Search Results for: vfr

One of the unsung benefits of being a general aviation pilot is getting to meet and know a lot of different FBOs. A Fixed Base Operator can be anything from a single-purpose business which sells fuel, or supplies, or provides training, or performs maintenance, or sells aircraft, or it can offer a combination of services […]

Scott Puddy’s final installment in his icing trilogy sure was exciting, wasn’t it? Who doesn’t love a simple tale of Good versus Evil? Through able, one-sided storytelling, outright error and the liberal use of conjecture where the facts fail, Mr. Puddy obligingly spins up the moribund saga of Administrator v. Watkins into a life-like Hollywood […]

Ray Dolby was born January 18,1933, in Portland, Ore. During 1949-52, he worked on various audio andinstrumentation projects at Ampex Corporation, and during 1952-57 he was mainlyresponsible for the development of the electronic aspects of the Ampex videotaperecording system. In 1957 he received a B.S. degree from Stanford University, and upon beingawarded a Marshall Scholarship […]

Many years ago when I was a whole lot younger than now, I was a championship athlete in a very competitive sport. When preparing for a competition, I always used to say, “Let my opponent have the skill, just let me be lucky!” When it comes down to a really tight situation in an airplane, […]

The Confederate Air Force (CAF) does the granddaddy of all warbird airshows every October, in an unlikely place called Midland, Texas. The airport is located between the towns of Odessa and Midland, and while it is a superb location to fly an airshow (flat, no obstructions, no noise complaints except from armadillos), it’s a million […]

Airborne, the originator and dominant manufacturer of dry vacuum pumps, now attaches this disclaimer to each pneumatic pump that it ships: WARNING: FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN DEATH, BODILY INJURY, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE: 1. A BACK-UP PNEUMATIC POWER SOURCE FOR THE AIR DRIVEN GYROS, OR A BACK-UP ELECTRIC ATTITUDE GYRO INSTRUMENT, […]

It was a typical late winter day in Chicago — overcast and in the low 50s. My student, Joe, was getting close to his instrument checkride and wanted to get some actual IFR practice in and, since I am reluctant to sign a student off for the instrument rating without some cloud time, I agreed. […]

I‘m often asked to sum up an airplane in one word. The problem is that most airplanes resist such a simple label. As a result, my responses usually trend toward “neat,” “cool” and “fast,” to “impressive,” “heavy” and “demanding” or to “slick,” “nimble” and “comfy.” Of course, these choices explain next to nothing about the […]

Problem? What Problem? Last summer, I flew 43 cross-country flights, traveling over 20,000 miles. I didn’t have one cancelled flight, I experienced no delays and my wife’s baggage never got lost. My Aerostar and the air traffic control (ATC) system performed flawlessly. The airlines and their passengers weren’t so lucky. True, I never got closer […]

I have to admit to a fondness for the colors of autumn. I find that I look for excuses to go flying when the trees put on their all-too-brief displays before the iron of winter clamps down. I find that I’m not alone in my compulsion, as the virtual airport has been busy the last […]