I did it. I finally obtained my Multiengine Commercial rating. If it is true that “getting there is half the fun,” then I had a whole lot of fun. My multiengine odyssey began just over two years ago, when I saved up $4,000 for the rating. The first challenge was finding an ME instructor. You […]
AN OPEN LETTER TO DIAMOND’S CHRISTIAN DRIES ABOUT THE D-JET
I recently read the Nov. 3, 2006 issue of General Aviation News with the article “In a class of its own” by Janice Wood about your D-JET. Although your statements in the article may be well targeted (as the D-Jet may be) at the less experienced, casual pilot who nevertheless wants to fly a jet, […]
LEGAL DEFENSE FUND CREATED FOR CFI
This is the case of a flight instructor, Paul Preziose, who is being sued by the owner of an Oregon skydiving operation. Over a long period of time, Mr. Preziose observed a pattern of rule infractions and threats to safety at the Hobby Field Airport in Creswell from the operations of the skydivers. Mr. Preziose […]
AIRPORTS BEWARE
Remember the relief we felt within the aviation community back in 1998 when the state of Washington passed a law requiring all communities to develop zones to protect airports from encroachment by incompatible development? Here is a big red flag, folks. You had better check what your local governments have done, because we found that […]
A SO-CALLED P-38
As a World War II Tac Recon pilot with the 64th TRG, 9th AF, ETO, I caught the misidentification of the so-called P-38 that Bill Lear Jr. was flying on page 46 of your Jan. 19 issue (Art Report: “Bill Lear and surplus WWII aircraft — what’s the connection?”). No gun ports on the nose, […]
IN SEARCH OF A BALANCED REPORT
Several months ago you did an article on the Symphony 160 (Symphony 160: The next generation trainer, July 7, 2006). I meant to write this back then, but it slipped my mind until reading about the company’s bankruptcy a few days ago (Bankrupt: Tiger and Symphony close doors, Feb. 2). I owned Symphony #29 (out […]
THE ART OF POLITICS
In reading the article by Charles Spence in the Jan. 5 issue concerning EPA’s fuel rules (“Capital Comments: The latest on NAVAIDS, user fees and fuel rules”), I am reminded of a comment by the famous film comedian of the 1930s and 1940s, Groucho Marx. He said of government, “Politics is the art of seeking […]
F-22 Raptor wins Collier Trophy
Lockheed Martin and the F-22 Raptor team have won the 2006 Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association. Created in 1911, the trophy is considered to be one of the most prestigious aviation awards. It is granted each year “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America during the preceding year.” […]
BUT COULD IT BEAT A CAR?
While modern air races pit airplanes against airplanes, like Reno favorite “Dago Red,” early air races had airplanes racing against cars — with the cars winning most of the time. The ‘good old days’ of racing The very first air races were not races between airplanes, but rather races between airplanes and automobiles. It was […]