By JEB BURNSIDE. So, there I was, high, hot and too close-in for even a chop-and-drop approach. What to do? I was steaming into a nearby airport situated next to Tampa Bay. The morning’s mission was to meet a neighbor for breakfast at the airport’s quite-capable restaurant. It was a bright, sunny morning, with excellent […]
Opinion
Spokane Air Derbies a big hit in 1927
The first and only time that the National Air Races were held at Spokane, Wash., was during the week of Sept. 19, 1927. This was quite an adventurous undertaking for a small town such as Spokane, especially given that the previous two events in Cleveland and Los Angeles were money losers. However, Lindbergh’s solo flight […]
Another unintended consequence of ethanol in auto fuel
By DEAN BILLING. Even though the settlement accord of the CEH lawsuit in California opened up the opportunity to reduce the lead footprint around California airports, I can find no airports adding unleaded mogas infrastructure and no supplier of ethanol-free auto fuel in California. I think it is a lost economic and public relations opportunity […]
Putting customer service back in GA leads to success
Hendry County, Florida, is situated in the vast no-man’s land just north of the Everglades and west of Lake Okeechobee. Approximately equivalent in size to Rhode Island, the entire county hosts a population of barely 38,000 people. That being the case, this agricultural wonderland might not be the first place you’d think to find a […]
Maybe we can register common sense
Here we go. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced Oct. 19 “the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” The task force will be comprised of “25 to 30 diverse” industry representatives. “Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and […]
The dread of sharing the skies with drones
Whenever I tell a group of pilots that I also fly helicopters, there’s always one guy in the group who says he can’t stand them. “I hate those things,” he’ll spew. “They’re unpredictable when they’re flying in the pattern. You never know which way they’re going to fly.” Helicopter pilots learn early in their training […]
Beware bumper sticker politics
My wife and I were having a perfectly lovely time. We were situated in a corner booth at Egg Haven, one of my home town’s more popular eateries, as our waitress whirled through the room with an energy level that seemed impossibly high for a Sunday morning. We were engaged in an activity long time […]
Quicksilver closing factory, but…
Aviation news outlets and social media are buzzing with the news that Quicksilver Aeronautics is closing its factory. For example, one online news source is calling the event a “dissolution.” This is not incorrect as it comes directly from a document previously issued by Quicksilver’s lawyers (see more below). However, letters from lawyers often portray things in very […]
Better than a sharp stick in the eye
Whatever you might think about how your airport operates, or how the local FBO sets its rates, or if it’s time to build a tower at your field or remained non-towered, eventually you’re going to disagree with the folks in charge. Alternatively, if you are one of the folks in charge, you’re going to disagree with […]