Features

Why Fly? You recently asked, “Why fly?” and gave as one response, “The spirit of flight. It’s an intellectual escape …” (QOTW, Jun. 22). The spirit and the intellect are two very different things in a human being. The responses you offered are not encompassing enough. You should have separated the spiritual answer from the […]

Thanks for the huge outpouring ofsupport, good wishes and prayers from my friends. I wasdeeply touched by everyones sentiments, whether fromreading the COPA website, listening to voice mails orreading emails. I will try to answer each personindividually, but please understand if I dont. I am writingto answer the common questions on everyones mind and toattempt […]

Every pilot will tell you that summer flying is very different from aviating in the winter months. Wasps in the pitot tubes are absent in January. There are no chunks of airframe ice keeping your stabilizer from working during July; and in the Northern Hemisphere, your gloves will never freeze to a jetway as you […]

Overheard on United flight ATC audio channel. United: Center, United 123 in light chop — how’s the ride ahead? Center: Should smooth out in a couple of minutes. United: Yeah, it just smoothed out for us. Center: Sometimes it helps just to talk about it. United: You sound just like my girlfriend. (pause) Unknown: You […]

You saunter out to the mailbox expecting the usual: a utility bill or two a few pieces of junk mail, another credit-card statement that produces a mild state of depression; and, thankfully, a Victoria’s Secret catalog that at least momentarily dissipates the thought that the cost of your flight training has brought you to the […]

Pinnacle Crash Thank you for posting the various links regarding the Pinnacle crash (NewsWire, Jun. 16). As a CRJ captain myself, I find all information on the subject to be a matter of my own professional safety. That said, I have to ask why there is a 20-minute gap on the CVR reported in the […]

Welcome to EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh. As many know when you fly into EAA Airventure at Oshkosh you are asked not to reply to ATC radio communication — just wiggle your wings and comply. While flying into EAA I heard the following conversation between a landing amphibian and the tower. Tower: Amphibian say parking.(pause)Tower: Amphibian say […]

If you’ll remember, last month I left you hanging over the Snowbird VOR, in the clouds, with no radio communication. This month’s task is to get back on the ground. Let’s review.Here’s the flight plan we filed: N12345C172/A110 kts.Dep. KHKY (Hickory, N.C.) 6,000 feetHKY..BZM.V20.SUG.V185.SOT.V136.VXV..TYSArr. KTYS (Knoxville, Tenn.) And here is a low-altitude en route chart […]