If a 16-year-old kid can plan out the basics of an Aero Club, seek out the professional assistance necessary to confidently set it up in a way that will pass muster with the authorities he’ll have to deal with, and build a membership that actively wants to help pull the wagon — well, the rest of us can probably do it too.
Opinion
A proposal to move the goal posts
MOSAIC is a significant evolutionary step forward from the original light sport regulation that is now about 20 years old.
Living large on wheels and wings
There is a common thread between the motorcycle and the airplane that perhaps deserves consideration. Those of us who engage with these machines are considered to be adventurers. Some might call us daring, although the truth is most of us do our best to limit risk when riding or flying. It’s in our best interest to do so.
Who is in charge here?
Many managers of non-towered airports take a hands-off approach for fear of making a misstep that embarrasses them or opens them up to criticism. They allow the safety of operations to degrade rather than take bold steps to fend off an impending disaster. If you fly, you’ve seen this firsthand, as have I — as has every pilot who ventures into their airspace and lands on their field.
Here they come
Using sensors and cameras and code, drone technology pioneers should be required detect and avoid … everything. That puts the onus on the drone industry to integrate into the well-established National Airspace System.
Get into Career Day
Most high school teachers and guidance counselors don’t actually know a pilot, or an A&P, or an air traffic controller, or an aeronautical engineer. That leaves teenagers in the unenviable position of not being able to aspire to careers they don’t have any insight into. In fact, it may not have occurred to them that these jobs exist at all.
From dream to reality, almost
A neglected airport in Washington is coming back to life with the goal of providing a template for the 14,000 other privately owned, public use airports around the country.
Seven accidents in seven days
Did you hear the story of the pilot who crashed seven times in seven days? How does something like this even happen — and what lessons can we learn from this experience?
A checkered past does not preclude a bright future
There was a period in my career when I spent time restoring warbirds. I learned a valuable lesson during that phase of life: Anything can be repaired if you’ve got enough money and time. Anything.