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NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article to view larger, higher-resolution versions. My wife and I have a time-share condo on St. Thomas (Magens PointResort). Our time-share week is always the last week in January. This is perfect for ussince we live in the Washington D.C. metro area and the weather […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article toview larger, higher-resolution versions. Afew summers ago, I flew my 1978 Grumman Yankee (affectionately named The Banana Slug)from Watsonville, California, to an AmericanYankee Association (AYA) national convention in Cable, Wisconsin. I then flew toOshkosh for the EAA fly-in which I had never seenbefore. The […]

NOTE: The Cayman Caravan now has its own web site, which contains all the information andpaperwork you need to sign up for the event. Every June a bunch of small airplanes gather in Key West and fly over Cuba. Cubadoesn’t shoot at them or scramble MiGs. In fact, Cuban controllers actually look forwardto the big […]

Severaldecades ago, my primary flight instructor taught me that being a safe pilot meant stayingon the ground when the weather didn’t look good. When I got my instrument rating a fewyears later, my CFII cautioned me against flying when icing or thunderstorms wereanticipated. Such advice may be okay for pilots who fly for recreation, but […]

Let me state right up front that I’ve been a big fan ofthe Lowrance AirMap since its introduction in 1996. I wouldn’t rate it as the besthandheld aviation GPS on the market…I’d have to award that distinction to the GarminGPSMAP-195. But the AirMap is a very close runner-up to the Garmin and costs a lot […]

The adventure begins Florida follies: VRB to TIX New England nav: BOS to MVY Rocky Mountain high: GJT to GUC California cruising: SJC to SNS Northwest territory: SEA to YKM Evaluation and critique How to buy AviatorPro 98 Anyonewho’s read much of my rantings knows that I’m a big fan of simulator training. Fact is, […]

I am shocked how many pilots are unaware of howserious the situation is when all gyro-derived information is lost whileflying in IMC. If you are unable to determine whether your aircraft is turning,you will shortly end up in a fatal spiral. It doesn’t mater one whitwhether you are a brand new instrument pilot or whether […]

It almost goes without saying, and most of us ought to do it byhabit, but make sure the aircraft is always trimmed. Obviously, this makes it mucheasier when something untoward happens. The flying skills they have learned, and their confidence in those skills, will atrophyquickly unless they are allowed to practice regularly. This does not […]

There are two types of aviation businesses: those who have been involved in litigation, and those who will. Air crashes and business disputes often result in the parties hiring lawyers and slugging it out in court. Due to the technical nature of the aviation industry, lawyers rely heavily on expert witnesses to explain the technical […]

The Cast of Characters The FAA Other Feds The Avionics Companies Others The Saga