“It is striking to me that there were three separate events deviating from my normal habits of operation: Inspect fuel immediately after fueling, do not re-start a pre-flight in the middle, never take off without dipping all four fillers. Had I conformed to my normal habits on any of the three, this would not have happened.”
Pilots
Picture of the Day: Lonely plane
Gary Lanthrum submitted this photo and note: “I flew my Maule MX7-180C to the Alvord Desert to camp under the stars. After I arrived, a storm front moved in and I spent two nights in high winds, rain, and snow. During the day it would improve so I stayed two nights hoping the daytime improvements would last. There is no cell phone coverage here, so I couldn’t get weather updates. Despite the lousy weather, it is incredibly beautiful and hauntingly quiet here.”
Affordable aviation: Can you find an aircraft that meets your budget?
Can you really find an affordable aircraft? And where’s the best place to find one? Our LSA expert Dan Johnson says the answers to both of those questions are “yes,” and he gives you several examples of affordable flying machines to check out.
Video: Landing on a glacier
Reading through the latest “Fast Five” newsletter from Sporty’s Pilot Shop, the video of the week caught my eye: New behind-the-scenes footage from Sporty’s new Tailwheel Checkout Course of pilots from Talkeetna Air Taxi flying a deHavilland Canada DHC-3 and landing on a glacier in Denali National Park.
Garmin Pilot update adds expanded NOTAM display options, enhanced airport page, and more
Expanded NOTAM display options, as well as an updated Airport page are just some of the new features in the latest version of the Garmin Pilot App.
Picture of the Day: STOL Bandit river run
Jon Humberd submitted this photo and note: “Our group of STOL Bandits fly together regularly and go on some epic flying adventures together in East Tennessee and North Georgia.”
Saturday Morning Live
Prior to Covid and the restrictions it has introduced into our lives, I used to lead a Rusty Pilot seminar or two every month. Since March 14, 2020, my peers and I have been doing our best to continue to share a substantially similar presentation, albeit via a webinar format. But I’ve missed the face-to-face experience of presenting good educational material to a live audience.
Video: Bizjet takes on Star Wars Canyon
A Dassault Falcon 8X business jet takes its turn flying through Star Wars Canyon near Death Valley. Fred Johnsen was there to capture it on video.
Applications now available for Future Takes Flight scholarships
The new program offers six $5,000 scholarships, including two for learning to fly or advanced pilot ratings; two for aviation technicians; and two for continuing education.









