The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) hired NEXA Advisors to produce at study titled, “Government Use of Aircraft: A Taxpayer Value Perspective.” Spoiler alert: government personnel, at all levels of government, like using aircraft to do their job and find value in doing so. Imagine that. The quotes in the 24-page study are good reading. They include: […]
Touch & Go
Do something
We donated a gift subscription to the Friends of Oceano Airport (FOA) for their May 12 Oceano Airport Celebration silent auction. In today’s mail I received a thank you letter from FOA organizers, Mitch Latting and Jolie Lucas. From the letter, “we’ve gathered funds which will help us continue to promote and protect this ‘little slice of […]
Drones getting easier to fly in U.S.
A May 31 story by Sarah Childress on the Frontline website is titled, “It’s Getting Easier to Fly Drones in the U.S.” The story links to a few videos posted by the Mesa (Arizona) County Sheriff’s Office showing how they use their UAS. Childress also links to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s “Lists of Drone Certificates” […]
Saying goodbye to a mentor
I was sitting in the terminal building in Orlando on my way home from SUN ’n FUN when my cell phone rang. “Meg, this is Peggy Boyd…” she began. Peggy is the wife of Dean Boyd, my friend and aviation mentor of some 20 years. The tone of her voice told me before she got the […]
Wanna go for a ride?
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Whenever someone asks…”Do you wanna go for a ride?”… I hope your default answer is yes. AeroMark‘s Thomas Hoff grabbed my elbow, pointed at Addison Pemberton’s Boeing Model 40C on his ramp and asked, “You wanna go for a ride?”. Uh, YEAH… Five minutes later, me, Tom and Ivy and Ginny […]
Much ado about nothing
LeRoy Brown should hate me, but he doesn’t. He should at least be mad at me, but he isn’t — and for that I’m eternally grateful. You see, I met LeRoy in the worst of circumstances for an editor. We had published a story from a freelancer that told of the long-ago exploits of a […]
Maryland and Chicago TFRs carry tough words
If you plan to fly anywhere near Thurmont, Maryland (May 18-19) or Chicago (May 19-21) be very careful. Thurmont is playing host to a G-8 Summit while a NATO Summit will be Chicago. Flight Advisory’s for Thurmont and Chicago events have been posted to the FAA website. The language in these advisories are very strong. […]
Charmed lives are chosen
Our choices can lead us to amazing destinations…or nowhere. “This kind of flying,” was Bill Langdon’s answer to my asking, “What kind of flying do you mostly do?” We’d just lifted off from the back country mountain strip at the Minam River Lodge en route to nearby Joseph, Oregon, with a load of trash. [You […]
‘FIFI’ dustup leaves more questions
The truth is out there… somewhere. Last week, a proposed amendment to the House’s National Defense Authorization Act caused a bit of a firestorm. The proposed amendment from Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) would “bar the Department of Defense from loaning or gifting any U.S. military aircraft or parts to any entity except those that would put the […]