Sporty’s has introduced its Cross Country Backpack for pilots who prefer a backpack as a flight bag. Specific pockets organize headsets, iPad, flashlight, fuel tester, handheld radio and more. The padded headset pocket has built-in battery holders, while an internal iPad sleeve keeps iPads protected. A padded laptop compartment fits most 17-inch computers, and there […]
Pilots
Respect for the seldom celebrated man
The odds are good you’ve never heard of Lon Cooper. There’s no reason you would have, really. But you should have. We all should have. At least we should have if life is fair, which it is not. So working on the theory that being late is better than nothing, allow me to make the […]
406 ELT to be required for flights to Bahamas and Mexico
Jim Parker at Caribbean Flying Adventures is alerting pilots that they will soon need a 406 ELT for flight to the Bahamas and Mexico. Parker notes that he successfully collaborated with Civil Aviation authorities in the Dominican Republic and The Caymans Islands to obtain a waiver from the 406 ELT requirement. The Dominican Republic waiver […]
Tuck Air Force survival secrets in your pocket
Designed for use in formal Air Force training, the recently published “U.S. Air Force Pocket Survival Handbook: The Portable and Essential Guide to Staying Alive” was written to help a pilot who finds himself in a hostile environment, offering a comprehensive manual of outdoor survival techniques. It includes expert advice on: First aid for illness and […]
Pilot celebrates 100th birthday flying his Evektor SportStar
By John McVey, The Journal MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Thomas Guy Reynolds Jr. eased back on the stick of his Evektor SportStar light sport aircraft and it lifted effortlessly off the runway at the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (MRB). He circled the field three times, making a couple of low passes over the runway for […]
Pilot Mall kicks off its 12 Days of Savings event
PilotMall.com has launched its annual “12 Days of Savings” event featuring a new, discounted gift idea each day through Dec. 9. Remember those colorful 1930s “Yellow Peril” Army trainers and their bright yellow wings with blue roundel and red-dotted star? That classic design, which inspired a generation of pilots, is now recalled as Pilot Mall’s […]
The lure of the $10 hamburger
No, I did not leave a zero off in the title to this piece. Although general aviators have long joked about the lure of the $100 hamburger, I think it is time we downsized, right-sized, and economized our way into a larger population. So I recommend the $10 hamburger. It’s available for a tenth the […]
Tree of Hope collection day this weekend
Toy collection for the Tree of Hope in Minnesota is slated for this Saturday, Dec. 1. Tree of Hope was started 23 years ago by Ray and Celeste Shefland, who noticed that there were many children who spent time in the hospital over the holidays. The pilots asked their aviation friends to help bring some […]
New book, “Topgun Days,” released
Now available is “Topgun Days,” by Dave “Bio” Baranek, a Naval Aviator who was an instructor at Topgun, the Navy’s elite Fighter Weapons School who assisted in the making of the Tom Cruise movie, “Top Gun.” Bio’s book describes his experiences as a regular guy thrown into the crazy world of fame and movies, and […]