Features

The Swiss Air Force PC-7 aerobatic team was returning in nine-ship Formation to Locarno Magadino Air Field (LSZL) some years ago. Team Leader:“Locarno Tower, Turbo 947 nine-ship inbound to split overhead.” TWR Operator:[Gives clearance to enter and split and to report on downwind individually.] Then … Pilot 1:“Number One downwind.” TWR:“Number One, report final — […]

Arent we pilots a confident crowd? We are so certain of our flyingskills that its always the other pilot, the below average mope, that people should be worried about. Because, in a time of need, we truly know we will rise to the challenge and our innate aeronautical skills will be there to save ourselves […]

The love-hate relationship between pilots/aircraft owners and mechanics/shops seems to wax and wane, depending on the person you spoke with last. The good news is that most of the time mechanics and pilots recognize that they depend on each other for their livelihood and existence. The bad news is that there are times that certain […]

Our weekly review of SocialFlight found everything from a fly-in at an Intergalactic Spaceport, through a run-what-you-brung air race, the annual Waco Club’s fly-in and a kid’s candy drop. The Second Community Spaceport Day will be held at the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport, Green River, Wyo., on Saturday, June 21 from 8:00 a.m. to […]

It may not be the fastest airplane to sport a big Lycoming, but on pure style points, it has no equal.When the so-called Caribbean line from Aerospatiale first appeared at the Paris Air Show in 1977, the U.S. general aviation industry was booming, building mainly tried-and-true, if staid, designs like the Cessna 172 and the […]

This was one of those days when everyone was getting a bad ride and trying to find a smooth altitude. Everyone was bugging ATC about the ride. As we were coming north off the coast of Florida on our way back to JFK from Montego Bay, a Cactus flight came on and, after complaining about […]

The summer season is in full swing across the country, and SocialFlight’s online listing of aviation events reveals plenty of opportunities to explore the aviation world. At Fitchburg Municipal Airport, in Massachusetts, the locals will celebrate the field’s 85th birthday on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and everyone is invited. Airport tours, Young […]

A commercial 747 was taxiing for take-off when a deer darted in front of the plane and was hit. The captain immediately called his wife to explain he would be arriving late as the plane had hit a deer. His wife asked, “What altitude was that deer at?” Nick Goodrichvia e-mail

It never seems to fail. You reserve the airplane for an early morning departure for the family vacation. Then the kids and the packing and the delays add up, so you launch hours late, and arrive at beautiful Lake Runamuck as one of the kids becomes spectacularly ill, the other is screaming about the dead […]

Owners who fancy a little light aerobatics—or even semi-serious competition—might lust after a Pitts S1 or an Extra 300. But then reality sets in. Those airplanes require no small degree of skill to simply fly safely and that’s before we consider the insurance premiums. And that’s why so many owners inevitably gravitate toward the American […]