I flew co-pilot on a 19-seat turboprop during my airline pilot rookie year. One hot summer day, we landed at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (KROA), deplaned our passengers, and loaded up 19 more. We didn’t take on any more fuel because we needed to be as light as possible for the windy, high, hot and humid […]
Opinion
Pilot Perspectives: Randy Brooks
By DEREK ROBERTS. With more than 13,000 hours of flight time, Randall Brooks has had one of those varied and interesting careers that most aviators can only dream of. Gliders, biplanes, corporate aircraft, executive jets, retired Russian military trainers — if it has wings, Randy knows how to fly it. The son of an Air […]
Let’s get inappropriate
I’ve told the story before of my first attempt to get involved in aviation, and my absolutely dismal failure. It was sophomore year at Glastonbury High School in rural central Connecticut. A US Navy recruiter came to speak to students who were open to enlisting in the military. That may seem like no big deal today, but […]
Ever seen a Cessna Tail Slide?
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. That is certainly the case for Pete and Shiley Nelson from Challis, Idaho. The husband and wife have owned and operated Middle Fork Aviation in the backcountry of Idaho for more than two decades. I met up with Pete and Shiley at the Great Alaska Aviation […]
Success starts with a good breakfast
When an idea has merit both literally and metaphorically, I tend to be intrigued. That’s certainly true of the title of this piece. Being successful at pretty much anything begins with a good breakfast. Now, when I say “good,” I don’t mean tasty. I’m not advocating a lifestyle soaked in sugar, massive quantities of carbohydrates, […]
Just 103 Solo proves renewed ultralight interest
Unveiled only nine months ago, Just Aircraft’s Part 103 unfinished prototype is generating a surprising amount of interest. Overall this seems part of a surge in Part 103 interest, for plenty of good reasons: Greater freedom (no license or registration required), No medical of any kind needed, and The aircraft can be delivered ready-to-fly. The […]
Sea Dart jet seaplane skimmed into history
If everything aeronautical seemed possible in the heady post-war jet age, some aircraft designs found where the limitations were. The Convair F2Y Sea Dart was one of four delta-wing jets in design or production by that San Diego company in the 1950s. Convair embraced the delta planform as its ticket to supersonic performance. But early […]
Review, revise, reap the benefits
After years of requiring applicants to operate a complex aircraft in order to earn a commercial pilot certificate (single-engine airplane) or a flight instructor certificate, the FAA recently reversed its own standards to allow commercial applicants and CFI applicants to take the practical test in an aircraft that isn’t complex. No retractable gear, no constant […]
The dash of SUN ‘n FUN
The 2018 SUN ‘n FUN fly-in ended much the same as it started…with a torrent of rain and wind. Those two weather features make any outdoor event rather untenable. But as I was driving to Sarasota to see family on Monday after the fly-in closed early on Sunday, I found myself lost in thought. While the […]