Features

In Brainteaser #203 we asked how the advent of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they’re more commonly known, will affect aviation and what, if anything, should be done to prevent total chaos in the National Airspace System (NAS). Should drones be regulated and their operators licensed? In what airspace might they be allowed, […]

Especially when looking at recent accidents involving scheduled airliners, it occurs that some people are still having problems with their landings. Yes, they can be difficult to master, especially when crosswinds or other factors complicate things and distract us. But this shouldn’t be so hard. If you’re having trouble, it may be you’re simply out […]

The Weekender’s SocialFlight calendar has everything from ski flying up north to summer-like fun in the southwest, whatever your preference. EAA Chapter 745 will host a Ski Fly-in/Drive-in Pancake Breakfast Saturday at Benson Airport in Minnesota. The private turf runway is not plowed, so it’s tailored for skiplanes if there’s snow on the ground. Fuel […]

Beechcraft was never all-in in the training market. Its niche was carved out from day one with the Bonanza, a high-performance traveling machine that the company knew would attract buyers who learned to fly in something made by Cessna or Piper. That’s why when some pilots walk the ramp, they clap eyes on a Musketeer […]

After last week’s Short Final, we had quite a few tongue-twisters in our submission box. If you have one – by all means, scroll down and click on the link to tell us! Back in the early 1960s, I was a USAF F-101B Voodoo interceptor pilot flying out of the San Francisco Bay area. Every […]

When considering how to crash, my first bit of advice is don’t do it. Since the reality of any flight is that things can go wrong, that isn’t particularly helpful, I know. What can go wrong? Your crankshaft can break, your fuel lines can clog or, if you are a damn fool, you can run […]

Weekender found some fun and informative outings to check out on the SocialFlightcalendar. On Saturday, free cotton candy awaits those who fly in to the Community Open House/Fly-In at Palatka Municipal in Florida. There will be food, displays and activities including rides in a helicopter, a Waco biplane or EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor. Also Saturday, San […]

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost… So starts the proverb, which instructs us about the importance of details. This little poem, which ends with the loss of the kingdom no less, goes back centuries […]

Years ago, I was a 727 first officer and was flying with Captain Chester Hector. We were eventually going to cross an intersection called Hector. I couldn’t resist. I got on the radio and asked: “This is United 123. Captain Chester Hector requests a vector direct to Hector.” Of course, the controller came right back […]

It’s been my good fortune to work and socialize with a number of test pilots during my career. There has been a lot of publicity and hype about test pilots ever since the Montgolfier brothers made the first flight of an aircraft in 1783-some of it has even been true. My own perspective is that […]