The lawsuit over the fatal crash of Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle’s Cirrus has been settled. Lidle, 34, and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger, 26, were killed Oct. 11, 2006, when their Cirrus crashed into the 39th and 40th floors of a Manhattan high-rise. Several apartments were damaged and 16 people were injured in the crash. […]
A Cessna 140A’s mini-me
There is something inherently cute about babies, even if the “little one” is a pedal-powered airplane. During this summer’s AirVenture, the Cessna 140A owned by Ken Morris of Poplar Grove, Ill., was kept company by a kiddie pedal plane version of the same design. Both airplanes, which were tied down in front of the Vintage […]
The Bowers ‘Namu II’ returns to Seattle
Most people remember the late Peter M. Bowers as the designer of experimental aircraft, an eminent aviation historian and the writer of “Of Wings & Things” in General Aviation News. He is perhaps best remembered for the single-place FlyBaby, but did you know that he also created a two-place mid-wing design in the 1970s? The […]
Flying the Cirrus SR22 G3
When trying to explain the ergonomic factors, safety and luxury of Cirrus airplanes to aviation novices, I usually describe them as what happens when you cross a Lexus automobile with a business jet. That was before the Cirrus SR22 G3 came out. I now have to describe the design as the pairing of a jet […]
Flying ‘Songbird III’
If you are of a certain vintage, you probably remember this sentence: “Out of the clear blue of the western sky it’s Sky King!” The words were followed by majestic music that introduced the popular adventure serial from the 1940s and 1950s. The show, which first aired on radio then went to television, depicted the […]
Up Ship! Learning to fly a Zeppelin
I am enamored with airships, so when I found out that Airship Ventures, a start-up company in the San Francisco Bay area, was offering a chance to pilot one, I had to take advantage of the offer. Airship Ventures was started in 2006 by Brian and Alexandra (Alex) Hall. Brian’s background is in project development […]
An oh-so-rare CallAir
It’s hard to say what first attracts you to Pepe Anderas’s CallAir A-1. Is it the bright, international orange paint scheme? The design of the cowboy on a bronco on the tail? The fact that it looks like a cross between a Piper-esque crop duster and a Bellanca? Perhaps it was all of the above […]
Meg flies a Mustang
When someone offers you the chance to fly in a P-51 Mustang, you do not pass it up. I recently flew “Betty Jane,” a rare two-place P-51 that is making its way around the country on the Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour. The foundation also has its B-17, “Nine-oh-Nine,” and the B-24 “Witchcraft” making […]
Sean O’Donnell: From new sport pilot to flight school owner in three short years
Three years ago at AirVenture, Sean O’Donnell was awarded his Sport Pilot license. This year he attended the show as one of the industry’s newest flight school owners. In 2006 O’Donnell was one of the first recipients of an Able Flight Scholarship. The not-for-profit organization provides the means for disabled pilots to earn their Sport […]