The great state of California reduced the number of general aviation airports in 2014 by at least one. Specifically, Rialto Municipal (L67) was shut down on Sept. 18 to make way for a 1,439-acre residential and business center. (I know, but don’t get me started…) From the ashes of L67, nearby Flabob Airport (RIR) will reuse […]
Opinion
And then this happened
Syd Jones is not your average guy. From his early adulthood, he’s been…let’s say, unique. Not content to follow the traditional path of a young man fresh out of an educational institution, Syd didn’t find the idea of a regular, stable office job to be all that appealing. Hunting for pirate treasure? Well that’s something […]
Planes vs. birds
Landing on the Harbor Visual Runway 29 Approach into KPWM can be a 95-second joy ride if the time of day and the time of year are just right. For us, that flight, it was. I flew the crowded 50-seat regional jet in a descending arc, starting at Elizabeth City, Maine. We traveled north along […]
The allure of an open door
Amazing things can happen if you just take the time to open your door, invite the neighbors over for a burger, and let them experience for themselves what lights a fire in your belly. Case in point…Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW) is located smack dab in the middle of the Florida panhandle. It’s not far from the […]
Book: The Day I Learned To Fly
Do you remember being a kid? Do you remember running all over the neighborhood until you heard the faint voice of your mother calling you home? I sure do… When I opened Jeffrey Kennon’s book, “The Day I Learned To Fly” and started to read, those long summer days of yesteryear came flooding back. Jeff […]
Managing anger in the cockpit
“Louisa County traffic, November four four two eight Quebec departing Runway Niner for left crosswind departure, Louisa County traffic.” I visually cleared final approach and the traffic pattern. Seeing all four quadrants empty, I took the runway and took off. Upwind off KLKU looked fantastic. A riot of yellows, oranges and reds overwhelmed any remaining […]
Sebring’s sweet success story
Let’s be direct and simply pronounce it a success. It only took a decade of hard work. I refer to the Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, which this time of year signals the start of a new season of airshows. Every January — for 2015 the dates are Jan. 14-17 — Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF) […]
Time for an overhaul or just keep flying?
Q: I have a ’69 Skyhawk with 2,500 hours on the engine. Good compression, no metal, one quart oil burn every eight hours. Should I get a top overhaul or a complete engine overhaul or just keep flying until an indication of a problem? TED HALL, Upperco, Md. A: Well, I must tell you that with 2,500 […]
Why learn to fly?
I have no idea why, but the best topics of conversation seem to come up most frequently over a meal. Case in point: I was at lunch with a good friend recently. A musician, my friend is a supremely talented man who knows a thing or two about pushing himself to improve at a skill most […]