How do you brief a flight to an airport or an area you’ve never been before? Do you brief that trip at all?
Back when I learned to fly in the 1980s, a sectional chart and maybe a road atlas were all we had.
[Read more…]Come on Trent
I enjoy watching Trent Palmer’s YouTube videos. His cinematography is top notch. As is his editing.
In the run-up to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, Trent filmed the preparation he and his wife, Hailey, were doing for their trip to Oshkosh.
Hailey, as it turns out, is a rather nervous passenger.
[Read more…]Cadet Wings an exciting opportunity for CAP cadets
Mentorship comes in all sizes, shapes, and flavors. What works for one person may not be of interest to another.
For those intrigued by military service, the Civil Air Patrol’s Youth Aviation Initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Air Force, includes the Cadet Wings program.
Cadet Wings represents a substantial path forward for CAP cadets who want to fly.
[Read more…]Optimism — so much cooler than pessimism
On opening day of last month’s Paris Air Show, Daher, Airbus, and Safran announced “a collaborative partnership for the design and development of the wing-mounted EcoPulse distributed hybrid propulsion demonstrator.”
The trio of aerospace goliaths have stated the maiden flight is scheduled for 2022.
Just look at the photo (below). It is a TBM with six additional propellers. It looks a bit like NASA’s X-57.
[Read more…]When life isn’t blue sky and tailwinds
In daily life, I tend to be positive and optimistic. My life’s not perfect. Far from it, in fact. But on the whole, my family and I are blessed.
And yet, there are often bumps in the road…or maybe turbulence is a better way to say it.
On May 28, 2019, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation released a pretty damning statement.
[Read more…]Current? Yes. Proficient? Getting there
According to the FAA, my flight instructor, and FAR Part 61.56, I completed my Flight Review early last month. That means I can “act as pilot in command of an aircraft” for the next 24 months.
Ryan, my instructor, and I flew an Aviat Husky for the flight portion of the Flight Review. What a kick that was. The Cub I usually fly is wonderful, but has only 75 hp up front. The Husky has 180.
The annual family reunion, Alaska-style
Officially, it’s called the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering and is organized by the Alaska Airmens Association.
But it’s really just a family reunion. A really big family reunion.
[Read more…]When 2 equals 4
When pushing a huge boulder up a large hill, the work is made much easier when loads of people show up to help.
Oh, and it is usually a lot more fun.
Everyone gets to celebrate as new plateaus are reached. [Read more…]
Godspeed Billy
I learned of the passing of SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In founder Billy Henderson on April 12.
I saw Billy at the April 4 ceremony for the 2019 class of inductees into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame during SUN ‘n FUN. He had been delivered to the festivities by long-time friend Dale Faux. While Billy looked more frail, he still had his ever-present twinkle in his eyes. [Read more…]
The serendipity of a random conversation
I’m frequently amazed at the connections that come as a result of having a simple conversation with someone.
While walking around chatting up fellow exhibitors at the recent Northwest Aviation Conference in Puyallup, Washington, I had the pleasure of meeting Shawn Christman. He was dutifully standing in his display at JetProp Partnerships.
In short, he owns a beautiful JetProp DLX and is looking for partners. But as we chatted, the conversation meandered among his back story, his career, our mutual flying experiences, and things we find interesting.
Among that wandering conversation, he told me about the podcast “99% Invisible” in general and the “Children of the Magenta” episode specifically. Shawn’s an architect, so his following a podcast that focuses on design makes sense. Being a pilot/owner of a rather sophisticated airplane, he found the topic of cockpit automation interesting and suggested I give it a listen. I pulled out my reporter’s notebook and jotted it down for later reference. [Read more…]