Dan Albers of Conroe, Texas, sent in this tip: When I retired from the airlines, my flying went from 70 to 80 hours a month, to maybe 50 to 60 a year. How I work on staying current is each time I fly, I pick a different airport about 20 to 30 minutes flying time from my home […]
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Tip: Fun flying to stay current
Vicki Danhof, Bozeman, Mont., sent in this pilot tip: I am blessed by flying with my “flying buddy” every Wednesday, barring inclement weather, since 1990. We begin with slow flight, steep turns and impromptu holds. We both are instrument rated, so we continue our “fly day” by the PIC donning a hood and shooting approaches to […]
Welcome to Cuba!
By AMELIA REIHELD. “Welcome to Cuba!” With those warm words, my first Cuban contact, a thoroughly competent Havana Approach controller, vectored me for the ILS at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport. He handed me off with, “Contact tower 118.1, have a good stay.” Meanwhile, airliners were holding in the clag offshore as five American single-engine […]
How can I fly to Cuba?
By AMELIA REIHELD. A recent trip to Cuba revealed that, unsurprisingly, it’s not as easy as it looks, nor as easy as it might someday become. (See story on that trip here). Here are a baker’s dozen suggestions, compiled through conversations with our exceedingly competent guides, Anthony Perea of Miami, and Galin Hernandez, of St. […]
SocialFlight.com Destination of the Week
Have you ever been to an aviation-themed hotel? The newest hotel on Mustang Island in South Texas is Amelia’s Landing, which is near Mustang Beach Airport (KRAS). Once you have landed at Mustang Beach Airport, a free shuttle is available to bring you to the hotel. Bring your own tie-downs because the airport can not […]
Destination: Dayton
For those who love general aviation, as well as history, a visit to the National Aviation Heritage Area in Ohio is a must. The federally designated heritage area surrounds Dayton, the hometown of the Wright brothers. The eight-county area is chock-full of aviation sites, from the original Wright brothers’ bicycle shop, to Huffman Prairie, where […]
Lexington: Horse capital of the world and birthplace of bourbon
By KARIN LEPERI Located six miles west of Lexington, Kentucky, the Blue Grass Airport (LEX) is a public airport including commercial, corporate and general aviation with an approach that arguably has to be one of the most scenic. Where else in the world can you fly over rolling emerald hills and neatly manicured horse farms […]
SocialFlight.com Destination of the Week
If there’s an aviator’s bucket list item that needs to be checked off for every pilot, it’s First Flight Airport (KFFA) at Kill Devil Hill, N.C. Visit the first flight memorial monument that looks out over the site of the Wright brothers actual first flight. After landing, head to the south side of the airport […]
360° video Zenith flight, factory tour
“While I don’t think VR [virtual reality] will ever replace the real thing, it’s a way to attract new people to sport aviation, and allows existing pilots to share the great experience of flying in a light airplane,” said Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith Aircraft Company, about the release of a new 360° virtual reality video […]