Not many people can say they pursued their seaplane rating out of necessity, but Greg Corrado from Port Orchard, Wash., can. He always had an interest in aviation but it wasn’t until he reached his 40s that he had both the time — and a financial reason — to pursue his wings. “My wife Mary […]
Close to home: The impact of tower closures
If you are a pilot, nothing gets your attention faster than when the FAA proposes closing local control towers. As part of FAA budget cuts due to the sequester, agency officials notified 173 contract air traffic control towers across the country that they will be shut down on April 7. Airport officials have until March […]
Pearson Field airspace issue resolved
Airspace operations at Pearson Field (VUO) and Portland International Airport (PDX) will remain unchanged, thanks to the efforts of Washington and Oregon elected officials, local pilot groups and the FAA. Pearson Field, located in Vancouver, Wash., six miles from PDX, is one of the oldest continually operating airports in the United States. On Sept. 20, […]
The Warbird Cub
The 75th anniversary of the Piper Cub was celebrated during AirVenture 2012. The vintage parking area looked like a field of buttercups for all the little yellow airplanes parked in the grass. But what was a J-3 Cub doing parked on the showcase pad in the Warbird area? “That J-3 is an honest-to-goodness Warbird,” grinned […]
Uncertainty stifling operations at VUO
Pilots and tenants at Pearson Field (VUO) in Vancouver, Wash., are wondering if the new year will bring a resolution to airspace safety concerns at the airport located northwest of Portland International Airport (PDX). In December a Safety Risk Management Panel made up of FAA representatives, air traffic controllers, airport tenants, and other airport stakeholders […]
The appeal of vintage LSAs
“Does it qualify as a Light Sport Aircraft?” That’s one of the first questions people ask when they see a single-engine aircraft of a certain vintage parked at an airport. Many aviators dream of flying a vintage Piper or Ercoupe or Taylorcraft, and if they can do it as a Sport Pilot with a driver’s […]
Zebra LSA is a workhorse
If you want people to notice your aircraft, it helps if you have a unusual and eye-catching paint job. The folks from South Africa-based SkyReach certainly accomplished that goal with the black and white zebra design on the BushCat, a high-wing Light-Sport Aircraft that was the center of the company’s display at this summer’s AirVenture. […]
Props for the prop
This time of year I find myself doing a lot of intro flights. The first question people ask is, “is it safe?” I reply that I’m more concerned about my safety driving to the airport than I am in the airplane. Over the years I’ve learned that there is a fine line between making sure […]
American Angel
Angels have been part of aviation myths since the early days of flight — so much so that two successful Hollywood movies, “A Guy Named Joe” and the 1989 remake “Always,” were centered on a pilot turned angel who comes to the rescue of fellow pilots. John and Patti Stahr from Eugene, Ore., enthusiastically embraced […]