This Sunday night marks a watershed moment here on Earth. On this side of midnight is 2011, the year we’ve been working with for the past 12 months. All that ends when the little hand and the big hand arrive at the straight up position on the big wall clock Sunday night because, arriving simultaneously […]
Opinion
We’ve hit the ethanol blending wall, government reports
As forecast by your bloggers for the past year, it looked likely that the mandated production of ethanol in the US would exceed consumption sometime this winter. According to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency, it appears that this situation, known as “the blending wall” actually occurred this past summer! The report […]
First responders and pilots
Pilots are bold, confident people for the most part. We train to maintain our cool under pressure, be technologically adept at dealing with the machine entrusted to us, and maintain a state of safety consciousness above all else. Yeah, we’re cool. Barney Fife was not a pilot. The character portrayed so expertly by Don Knotts […]
Lesson learned
“Albert” was 25 and cocky back in 1975 when he got his license. Well, perhaps he was a tad nervous on his check ride, but thankfully he did well and would never have to do that again. Albert thought life was good. He and his Cessna 140 were temporary based at a sleepy, little airport […]
Looking ahead to the new year
Preparations are underway for the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, the eighth running of the focused event. The annual gathering in Sebring, Florida, occurs about the third week of January each year and, as such, kicks off the aviation calendar. (Sun ’n Fun now starts the season of recreational flying.) Recently we visited the show site […]
Connecting flights
The end of the year is a time of reflection. As 2011 winds down, my family and I experienced an unreal 19-day stretch that put a great deal into perspective about life and aviation. Here’s a peek into a public journal: Nov. 10: My wife, Deb, and I were in the Indianapolis International Airport when […]
Correction: Exxon Mobil to remain 100LL manufacturer
In a blog posted on Monday, December 19, fuels expert Ben Visser incorrectly stated that Exxon Mobil had stopped manufacturing 100LL for the general aviation marketplace. In fact, Exxon Mobil continues to manufacture 100LL for distribution under brand names other than its own. Exxon Mobil will cease selling 100LL under Avitat-branded FBOs. Says Ben Visser, […]
Holiday gift-giving, Washington-style
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reaching reliable sources of information here can often be confusing and frustrating. I sought to interview someone about the Christmas holidays and wanted to go directly to the source for gift giving. Knowing the problems of getting correct answers in Washington, I started checking sources around the nation. Everyone I talked to […]
Paper charts still needed, but AeroNav is wrong
Does anyone dispute the need for paper charts for pilots? I hope not. Likewise, there can be no doubt about the rapid rise of digital chart usage. More and more general aviation pilots (and airlines and flight departments for that matter) are adopting “appified” navigation via [insert app here] on Apple’s iPad and a few […]