Adam, an airline pilot based out of Texas, writes: “I recently watched the Japanese cartoon Porco Rosso with my little nephew. Afterward he asked me if there were really seaplane pirates back in the day. I told him that I thought they were probably fictional, but that years ago one of my teachers was ‘William Fly, the Airplane Guy’ and he would know for sure – so I’m asking you!”
Opinion
A Deal That’s Bananas
Can a flight school realistically turn a zero-time individual with no aeronautical background into a professional pilot in less than six months?
What Is It About Airplanes?
After nearly 67 years, pilot Barry Valentine reunited with the 1959 Cessna 150 near where he first soloed, thanks to a heartwarming gesture from its owner.
A Dying Trade That’s A Golden Opportunity
Many believe a fabric-covering shop is an anachronistic symbol of the past. Yet, it is very much a reality of the now and a potentially lucrative business in the future — all based on a skillset few seek out, but thousands upon thousands of aircraft owners desperately need.
A Single Specification
Forget ASTM or the STC process: Maybe it’s time to look at a specification for unleaded avgas in a whole new way.
Why does it take so long?
The FAA’s massive 471-page Part 141 modernization report is here. Use Skyfarer’s interactive hub to make understanding and commenting on the report easier.
The Basics Aren’t Always So Basic
No matter how technologically advanced the world around us might become, the basics still have their place. And like the seaplanes I love so dearly, the Piper J-3 Cub is a simple, honest, straight-forward flying machine. It is timeless.
An Everyday “Oops” Destroys a Mooney
What can we learn from a pilot who experienced a fire from a battery in his portable ADS-B unit?
Looking for Loopholes? Your Engine Doesn’t Care About the Regs
Too often we might be inclined to find the exact term that’s missing. Some of us might interpret that to mean there is no rule that requires us to do the smart thing, the logical thing, the thing any sentient being with the will to survive knows is necessary. But we found a loophole: We don’t have to because the rule doesn’t say so. This is what is known in scientific and technological circles as dumb.