Features

The busy brick-and-stone village of Newburyport, Massachusetts, embraces a scenic waterfront on the wide Merrimack River, close to the treacherous shoals where the waters empty into the Atlantic Ocean. Its narrow streets overflow with the seaside ambiance typical of the small towns along the North-of-Boston coast: historic buildings, upscale shops and restaurants, white-steepled churches, art […]

It’s a bit disconcerting when it happens. Every once in a great while someone says something that causes your jaw to drop in utter amazement. You stare at the person who just made the statement because you can’t comprehend its magnitude. Meanwhile, your tonsils are attracting flies. It happened to me recently, here in the […]

Rich Stowell was born December 24,1957, in Newton, N. J. He grew up near Sussex, N. J., watching his neighbors LeoLoudenslager, Betty Stewart and other aerobatic champions performing theirairshow routines. He wanted to fly and took enough instruction to solo. Hisparents didn’t exactly disapprove, but they vectored Rich back onto a moretraditional career path. He […]

“With demand for air travel at record highs and many pilots facing mandatory retirement at age 60, U.S. airlines are desperately trying to fill their cockpits.” The Wall Street Journal. I don’t know that there is a general aviation pilot alive who hasn’t toyed with the thought of applying for an airline job, if only […]

I‘m a pilot, but some of my best friends are air traffic controllers. I’vecorresponded extensively with many other controllers in my role as an aviation journalist.I’ve spent dozens of hours at air traffic control facilities around the country,plugged-in and watching controllers ply their craft (usually in awe), and chewing the fatwith them in the lunchroom. […]

Several years ago, a designated pilot examiner was in the habit of asking his private applicants one question to fulfill the oral portion of the practical test, and only one. The question was this: “Which control makes the airplane go up?” If the applicant answered that the throttle makes it go up, he passed, but […]

Special thanks to loyal AVweb reader Greg Martin forthese images. Click on any image to view alarger version. Visit AVweb’s NewsWire for More

I‘m a little nervous writing stuff like this, because I am acutely aware that not all readers are the same. Some will read this column by itself, without reading the material in previous columns that has led up to this point. Some don’t care about the dirty details, and simply want to know what to […]

Of Flight Breakfasts, Air Races and Roll Your Own Fly-Ins It’s August in the Pilot’s Lounge. The heat shimmers off the asphalt, the trainers seem to sag into the air and the regulars in the big, easy chairs are out of sorts. Hack is complaining that he wants to go somewhere in the Super Cruiser […]

April 27, 2000   Mr. Robert HackmanSr. Technical SpecialistAviation Services DepartmentAircraft Owners and Pilots Association421 Aviation WayFrederick, MD  21701-4798 Dear Mr. Hackman: This is a follow-up response to your letter dated April 26, 1999, to the Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), regarding the definition of “dual controls” under 14 CFR section […]