Commentary

Regular readers of AVweb are by now familiar with the efforts of several groups throughout the U.S. to re-create the Wright brothers’ first flight for the centennial celebration in 2003. One of those groups at the forefront of these efforts is the Wright Experience, based in Warrenton, Va. AVweb has periodically reported on the progress […]

Driving along Interstate 280, the wind is really buffeting the car. It’s actually difficult to keep it pointed in a straight line, and it has four tires glued to the pavement. This is what I’m thinking about as I head for the airport. As I get further west, leaving the urban sprawl of New York […]

When the rickety bus screeched to a stop behind thehangar, I didn’t even look up. My early morning attention was totally caught upin a careful preflight inspection of the Helio Courier before starting the day’sflying. It promised to be a busy day. The crunch of shoes on gravel and a cheery greeting broke my concentration.”Hola, […]

An airplane, especially an antique open-cockpit biplane built of wood and fabric and luck, is an idea with wings. The idea lives in each spar and brace, in every particle of imagination and know-how and tinkering that brought it all together and keeps it alive. And like any idea, it has the power to make […]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately (and some would say that’s a good place to be), you’re aware of the increased security concerns manifesting themselves at various locations throughout U.S. airspace. A bunch of people and their airplanes remain grounded, many aircraft owners cannot fly their machines without paying a flight instructor (someone […]

What a week. Like many of you, I’ve been stranded by the grounding of general aviation since Tuesday, finally able to fly my Debonair out of Las Vegas, Nev., as of Friday evening. Like many of you, I have some barely suppressed anger at the federal government for its actions in grounding me – and […]

Pretty neat image, huh? I actually got to fly missions in that thing. Yes, it’s a U-2 spyplane; we referred to it as the “Dragonlady.” The saying went, you had to learn to fight with the dragon before you could dance with the lady. It was a joy to fly, but more so than any […]

Before Lindbergh even took off for Le Bourget in 1927, he complained bitterly about the sensationalistic media coverage surrounding his and other attempts to be the first to fly non-stop from New York to Paris. Between that feat and the tragedy of his son’s kidnapping and murder, the mass media forced his retreat from the […]

Dear Boeing Senior Management: I was in Chicago when the news came that you had made the decision to move your offices there from Seattle. Having lived in Chicago, I thought I’d drop you a note because your decision concerns me and I think there are some things you might not know. I’ve been proud […]

It’s Thursday, May 18, 2000. My wife Donna and I get up with the alarm at 5:30 a.m. Today we are going to fly from Clarksburg, W.V., home base of our airplane, to St. Louis. The AFSS briefer relates how there is a strong low over Kansas City with a frontal system extending from there […]