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I am an instructor in Germany and was with a student flying to his first towered airport. The aircraft has no GPS installed and visibility was around 4-5 km in mist. We were given the entry into the control zone via VFR reporting point “November.” Tower (in a kind, investigative voice): “D-HR you are a […]

You’re in the airplane, strapped in and about to start the checklist when it hits you—filling the right half of the windshield is The Hangar. The one in the famous picture. The picture showing a Maule M-4 blasting out the hangar’s open door in full and fearless flight. Right there is where the legendary B. […]

My brother slipped me a piece of paper on which he’d jotted three numbers: 260, 240 and 180. If you haven’t guessed, they’re weights. Add me and the load is 860 pounds well-marbled (not 170-pound), above-average Americans. Add full tanks, 56 gallons of fuel and we would approach gross weight. I had yet to add […]

The Weekender’s off for another mini-vacation, this time to take in pilot-friendly events found on SocialFlight.com.The 10th Annual Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-In in South Carolina kicks off Wednesday with arrivals throughout the day for a long weekend of workshops and seminars for GA pilots. EAA Chairman/CEO Jack Pelton will speak on a variety of topics […]

Family and friends were watching the first takeoff of an experimental home built.As he came down the runway he over pitched then pushed the nose down hitting the runway causing a ground loop off the runway with dirt flying. He then taxied back on the runway. Tower: “What are your intentions?” He said there was […]

Every primary student who’s at least been ready to solo has experienced a few stalls and recoveries. If they’re lucky, they also are introduced to different kinds of stalls, and how the ways we enter them can help determine their characteristics. Along the way, we learn ways to recover from them. We learn these maneuvers […]

Economists have a name for things that are in daily use despite having been designed multiple decades ago: persistent technology. Biplanes fit the definition, although pilots don’t call them that; they call them fun, an even mix of nostalgia and unique performance characteristics. That more than anything explains why biplanes have been in and out […]

The Weekender is looking forward to long Labor Day getaways, plus breakfast destinations found on SocialFlight.com. The Arizona Pilots Association invites all for a long backcountry weekend in Young, starting with dinner Friday, followed by breakfast Saturday, an evening Corn-Fest and a chili cook-off. Camping and other accommodations are available for the weekend. EAA Chapter […]

Tri City Departure: Cessna 12345, squawk 4305 Cessna 12345: Tri City, um, we just noticed we are missing the knob for the last dial on the transponder. Tri City Departure: What number is it on? Cessna 12345: Zero Tri City Departure: Standby, let me see if I can get you a code that ends in […]

For at least the last 40 years, the precautionary, off-airport landing has rarely been taught. It’s certainly not required on a checkride and pilots who have a mechanical or weather problem are taught to go to the nearest airport and only attempt to land “out” (as glider pilots say) when the engine actually quits. Pilots […]