Ace photographer Megan Vande Voort sent in this photo of a Cub and Champ in formation over Lake Red Rock in Pella, Iowa.
[Read more…]The savior of the Staggerwing fleet
One historically remarkable 1939 Beechcraft F17D was nestled among its brethren Staggerwings, quietly soaking up the sunshine on a lovely autumn day during Beech Party 2018.
The arrival of NC2663 (Serial Number 330) at Tullahoma, Tennessee, heralded this singular survivor’s debut back into the fold of flying Staggerwings.
Owner and pilot Jon Berndsen of Stoney Point Airfield (6GA0) north of Atlanta, who good-naturedly admits that he has more airplanes than sense, thinks NC2663 is a terrific addition to his fleet, which includes an RV-7, turbo Cirrus, Great Lakes biplane, and his current project, a Lancair Legacy.
Jon bought the Staggerwing as a mostly-finished project from his A&P/IA friend Steve McDonald, who had agonizingly-yet-lovingly resurrected it from myriad boxes of parts over the course of 15 years. [Read more…]
Video: Best of Joe Nall Week
A new video posted to YouTube shows some of the highlights of the annual Joe Nall Week at Triple Tree Aerodrome in South Carolina. Held May 10-18, 2019, this was the 37th year for the radio-controlled aircraft show.
[Read more…]KCAC Aviation opens Pilatus sales office at KDPA
KCAC Aviation has opened a Pilatus sales office at DuPage Airport (KDPA) in West Chicago, Illinois.
[Read more…]P.F. Flyers moves to KGMU
P.F. Flyers has moved its FAA Repair Station from Donaldson Field (KGYH) in South Carolina to Greenville Downtown Airport (KGMU).
The company, founded in 1999 by the Pruden Family, already has an FBO at KGMU.
It also has earned its Cirrus Service Center designation.
[Read more…]Work begins May 28 at S52
Work to renovate aircraft parking at Methow Valley State Airport (S52) in Washington state begins May 28, 2019.
Once the work is completed in approximately 30 days, the long-awaited airport layout expansion will give pilots access to an updated tie-down area, according to airport officials.
[Read more…]Carb icing contributes to crash
The flight instructor reported that, during a long cross-country flight, they encountered deteriorating weather conditions, and to remain in visual flight rules, he altered course and destination.
En route and while approaching a ridge line, he “noticed that the Cessna 150’s airspeed started to drop toward 65 miles an hour.”
He added that “he thought that maybe the airplane was picking up carburetor ice and he reached for the carburetor heat and pulled it out.”
[Read more…]Picture of the Day: I like ‘em both
Dave Timms submitted the following photo and note: “Photo opportunity at the Wings and Wheels Event sponsored by the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada. The aircraft is an NA 64 Yale, not a T-6 Texan. (Note the fixed undercarriage). This aircraft was on board a ship destined for France during World War II. When the Germans overran France, the ship was turned around and the Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF) accepted the aircraft as part of its training program in The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).”
[Read more…]Are we there yet?
I’m willing to bet your family took a few trips when you were a kid. Maybe they were long distance treks of a thousand miles. Maybe they were to the next town. Whatever the case, as a young ‘un stuck in the back seat with a limited view and a limited knowledge of geography, you asked the question parents just hate. “Are we there yet?”
There’s almost never a good answer to that question. Ask it once and you’ll hear something on the order of “Almost” or “Not yet.” Ask it a half dozen times or more and you’ll feel the wrath of a driver who is as aggravated with you as they are with the traffic flowing around them.
When we’re young, or at least younger than we are now, destinations can be the central focus of any journey. To our unsophisticated mind the only real adventure is to be found at the end of the trip. Everything that happens along the way is just prelude. All those people we encounter, all the sights and sounds and smells we stumble upon are tied up in the tedious and sometimes exasperating necessity of travel. We’re laser focused on the end of the line and miss the majesty of what lies around us.
Humans are weird like that.
There is an exception to every rule, of course. And for pilots the exception is the almost total disregard for the end of the line we all face.
[Read more…]Video: The technicians behind the scenes at the Red Bull Air Races
While the pilots competing in the Red Bull Air Races are familiar names, the technicians behind the scenes are becoming increasingly important to winning, as this behind the scenes video shows. Even a small change can make a world of difference in the races.
[Read more…]