Walt Starling, one of the first flying traffic reporters, died of cancer Jan. 4 at his home in Maryland. He was 52 years old. Starling’s career started as a class project at the University of Maryland, where he was studying radio and television in 1973. His assignment was to create a job for himself. He […]
Moving on up
Are you ready for a jet? With all the hoopla surrounding the first flights and certification tests of the new very light jets coming to market, excitement is high. Anyone who’s been to any of the major shows in the past few years knows that the jets are among the most popular attractions. Pilots — […]
A convoluted mess
I must agree with Brian Sheets of Beaverton, Ore., with regard to a “Disaster waiting to happen” (Letters to the Editor, Dec 10, 2004). I believe that creating two new pilot designations with lower standards and less training, “sport” and “recreational” pilots, was a mistake. In order to make flying available to persons who don’t […]
Each aircraft has its own skill level
I would like to respond to Brian Sheets’ comments on sport pilot flight time. If you take out the flight time required for a private license, which includes three hours instrument, three hours night time and the cross-country requirements, you are back to the flight time for sport pilot. The aircraft, such as Cubs and […]
Chill Out
In response to Mr. Sheets’ concerns for “under trained” fixed wing pilots operating in the Sport Pilot category flooding the sky, I must reply, “Chill Out!” The Sport Pilot program is a nice reprieve from an already overregulated industry. Mr. Sheets has already noted how “pilots with many hours” end up NTSB statistics. I recall reading insurance […]
Don’t forget common sense and good judgment
My reaction to the letter from Brian Sheets in the Dec. 10 issue (Sport Pilot: A disaster waiting to happen): Before anyone can take the knowledge test or the practical test for a sport class pilot certificate, they must receive logbook endorsements from an authorized instructor. No authorized instructor is required to make that logbook […]
When hurricanes blow, fly your plane out!
I agree with Michael Gleason’s letter (How Stupid!) in a previous issue. I lived on the Gulf Coast four years, in Key West, Fla., for about two years, and in the Jacksonville, Fla., area more than 15 years. Due to the “possibility” of a hurricane hitting the area, I flew our airplane out of Key […]
Don’t blame Bush
The Nov. 26th edition of GAN is the second containing a comment/complaint about President Bush shutting down airspace by imposing a TFR. FYI: It is the Secret Service’s job to inform the TSA of the president’s movements and also their job by law to protect him. TFRs are imposed by the TSA, not the White […]
Just Hanging Around
In the past you ran a number of letters covering questions on the four-cylinder, two-cycle engine used on the target drone aircraft used by the military around the end of World War II. Igor Bensen designed and sold plans for a gyrocopter using the engine in pusher configuration. Enclosed is a picture of just such […]