In addition to literally hundreds of airplane sales transactions I have been involved with over the past 28 years, my current 1974 Cardinal RG is the 17th aircraft I have personally owned. A couple of airplanes (a ’69 Cardinal and a ’75 310R) I owned less than a year. These were bought with the plan […]
Operating cost confusion — Know your numbers because it is a most important factor when you buy a plane.
In my April column, I addressed the dilemma many inexperienced aircraft purchasers encounter when they consider only the purchase price of a used plane but not the associated operating costs that go along with it. The trap, as stated in my article, is that for an arbitrary $50,000 purchase price, a buyer could obtain either […]
Magic Formula? — No, but educated guesswork is required to figure hourly operating costs
As a result of my recent columns about cost of operation, I was asked if I had a “magic formula” for my calculating those costs. No, there is no magic formula. Certainly some “educated guesswork” has to be employed where specific numbers are not available, but there is nothing magic about it. So, for this […]
Considering companions — Two hours of truth telling goes a long way toward making them more comfortable in the plane
As July rolled around this year, so did another chance to host a regional fly-in for Cardinal owners. The North Carolina event has taken on more of a training emphasis and it’s gratifying to see how many owners traveled great distances to partake. People came from as far away as Oakland, Calif., Tulsa, Okla., and […]
Who said that? — The best radio conversations are the shortest
As we take to the skies, one thing is certain: we will eventually hear some interesting stuff over the electronic airwaves. Regular readers of this column know one of my pet peeves is the irresponsible use of our ever-crowded frequencies, especially unicom. Tune in to 122.8 or one of the other high-use unicom frequencies and […]
Cruise Control — Some tips to help you determine your airplane’s actual cruise speed
A first time buyer recently asked me to clear up some confusion about significant differences in cruise performance and range between a ’75 and ’76 model of an airplane he was considering. When reviewing some of the various web sites and basic information provided about the airplanes, he noted that the ’75 model could cruise […]
Radio flyer Part 1 — Deciding on a full avionics stack isn’t always an easy task
This is the first in a three-part series describing the problem with the writer’s currrent avionics package, the solution and his experience flying with the new avionics choices he made. – Editor. The first airplane I ever flew that was equipped with a “to die for” instrument panel was a brand new, 1970 Cessna Cardinal. […]
Radio Flyer, Part 2 — The search for the right avionics package continues
This is the second in a three-part series describing the problem with the writer’s currrent avionics package, the solution and his experience flying with the new avionics choices he made. – Editor. Last month I started describing my thought process on how best to upgrade the avionics in my Cardinal RG. There were plenty of […]
AOPA is Well worth those dues — In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, AOPA staff showed they are there to help GA survive and thrive
I joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in 1973. I had just received my flight instructor’s certificate and the solicitation came in the mail. What caught my interest was that, with my paid new membership, I would receive a small “transistor VHF receiver radio.” I already knew of AOPA but hadn’t got around […]