Longtime contributor Tom Snow sent these photos of the sunset view on the evening of Feb. 7, 2024, as he and his son, Sam, returned to land at Chattanooga, Tennessee (KCHA) at the conclusion of their first flight in their new Van’s RV-12iST trainer.
Jumping for joy
Flying still fills me with a sense of awe. Even after all these years I have never become blasé about the moment the wheels get light and the wings take the load uphill. I’m acutely aware that I am nothing more than an average human being, well out of my element. On my own I have no business being thousands of feet in the air, cruising along at speeds my ground-bound counterparts can only dream of as they sit in traffic.
1947 Aeronca champion grand prize in museum sweepstakes
The Dakota Territory Air Museum bought this Aeronca back from the 2019 sweepstakes winner.
World War II Triple Ace Bud Anderson flies west
World War II Triple Ace Brigadier General Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson passed away May 17, 2024, a home peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family. He was 102.
CareAffaire to raise funds for Wings of Mercy
All proceeds will benefit Wings of Mercy, a faith-based, non-profit, volunteer pilot organization dedicated to helping people in need access life-saving medical care by arranging free flights to distant medical facilities.
Bounced landing bends plane
When he came into land he bounced and made the mistake of not going around immediately. The airplane bounced two more times and then he taxied off.
Picture of the Day: Gleaming wings and fat tires in the high desert
Anitra Goddard submitted this photo and note: “Micah Lindstrom’s 1955 Cessna 170B gleaming on Dead Cow Lakebed Airstrip in Nevada. Micah was there racing this 170 in the STOL Drag World Championships at the High Sierra Fly-In.”
Questions from the Cockpit: Old(er) vs. new(er)
Adam, a private pilot in Georgia, writes: I’m tired of the hassles of renting to feed my passion. It’s time to pony up and become an airplane owner. I’ve read up on everything and think I know what I’m in for. But I do have one item that I’m getting differing opinions on, so I’d like your wisdom: Should I go for a good deal on an older airplane and have some money left over to make it nice, or should I go for something newer, basically buying all the airplane that I can afford? My budget is more in car-buying territory than in house-buying territory.
500 and counting…
Officials with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Ray Aviation Scholarship program report that 500 scholarship recipients have completed flight training and earned their pilot certificates.