Features

The annual adventure trip to Arizona with my buddies would have been better if we could fly around the desert in a rented Cessna as we planned. An important part of that plan included my checkout and endorsement to rent the FBOs Skyhawk. Unfortunately, scheduling the checkout turned out to be more difficult than I […]

Overheard one evening as a Fayetteville, North Carolina controller was working with a Cessna that was requesting flight following. The Cessna had problems with a fussy transponder and the controller was attempting to help. After several exchanges: Tower:“N1234, I’m still getting an inconsistent transponder return. Confirm squawking 4567.” Cessna:“N1234 squawking 4567.” Tower:“N1234, transponder return is […]

One of the joys of ownership might be an afternoon spent at the hangar, sipping cold ones and shining up the airplane. But the effort might not be enough to protect the paint and other surfaces from long-term damage. Neglected surfaces may be too much to handle. Thats why hiring a professional detailing service can […]

Tower controller at Oshkosh 2013:“Attention, all inbound aircraft: The Oshkosh airport closes in ten minutes. Pedal faster.” Brad Kramervia e-mail

Whilst flying back from Belfast to Blackpool in the U.K. several years ago, I heard a GA pilot behind me cleared for take-off by the tower. The tower then reminded him of the local noise regulations. The pilot replied that he understood and added helpfully that he would only be using one engine in this […]

If Continental Motors ever had any doubts about the aerodiesel market, it erased them in the stroke of a pen with the companys acquisition of the bankrupt assets of Thielert aircraft Engines GmbH. Despite a rocky ending for Thielert culminating in the jailing of its founder, Thielert (and Diamond) put aircraft diesels on the map […]

An AA jet landed in ORD in the early morning before the beginning of a typical busy day. Expecting the usual complex taxi instructions, they instead had the following exchange: American 123:“Morning, O’Hare Ground. American 123 clearing 32 left for K8.” O’Hare Ground Control:“American 327, O’Hare Ground. Good morning. Taxi to the gate.” [Long pause.] […]

Automation is a routine part of our lives now, dictated by sweeping new technologies and consumer preferences. Arguably, the trend toward automation began in aviation in the 1970s. It has been debated and resisted by many in the aviation community, but the game has recently changed for both the airlines and general aviation. Yet, our […]

Greetings from South Africa. My story concerns ZS SAJ, a classic jumbo that received a loud and traditional paint job as part of South Africa’s bid for the 2010 Olympic games. Whilst taxiing at JFK, the ground controller asked, “Say, Springbok, did you park in a bad neighborhood last night?” Tod Burnsvia e-mail