Features

The Weekender found some early spring-cleaning opportunities on SocialFlight, whether it’s clearing out the hangar or knocking the rust off from the winter. On Saturday, Plant City Airport in Florida will host Planes, Trains & Automobiles, with numerous displays including airplanes, helicopters, RC planes, model trains, vintage cars, police and fire department demonstrations, flight simulators […]

On a training flight between Terre Haute, Indiana and Indianapolis, Indiana, I heard the following exchange between Hulman (Terre Haute) Approach and a Cessna 172 requesting flight following: N12345:“Are you enjoying your Saturday?” Hulman Approach:“Negative. I’m at work.” John Sutherland

Every pilot I know has a sense of adventure. That’s the starting point for why she or he learned to fly. Pilot certificate in hand, the quest for adventure continues in many ways—some go for advanced ratings; others seek different aircraft to fly; others explore aerobatics or remote airstrips. A byproduct of the process of […]

In rural Holden, Missouri, roughly 50 miles southeast of Kansas City, is a 10-acre island of recreational aviation in a vast ocean of corn and soybeans. The pole barns adjacent to its 1000-foot grass strip look like those on neighboring farms, until you look inside. The hulking gray lathe, milling machine, and drill press don’t […]

The Weekender found a diverse selection of events on SocialFlight, from local fly-ins to a full-fledged regional aviation conference. On Saturday and Sunday, the 33rd annual Northwest Aviation Conference & Trade Show at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, Washington, will be held by the Washington Aviation Association. Attendees who are flying in […]

Phoenix approach asked a GA aircraft:“N1234, how far are you from your present position?” They were greeted with silence. Randy Richmond

Proposals for new autopilot upgrades can be shocking. Even entry-level wing-leveling systems start at $10,000, not including installation. But that won’t buy much. Higher-end models with add-on options can easily snowball a project to $40,000. That’s roughly the cost of an average engine replacement—or an average Skyhawk. For years, S-Tec (now Cobham Avionics) has dominated […]

Technically advanced aircraft (TAA)—those with a primary flight display (PFD), multi-function display (MFD), and GPS—are sexy. Pilots are drawn to them like Pooh Bear to honey. Besides being eye-catching, TAA attempt to address some of the biggest problems in aviation by providing pilots with a lot of supplementary safety information. Moving maps designed to improve […]

It feels like spring is a long way out for some, but The Weekender found some turf runways to head for on the SocialFlight calendar – snow is optional. Triple Tree Aviators will host the group’s third annual Chilly Chili Fly-In and Lunch on Saturday to raise funds for their aerodrome in South Carolina.Arrive for […]

The development of Piper’s Super Cub is as much a story of survival as it is progress. While the role of the original J-3 was mainly for training, Piper had to bring more utility to the table than the Cubby’s 75 MPH cruise speed, 200-mile range and 450 FPM climb performance. Enter the refined PA-18 […]