In Peak Performance: Flying the Fire Boss, the Air Safety Institute’s Richard McSpadden rides along to see how firefighting pilots safely scoop 800 gallons of water out of a lake in 15 seconds, and then release the roughly 6,600-pound load in less than two seconds to douse fires — and then he tries it and sees how hard it really is.
Feature
The pilots air traffic controllers love
A veteran air traffic controller identifies the three types of pilots controllers love and another three they don’t. Which type of pilot are you?
Celebrating Memorial Day
The Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho, hosted a four-ship warbird fly-over in observance of Memorial Day on May 29, 2023.
Twice as nice: Two jet teams grace Southern California Air Show
The Southern California Air Show, held at March Air Reserve Base (ARB) in Riverside County, featured the Thunderbirds and the the Patriots Jet Team.
Flying with Nathan
By the time he was 10, Nathan was able to recite the entire dialog from the movie “Top Gun.”
Learning never stops for a good pilot
Professional pilots are required to go back for training regularly, at least once or twice a year. Can the rest of us afford to do any less?
The largest grass field fly-in around
Every year during the third week in October, Dave and Marcia Mason welcome hundreds of airplanes to the Reklaw Fly-In, known to be one of the largest grass field fly-ins in the country.
Taildragger dreams
When Bill Walker started flying, he had many aviation-related dreams, including having his own runway. He’s achieved that one and so many more as he built up his hours as a tailwheel pilot.
The rise of the taildraggers
The hottest trend in personal flying is backcountry flying in taildraggers. And this trend, which continues to grow, has introduced, or converted, a growing number of pilots to taildragger pilots.
A rare reunion
The Point Mugu Air Show had a rare reunion: Both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds performed at the 2023 show.
Weather dampens attendance, but not enthusiasm, at Cactus Fly-In
Scheduled between two surges of the “West Coast Atmospheric River,” the 65th annual Cactus Fly-In was, by comparison with recent years, a modest success, according to organizers.
Duncan Aviation refurbishes bus for Foster Care Closet
In another great example of general aviation going the extra mile to help local communities, dozens of employees of Duncan Aviation refurbished an old school bus, converting it into a free clothing store on wheels for kids in foster care in Nebraska.