WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has released its 72-page “road map” for determining how to permit unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) — more commonly known as drones — to share the skies with other aircraft by 2015, but early indications show many problems to overcome before the air has a mixture of vehicles. The plan will […]
Opinion
Poor little rich Americans
As we slide into the holiday season with the aroma of fresh baked pies and warm, happy families surrounding us, it’s worth reflecting on the world around us and the lives we live. The United States and each of the 50 states that make up this grand assemblage of territories we choose to call home […]
Around the world solo in a Bluebird
Born Mildred Mary Petre in November 1895, the Hon. Mrs Victor Bruce made her name during the 1920s and ’30s as a record breaker on land, sea and in the air. She first came to notice by way of several motoring records. In 1929 she turned her attention to the water and gained records for […]
More than an aeronautical landmark
Flying VFR in New York City’s Hudson River Corridor, you’re now required to report abeam “Alpine Tower,” a longtime FAA visual reporting point. I was recently reminded of the radio pioneer behind that tower. Don’t know Edwin H. Armstrong? Know why there is no Channel 1 on your TV set? Know why you can listen […]
People are talking
Thanks to the benefits of some decent parenting at the hands of my mother, who is a teeny, tiny woman with exemplary manners, I am a reasonably humble man. You will not find me standing on a stump telling the world what an amazing individual I am. There are two reasons for that, really. First, […]
History’s mysteries, from above
This year marks the 150th anniversary of a momentous year in American history. Events in and around 1863 changed us forever and left their traces on the land. We pilots have a “box seat” over such visible history in places we fly. The Civil War’s 1863 Gettysburg battlefield, for instance, is in extreme southern Pennsylvania, […]
Observations and invitations
Attached to the main administration building at the Santa Monica Airport in Southern California is an observation deck. It’s a wide concrete structure with a curved metal railing that allows excellent views of the area, reaching from the Hollywood sign in the northeast all the way around to the Pacific Ocean on the southwest. A […]
FAA and industry must come together, Huerta says
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The aviation industry and the government must come together and answer the question of what kind of aviation system is wanted and how it can be financed, FAA Administrator Michel Huerta told the Washington Aero Club. The industry has many segments with different interests and each is pushing its own agenda, he […]
Planes at the Swan
There’s an old saying that claims, “You can’t keep a determined pilot down.” Actually, there’s not. I made that up. Nevertheless, it fits the end of our summer to a T. My pinched nerve finally healed, but because he was doing all of the chores for most of the summer, the Old Man’s ruptured disc […]