How do N-Numbers get assigned? Why are they so wildly different? Who has N-1? And what about other countries? These questions — and more — are answered by our Questions From the Cockpit columnist William E. Dubois.
Opinion
Video: Flying the Hudson River Corridor
Personally, I’ve never flown as pilot-in-command on the east coast north of Florida. So the idea of flying around New York City is pretty daunting.
The quiet interval
This quiet interval takes me back to memories of my old friend, now gone, Hiram Mann. It makes me think of a place where he faced significant hardship, but came to experience profound pride.
Headwinds in the forecast
When actual winds aloft are stronger than forecast, it’s great if the wind is on your tail, not so much when it’s on the nose.
High speed wheels
There is a place for high speed rail in this world. But in a nation the size of the US, with a population as affluent and mobile as ours is, air travel is a far, far more productive bet. Whether commercially or personally, it’s just a better deal all around. Let’s support it and believe in it, accordingly.
Battery swap in aviation would be a dream come true
While a scooter and an airplane share little in common, I can still dream.
Aerobatics in an LSA
Magnus Aircraft’s Fusion 212 LSA, which the company claims has “superb aerobatic capabilities,” is being touted as a great way to teach pilots upset recovery training.
The season of maintenance
Our cooling temperatures present us with a great gift. This is a perfect time to accomplish time-consuming tasks we don’t want to undergo during the height of the spring and summer flying seasons. Painting, upholstery work, engine rebuilds, avionics upgrades and such can all put an otherwise perfectly functional airplane on the ground for weeks, or longer. In June that lost time can be a major point of frustration. In January, not so much.
A stay of execution in Hawaii
This is where the family feud analogy comes full circle in my mind. HDOT, the Army, and the FAA are all cousins, and on this topic, they aren’t getting along all that well.