By IVY McIVER. Being a pilot gives one a warped sense of time and distance. Seattle to Portland? About 40 minutes. Seattle to the San Juan Islands? About 30 minutes. I think nothing of jumping in the plane and popping up to Friday Harbor for dinner or Orcas Island for a bike ride while many […]
Opinion
BoldMethod: The life of a 20-year-old banner tow pilot
“Haley Howard is a CFI and banner pilot from Gulf Shores, Alabama. At only 20 years old, she’s already well on her way with 1,350 hours of flight time… not to mention her CSEL (Commercial – Single Engine Land), CSES (Commercial – Single Engine Seaplane), Tailwheel Endorsement, CFI-A (Certified Flight Instructor), and Instrument Rating,” reports […]
Letter or spirit of ADS-B?
ADS-B is a source of much consternation at the recreational end of general aviation. More accurately, ADS-B Out is the source. Actually, it’s the Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B Out mandate. The very same mandate FAA Administrator Huerta has repeatedly stated will not be delayed. Simply put, ADS-B Out — Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast — is a periodic […]
Ho, ho, ho, let’s go
Here’s a pertinent and timely question for you to ponder. What does general aviation have in common with the Christmas shopping season? The answer is unfortunately both depressing and obvious — Nothing. Let’s set about changing that. You and me. Right now. Today. Black Friday rolls around at the tail end of this week. That name signifies […]
25° nose down in Fat Albert
In April of this year, I was lucky enough to be chosen to ride with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels support ship, a C-130 named Fat Albert. Not only did I get to ride in Fat Albert, I got one of the coveted cockpit jumpseats. Watching the crew perform… er, I mean fly, Fat Albert […]
The advent of the light twin
With the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, the prohibition on the production of civil aircraft was rescinded. Many articles published that year were harbingers of the post-war boom expected for the general aviation industry. Indeed there was a huge boom in production — general aircraft production went from 1,946 in 1945 to […]
AOPA regional fly-ins: The votes are in
It’s in the record books: The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s sixth and last new regional fly-in — seven if you count the heavily-attended Homecoming to AOPA HQ in Frederick, Md. How did it go, this change from one big annual convention? What was gained and what was lost? The one-day AOPA fly-ins finished strong […]
The right tool for the right task
In a closet at my grandfather’s house, there is a toolbox. It’s a long, narrow rectangular thing, not at all like a toolbox you might find in the local home improvement store today. It’s made of wood with strong, steel hinges and an equally robust hasp, all of which have been worn by time. My grandfather […]
Can you ignore the ADS-B 2020 mandate?
The Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B mandate has a lot of aircraft owners wringing their hands and seeing red. For those of us at the recreational end of the aviating spectrum (which represents a great many aircraft), plunking down the money it’ll take to equip our aircraft to meet the mandate is not something we care […]