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It’s time for us to have a heart-to-heart talk again, folks. Time is short. This is the last summer we’re going to have before the really big retirement wave of controllers start. That would be in January of 2006 if you want my opinion. It’s already started, of course. It isn’t going to hit all […]

General Aviation Security & Public Fears Let’s stop preaching to the choir (NewsWire, July 14). Whenever GA makes the news, listen carefully to the patter coming from those who do not fly. The public instantly forgets the positive stories (i.e., Rutan’s space shot), and yet they easily remember negative reports. I still endure hearing about […]

If you’ve read my previous columns, you know that I have advocated changing the way we train new pilots. The old, maneuvers-based training is no longer meeting the challenge of today’s technically advanced aircraft and the evolving national airspace system. We’ve got to spend more time teaching folks to make good, solid judgments and to […]

Chicken Wings is an aviation-related cartoon. The cartoonists try to keep it not too technical, yet accurate enough to amuse aviators and aviation fans alike. So if you’re a professional pilot or just an air-show visitor, you should be able relate to these stories!

Record With And Against The Wind Thank you for the great article on our speed records (NewsWire, Jun. 23)! Just a couple of minor corrections:Dave Riggs holds Helo and Piston records while I hold a Piston record.The biggest reason that our speed from KPHX to KLAX was so much slower was because we were experiencing […]

Loss of control of your aircraft while in flight is a really big deal and occurs more often than is generally realized. According to an article in Aviation Week & Space Technology (AW&ST, August 26, 2002), loss of control in flight is the second highest cause of worldwide airline fatalities. Loss of control in flight […]

Summer finally arrived, so someone stuck up a notice in the Pilot’s Lounge here at the virtual airport that stated we might as well have an airport cookout before Mother Nature changes her mind. On the appointed date the weather cooperated and there was an excellent turnout. It provided an opportunity to chat with some […]

There’s an old joke among aircraft mechanics that “the most dangerous thing in aviation is an aircraft owner with a screwdriver.” (Or a wrench, or a toolbox, or a Swiss army knife …)For many mechanics, this is no laughing matter. I’ve been writing for many years (on these pages and elsewhere) advocating owner involvement and […]

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 […]