Does age affect a pilot’s ability to fly? That question was asked of scientists at several clinical research centers in California. Their answer, after three years of study, was reported in the Feb. 27 issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Their findings showed that older pilots performed better than younger […]
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the Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
“This is real and it’s just as bad as we thought it was going to be.” — AOPA President Phil Boyer on the recently released federal budget, which calls for user fees and increased fuel taxes “It is an ironic twist that while DOT Secretary (Mary) Peters said the budget proposal will help get our […]
Before kneeboards…
Pilots have always used their laps as desks. One of the first examples was in 1903 when Charles Manly, the test pilot for Professor Samuel Langley, prepared for a flight of Langley’s Aerodrome by sewing a compass to his trouser leg. The aircraft was launched from a houseboat in the Potomac River on Dec. 8, […]
Decommissioned Florida airport fulfills the need for speed
“You weren’t driving, you were flying low.” Many a teenager or 20-something has heard this from a police officer after being pulled over for drag racing on a city street. Now drag racing is legal in Florida’s Miami-Dade County as long as it’s done at the new drag strip created on the site of the […]
BRS tests VLJ parachute system
Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. (BRS), which manufactures whole-aircraft parachute recovery systems, recently completed a series of successful tests on its Next Generation Parachute System, which is designed to handle much heavier loads, increasing the number of aircraft that could benefit from the systems, according to BRS officials. VLJs are the first target market of the […]
Back in business: California’s Santa Paula Airport after the flood
Two years ago pilots at the privately owned, public use Santa Paula Airport (SZP) in Southern California wondered if Mother Nature, not the neighbors, was going to be responsible for the death of the airport. The problems began in January 2005 when the rain-soaked river running parallel to the airport eroded a jetty abeam the […]
Relive the Golden Age of Aviation: You, too, can be a barnstormer-or just fly with one
There are pilots who refer to their vintage aircraft as time machines. You climb inside the cockpit, start it up and the years melt away. You can almost imagine yourself back in the Golden Age of aviation when pilots in open cockpit airplanes flew across the country landing in farmers’ fields to give rides to […]
How to survive an air show will small children
If you are interested in aviation, sooner or later there will come a day when you will want to take your children with you to an airshow. When you think about it, taking the kids to an airshow or fly-in is not much different than taking them to the fair or shopping at the mall. […]
Getting the most out of a demo flight
One of the reasons people attend airshows and fly-ins is to shop for airplanes. Because so many aircraft manufacturers and distributors attend these events, airshows provide prime opportunities to comparison shop. Of course the shopping experience isn’t complete without test flying the aircraft, but you need to be prepared to get the best experience. THE […]