[sc:Top-of-Post ] What brought you here? Your journey to General Aviation All of us have a different story of how we came to be involved in general aviation. For some, you are just starting this journey, for others, it has been a life’s quest. Being involved doesn’t mean you have to be a licensed pilot…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] The dirty dozen of aircraft ownership! A simple list of the costs We’ll just be focusing on ownership, not renting. If you fly less than 100 hours a year, renting is almost always more cost-effective, but never as rewarding or convenient as owning your own airplane. Since a lot of recreational flyers don’t…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] A Christmas story from WWII Four days before Christmas 1943, in the darkest hours of WWII, a miracle took place. Two enemies—an American bomber pilot and a German fighter ace—met in combat over Germany and did the unexpected: They decided not to kill one another. Even more incredibly, as old men, they…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] Twas the night before Christmas all over the place, When we were suddenly confronted by an old flying ace. There was icing reported and turbulent air, He said “File me a flight plan, I gotta get there.”
[sc:Top-of-Post ] Pattern Work: Touch-and-goes for increased proficiency In my days as an instructor I spent a lot of time in the traffic pattern doing dozens of touch-and-goes. Today, I still feel like this is one of the best places to refine our craft and maintain proficiency – notice I didn’t say currency, but…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] It’s the end of the world. What did you do? Yesterday marked the end of the Mayan calendar, 12/21/12. I hope everyone got out and flew, just incase! Unfortunately, the weather across Ohio was bad all day and I had to work, so I was left to fantasize about the whole thing. What…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] New Blogging Weapon: GoPro Hero3 Black Edition GoPro released it best camera yet in late October of this year and I am happy to announce that I will be adding one to my video arsenal this winter. I have to wait for Santa Claus to deliver it under our Christmas tree. One of…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] Should I train in a modern or vintage LSA aircraft? A friend of the blog, Dave L., emailed recently asking about completing his Light Sport (LSA) training in a legacy aircraft, in this case a post-war Aeronca Champ, versus a modern LSA trainer. He had taken some lesson in a Sport Cruiser and…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] Christmas light rides for fun or profit As a starving flight instructor working for a start-up FBO in a small town of 25,000 people, we were always looking for ways to drum up new business. The Christmas of 1992 we concocted a great plan; we advertised Christmas Light Rides all over town. Ads…
[sc:Top-of-Post ] Ohio declares December as GA Appreciation Month I often lament about living in Ohio, mostly because of the lousy weather. One thing I can’t complain about is general aviation (GA) in this state, it is alive and well.