When I think about why we produce General Aviation News, it boils down to two things: People and planes. It’s really that simple. Sure, it can get more complex from time to time, but strip away all the doo-dads and it quickly returns to a simple state: People and planes. In keeping with that theme, I […]
Opinion
Big dreams can come true
With enough imagination, dedication, perseverance, and help it’s possible to do almost anything. If you doubt me, consider that human beings designed, built, tested, refined, rebuilt, and flew rockets that landed us on the moon – and we did all that in an amazingly tight timespan of only nine years. As I said, you can do […]
For the love of pie…
As I perused the Body Mass Index chart recently, I was aghast to find that I have slid just over the line that separated the overweight from the obese category. Yikes! Sure, I can log 25 miles on my bicycle without undue discomfort. Even at my advanced age I can still do a dozen pushups without […]
Quirky
By JEB BURNSIDE. It’s ironic that pilots are supposed to do everything the same way each time while the airplanes we’re flying are all different. One supposed characteristic of aviation is its consistency. Performing the same tasks in the same way when dealing with a complicated mechanical device is just good common sense, and pilots […]
It’s beyond understanding, I tell ya
Imagine the plight of the first ancient mariner to point toward the horizon and say, “No more hugging the coastline for me, I’m going direct.” I think his name was Harpolos. For the purposes of this column, let’s say it was. The townsfolk must have thought Harpolos was mad. Crazy as a loon. The rational […]
Still a long way to go
The August 2016 issue of Seattle Business magazine has two feature stories regarding commercial aviation in the greater Puget Sound in Washington state. Why do I care? Because “small aircraft” are a part of the story — and not in a good way. In the lead feature, “Paine Field Ready for Takeoff,” author Stephen H. Dunphy writes […]
Godspeed Tom Wathen
I open all the mail General Aviation News receives. From time-to-time, a subscriber will write a note on their renewal notice. Most often the note is words of encouragement or appreciation. On occasion it is a complaint. We can’t please everyone. But when I read a note on Tom Wathen’s renewal notice, I was taken […]
The upside of adversity
Something wonderful happened on Aug. 1, 2016, in the sleepy hamlet of Winter Haven, Florida. A flight instructor named Jim Porterfield rifled through pages in his student’s logbook, affixed his signature beneath the exact wording of a required endorsement, then climbed out of the C-150 he’d been instructing his student in. He set his 17-year-old […]
How to get the best technical help for your engine…and beyond
I trust by this time everyone is enjoying the summer weather and getting the opportunity to do as much flying as possible. I thought this might be a good time to focus on a subject that everyone should keep in mind when it comes to seeking technical assistance on their aircraft engine. However, what I’m […]