Frustration: A deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs. Boy, does that describe my state of being for the last two days! What should have been a fulfilling episode in my life has turned into a frustrating nightmare. I should have known that “plug and play” […]
Opinion
Aviation fuel and the 70/30 mantra
Over the past few years, a debate has raged over the best way to reduce our dependence on avgas in North America, one of the last places on the planet where leaded fuels remain in use. There are two “camps” of thought. The first one, consisting of the leaders of most aviation alphabet groups (with […]
Flying high before the (stock market) crash
Production of aircraft became a huge industry during World War I. While the government sustained the aircraft manufacturers during this time, this support came to a screeching halt when the war ended. The civilian industry then depended on investors to build its factories and sales to sustain them. In the second half of the 1920s […]
Props for the prop
This time of year I find myself doing a lot of intro flights. The first question people ask is, “is it safe?” I reply that I’m more concerned about my safety driving to the airport than I am in the airplane. Over the years I’ve learned that there is a fine line between making sure […]
It’s a people thing…
It’s long been my contention that people are the magnet that makes airshows and aviation gatherings worth attending — not the aircraft themselves. Admittedly, I am in the minority with that opinion, but the idea seems to be re-enforced for me year after year. This year’s US Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, was no […]
Briefly, a showroom of Cubs
Imagine yourself in a dealership filled with new Cubs! That was the scene at Florida’s Spruce Creek Fly-In community recently. For a moment, the FBO morphed into a gleaming showroom of Cubs, both Legend and legendary. Stick-and-Rudder City! Paraphrasing that ‘70s pop song, there were big ones and tall ones and fat ones and small […]
Want to fly a jet?
After some years, I ran into John and Martha King of King Schools at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention this fall and caught their Light Business Aircraft briefing on jet ownership. As usual they were frank, straightforward and fact-based. They told it like it is. It was refreshing, educational too. They know how […]
Dine with Patty Wagstaff
On Day 2 of this year’s Sebring US Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, EAA Chapter 1240 is sponsoring a dinner featuring aerobatic expert Patty Wagstaff who will perform at the show … with such an airshow being a first for Sebring. Proceeds will support youth aviation education programs. The Sebring EAA chapter has engineered […]
Corkey Fornof: Flying with Fury
“I’ve known your name forever,” I told Corkey Fornof, star attraction of the “First Saturday” breakfast last month at LoPresti Speed Merchants in Sebastian, Florida. “Me too!” laughed the stunt pilot legend, showing off the long-awaited LoPresti Fury (nee SwiftFury) these days at airshows. The man is having fun. And can he fly! Everyone’s first […]