And if the seller is either unwilling or unable to answer these basic questions, it might be best to move on to another airplane.
Bird bath
By Guy R. Maher. One of the pluses of owning your own aircraft is you have the opportunity to really get to know the machine, its characteristics, and its quirks. The operative word here is “opportunity.” Just because you own the aircraft doesn’t automatically mean you will be any more aware of its operating parameters […]
Just for fun
By Guy R. Maher. I suspect that most of our readers, like me, took flying lessons after the first couple of try-out flights because it was just plain fun. Who can forget the first solo, first long cross-country, private pilot check ride, and first passengers? My dad, who was learning to fly at the same […]
Helicopter training proves profitable
By Guy R. Maher. The route to fulfillment of a dream took this helicopter school owner to a destination he didn’t expect. In the mid 1980s, Patrick Corr was a helicopter flight instructor with a dream of something greater. He wanted his own helicopter touring business. He would use turbine helicopters to fly outdoor adventurers […]
Flying versus driving
By Guy R. Maher. When you see the statement, “Flying versus Driving”, what is your first thought? For most, the obvious comparisons of time, fun, and convenience of general aviation flying to the alternative of driving probably come to mind first. But this time my intention is different. I want to discuss the mechanics of […]
The Lancair 300: Truly new
By Guy R. Maher. After all of the “new” airplanes I have flown for evaluation since the mid ’90s, it sure is refreshing finally to report to you on one that really is new and exciting through and through, and not just updated with high-tech avionics or new leather trim. In fact, strip the panel […]
East to Edenton
By Guy R. Maher. For my wife, it had been one of those miserable weeks. By Friday, she was stressed to the max, being driven nuts by her job as a commercial property manager. In contrast, it was a pretty good week for me. It was day five of my seven-day-off cycle in my work […]
Diving into flying, Part 2 — the Bahamas
By Guy R. Maher. In the last issue, I addressed how many pilots are also SCUBA enthusiasts, and how flying to dive destinations can satisfy both interests in one trip. I also mentioned that I would soon be returning to the Bahamas to try out a new destination, once I figured out where that would […]
Owner’s Handbook: Cream of the crops
By Guy Maher. Light aircraft are trainers, check-runners, news gatherers, ambulances, taxis, tour guides, fire fighters, police patrollers and family haulers. That’s what general aviation is all about. As aviation enthusiasts, I am sure we all share the same disgust when we hear the uninformed (mainstream media, non-pilots, etc.) make generalizations about aviation that are […]