From Young Eagle to CFI in less than five years.
Opinion
The perfect airplane, Part 2
I am once again thinking of an airplane that might grace my hangar. But which one? There are so many to choose from. Classics, biplanes, taildraggers, zippy quick composite machines, and the stalwart aluminum monocoque models of the mid-20th Century all take up space in my imagination from time to time. But the perfect airplane has to have the right price and fit the mission for this stage of my life.
The latest on the updates to LSA regulations
While the new Light-Sport Aircraft rules are still being hammered out, we do know a few things: Look for a new category of airplane — Light Personal Aircraft (LPA) — as well as weight increases for LSAs, the addition of some legacy aircraft to the LSA category, and more.
Any old airplane will do
Here’s a bit of a secret you may not have picked up on in all the years I’ve been writing for General Aviation News. I rarely write about aircraft. Sure, it seems like I do, but I don’t. Not really. Rather, I’m far more fascinated with the people I meet, the experiences that come my way, and the happy accidents that stick in my memory so well.
Questions from the Cockpit: A long-winded answer to a short-field question
“How short must a field be to be a short field?” It’s a question that you’d think would have a simple answer…
What should my oil consumption be?
This is one of those questions that doesn’t have a perfect answer, but don’t make the mistake of thinking your aircraft engine is like your car’s engine.
One Pilot’s View: Complacency kills
Complacency is insidious. It creeps in disguised as routine. “Been there, done that and I know how this will come out because I have done it so many times before.” That is the complacency trap and I was going to be the next one caught…
The fragility of fly-ins
Whatever is to become of Wings Over Republic and the thousands of other smaller aviation events around the country, I hope we all will participate in as many in-person events as we can in 2021 and beyond.
From here to there, one decision at a time
There are many considerations, of course. You may have a few of your own that are worth passing on to others. The lessons you’ve learned might be the exact information some other reader will benefit from.