General Aviation News

The first shipboard aircraft landing and takeoff

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Every time the pilot of a 16-ton F/A-18 Super Hornet plants the jet on the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, an unbreakable thread of history stretches from that landing back over more than a century to the first shipboard landing.

The year was 1911. The Wright brothers’ celebrated accomplishment at Kitty Hawk was barely seven years earlier. Some observers in the U.S. Navy sensed the airplane would have a military application, but for the moment that application was largely unformed.

Airplanes and automobiles defined the new century, and those who were drawn to the mechanical marvels of either machine often crossed over and embraced the other. Eugene Ely first became a road race driver, chauffeur, and automobile salesman. When a Portland, Oregon, automobile dealer began selling Curtiss Pusher biplanes, the transition for Eugene Ely came quickly. [Read more…]

Girls, girls, girls

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It came. It went. You probably didn’t even notice. Not many do, to be honest.

If aviation is an aberration for the larger population, then females in aviation register as a pink unicorn driving a luxury yacht made entirely of unobtainium. In other words, the idea just doesn’t cross the mind of the average dude or dudette on the street.

You would be correct in noting that I didn’t say a word about Girls in Aviation Day in my last column. I did not.

That was intentional. For while I am a participant in the celebration, my attention is more often drawn to Girls in Aviation the Other 364 Days of the Year. [Read more…]

Flying the new A32 Vixxen

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The first of the fall Light-Sport Aircraft series of shows was the Midwest LSA Expo in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, held Sept. 6-8, 2018. That event offered Americans and your faithful reporter a first look at the new A32 Vixxen from Aeroprakt.

To give some perspective, the Ukraine-based Aeroprakt factory manufacturing the new model has been building the A22LS model — sometimes called Valor — for many years. More than 1,000 are flying in a variety of countries.

Indeed, U.S. importer Dennis Long has logged a good run of sales since he took over about three years ago. A22 has an agreeable starting price of about $85,000. Given that the average price of a new vehicle in America is now $36,000 — for machines made by the hundreds of thousands each year — that cost for a well-made Light-Sport Aircraft is quite affordable. [Read more…]

Something old, something new, something fantastic

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One of the great truths of aviation is that innovation always continues. The basics of the airframe, powerplant, and propeller have been modified, tweaked, and improved on a continuing basis. What was once wood became steel, then aluminum, then composite.

The instrument panel of even the most humble homebuilt experimental aircraft bears no resemblance to the panel of the finest certified aircraft of just a couple decades ago. The information available to the pilot is better than ever, and it’s getting less and less expensive to buy and use that better quality equipment.

But what of the pilot? [Read more…]

Sterile cockpit?

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A training instructor at one of my airlines shared this story: About 30 years ago, a Continental captain and first officer were on approach to Houston Intercontinental Airport (KIAH), at the end of an arduous pairing in which they failed to get along.

The two were arguing so loudly that the flight attendants could hear them through the cockpit door, and so loudly neither pilot heard the gear warning horn. They landed the DC-9 gear up. [Read more…]

Part-time work. Full-time satisfaction.

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Regular readers know that my wife and I bought a new house recently. Not new, exactly. It’s almost 70 years old. But new to us. And it’s fantastic. Although the repairs and upgrades are costing a bit more than I’d anticipated.

Surprise!

The idea of getting a part-time job has occurred to me, frankly. Sure, I’ve got my regular gig with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), which keeps me busy. I love it too. This is some of the most satisfying work I’ve done in my life.

I’m also lucky enough to get to write for General Aviation News, a couple of local lifestyle publications based on central Florida, and a handful of novels, novellas, and short stories that sell enough units on Amazon and Audible that I’m glad I wrote them.

Still, like most Americans I can always use a few extra bucks. So I began thinking about that. [Read more…]

Standing still too long

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In my June column “Concern for the bottom line hurts general aviation,” I talked about the bottom line concerns of GA manufacturers. I received a significant amount of feedback, both positive and negative. I appreciate both types of feedback and I would like to address one of the comments.

Gbigs wrote: “There was never a time when the bottom line was not first order for a real business. Sure companies blow money on R&D if they can afford it, but make no mistake — there is no R&D without a bottom line.” [Read more…]

A serious question of mortality

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I’m troubled this week and I’d like to talk about it. Please comment below if you wish. I’d be interested in your thoughts.

It comes as no surprise that one day in the future there will be absolute proof of my mortality. That’s not a great worry, frankly. It’s an inevitability. And I’ve had a good life. Very good. There’s no point in fretting over it ending one day.

But there is a good reason to make an effort to remain healthy, active, vibrant, and functional for as long as I can. Especially so if I wish to continue flying into my golden years, which I do. [Read more…]

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