Features

Many years ago when I was a whole lot younger than now, I was a championship athlete in a very competitive sport. When preparing for a competition, I always used to say, “Let my opponent have the skill, just let me be lucky!” When it comes down to a really tight situation in an airplane, […]

One Hundred Third Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four An Act To amend the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to establish time limitations on certain civil actions against aircraft […]

The Confederate Air Force (CAF) does the granddaddy of all warbird airshows every October, in an unlikely place called Midland, Texas. The airport is located between the towns of Odessa and Midland, and while it is a superb location to fly an airshow (flat, no obstructions, no noise complaints except from armadillos), it’s a million […]

Remember the last time you laughed so hard you wondered if you were going to be able to stop? We were lucky enough to have had one of those evenings in the pilot’s lounge very recently. A number of the regulars had gotten together to do some planning for the function we were going to […]

Fantasy camps are hot. They started with “Dude Ranches,” places where the city-born could ride the prairies with a broad Stetson on their noggins and a whiff of sweaty horse in their nostrils. From that simple Western beginning, fantasy camps have branched out into dozens of fields. You can now indulge your dreams of being […]

Preflight Briefing Photo Mission Prop Arc and Shutter Speeds Ground Shots Interiors Panels

Like aviation, photography can open up a new way of looking at the world around you. As in aviation, knowledge and experience are the best ingredients for a beautiful photograph. Knowing your equipment, surroundings, and techniques increases the chances for your intended results. These skills can only be acquired through practice. So be patient and […]

Michael Fizer was born February 14, 1959, in Phoenix, Ariz. Mike’s dad flew F-100s in the Air Force and Mike had his sights on the Air Force Academy to follow in his fathers footsteps. In 1974, at the age of 15, Mike received his first camera for his birthday. On his first photo shoot he […]

Twas the night before ChristmasAnd all through the landNot a creature was stirringA storm was at hand. Ol’ Santa was worriedAs he said with a frown,“The children expect me.I can’t let them down.” He checked on the weatherBut the forecast was drearyIt looked like this ChristmasMight not be so merry. So he gathered his reindeerIn […]

Everybody knows about “buyer beware,” but how about seller beware? Much has been written on the subject of protecting oneself when purchasing an aircraft (see Rick Durden’s excellent AVweb column or Brian Jacobson’s comprehensive book on the subject, Purchasing & Evaluating Airplanes), but I have yet to see anything on the subject of protection for […]