfactsjournal.com/2012/11/aviation-mentorship Hopefully you will find it useful, whether you are a potential or current mentor or a mentoree. If you have experience or ideas in this area, I’d love to hear…
Hot off the presses from General Aviation News: http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2012/11/01/71216/ Editorial WACO Classic Aircraft has won FAA approval of the S-TEC System 55X autopilot STC for installation in the WACO YMF-F5C and 5D. I must have hit my head as child because I don’t get it. Why in the world would I want an autopilot in…
What Should You Do To Help The Declining Pilot Population Editorial There has been a lot published lately on the deterioration of our sport, but I haven’t seen much on what we should be doing to help. Setting aside the barriers, we all know that if you want to fly you will find a way. Our…
EAA Leadership Transition Monday the EAA announced the ‘resignation’ of their President/CEO, Rod Hightower. I met Rod a few years ago when our local EAA chapter hosted him on one of his grass-roots tour stops his first year. While I don’t think he’s a bad guy, his reputation among the constituents has gone from bad…
Are experimental airplanes really that “experimental?” Editorial This article may seemed biased toward experimental airplanes, but I want to provide some perspective for folks that have otherwise never considered an experimental as a viable option. For the record, I am not anti-Cessna or Piper. I love all airplanes! One of the things that have helped…
I will steer clear of politics on this blog, but no matter your political affiliation, this kind of rhetoric is damaging to aviation as a whole. Below from AvWeb: In last week’s presidential debate, President Obama said people who operate business jets shouldn’t be entitled to an accelerated-depreciation tax break. “My attitude is, if you…
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…