You know the drill. The neighbors complain about the airport because it’s populated entirely by spoiled, rich white guys who get their kicks by flying low over the neighborhood and making lots of noise. We can disagree, we can explain, we can put thousands of hours of effort into going door to door to tell […]
Opinion
Taxing the lead out of 100LL
By DEAN BILLING. California was the first state to attempt to remove the lead from 100LL by lawsuit. Unfortunately, the result of the unsuccessful CEH lawsuit only increased the cost of 100LL in the state. Now, along comes Oregon, which wants to tax the lead out of 100LL. I have a feeling this method will appeal to […]
Go where your heart takes you
It will come as no shock to regular readers of this column that I am on a mission. My goal, and yes I have absolutely chosen to accept it, is to shepherd as many aviation enthusiasts into the industry as full participants as I possibly can. If they learn to fly, that’s great. But if […]
Sensing good things on the horizon
While flying, have you ever looked down to tune a radio? Check an engine or fuel gauge? Referenced your navigation chart? Chat with your passenger? Focus on something on the ground? Well, then you aren’t seeing and avoiding to the best of your ability. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some help? Something that doesn’t […]
Anachronism or genius?
The world of 100 years ago was quite different than the one we inhabit today. There was no central heat or air-conditioning back then. Private dwellings and places of business were drafty and cold, or insufferably hot, depending on the season. Distances were covered on foot, or on horseback, or in a wagon that bumped […]
The dangers of overthinking
My wife’s lovely voice pierced an almost-as-lovely evening flight. “What’s that red light on the instrument panel?” She was pointing to the alternator fail red warning light. And now a fancy-free evening above central Virginia pine forests had just turned into “a situation.” My wife is competent, cool under pressure. If she ever deigned to get […]
One becomes two, then becomes a movement
While there are plenty of reasons to hang your head and lament the difficulty of making a difference in your community, it is not impossible to have a positive effect. Hard? You betcha. Impossible? Not hardly. There is reason for real hope even when the hill seems unimaginably steep and the burden feels too heavy […]
The secret is out — finally
Shhhh. I’m going to trust you to keep this to yourself. It’s a secret. It has been for years. Yet, I’m going to tell you the truth. Here. Now. Only a few sentences hence. Now, if I’m going to be completely honest, I have to admit the paragraph you just read is hyperbole. I’ve used […]
Result Of CEH lawsuit settlement: Were there any?
By DEAN BILLING. Late in 2011, a little known environmental organization, perhaps totally unknown in aviation circles, Center For Environmental Health (CEH) filed a lawsuit against “30 companies that sell and/or distribute lead-containing aviation gas (avgas) at 23 California airports, calling on the companies to provide safer alternative fuels.” At the time, there was some fanfare in […]