It comes as no surprise to anyone involved in the aviation industry that cost is a factor when it comes to bringing new blood into our ranks. Learning to fly isn’t cheap. It doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive either, but let’s face it, flight time is generally perceived as being out of reach for […]
Opinion
Of WINGS and bling
In the more than quarter century I’ve been a Certificated Flight Instructor, I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve had people ask about the FAA WINGS program. My take-away from all those conversations is this: Most of us don’t really understand what the WINGS program is. That stinging rebuke applies to […]
Island time enhanced with ‘Coast Dog’ stories
On a single hand, with two missing fingers, I can count the number of proper vacations my wife and I — and our kids — have taken in our nearly 23 years of marriage. So a week on Oahu in Hawaii was just what the proverbial doctor ordered. Whenever I travel, I tend to be […]
Welcome to OSH, now take a stand
The first of several text messages — I and thousands of others will likely receive — from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) during AirVenture 2017 offered a stark reminder…and I wasn’t even onsite yet. “Welcome to #OSH17!” the message starts. Immediately followed by a wet blanket over the excitement that is OSH: “Take a stand […]
Cirrus Embarks on a new training journey
If you buy a pre-owned Cirrus, Cirrus wants to embark on a journey with you — a training journey. Whether you buy that aircraft through Cirrus’ pre-owned sales network or from an independent seller, Cirrus Embark is something you’ll be able — and should — take advantage of. New owners who register online will get up to […]
Hardware is not the issue
Like pretty much everyone else involved in aviation, I frequently engage with people who say things like, “Oh, I could never fly an airplane. They’re too dangerous.” These same people limit the scope of their lives with similar comments about motorcycles and other pieces of hardware that are widely perceived as too dangerous for the […]
Pilot Perspectives: Wayne Handley
By DEREK ROBERTS. Naval aviator, crop duster, aerobatic competitor and airshow pilot Wayne Handley knows his way around an aircraft or two. A traditional start flying an Aeronca Champ in 1957 led to a stint piloting F4D Skyrays in the Navy and ultimately a successful career as a business owner and crop-dusting pilot. It wasn’t […]
Opportunity is knocking…hard
It’s a well-worn bromide of our society: “Children are our future.” Yet, in real life we tend not to conduct ourselves as if we believe that to be true. Another more specifically instructive aphorism suggests, “When opportunity knocks…open the door.” Let’s consider that second quote for a moment. Two weeks from this moment, opportunity will […]
Tell Congress, then tell a friend
A little more than 44% of all airline flight delays between May 2016 and April 2017 were categorized as Air Carrier Delay. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines Air Carrier Delay as “within the airline’s control (e.g. maintenance or crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loaded, fueling, etc.).” So it feels a tad misleading when Southwest […]