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N.Y. TRACON The report released by the FAA has me very worried (NewsWire, Jun. 6). Here you have an agency attacking the fundamental workers of its existence. What would cause them to do this? Definitely another agenda such as setting the ground for privatization; setting up a scapegoat when something tragic does happen; or putting […]

One thing that continues to amaze me about General Aviation, not just here in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport, but everywhere I fly and visit, is the number of pilots who selflessly expend considerable sums of their own money and time to help others. I once tried to analyze why so many pilots […]

Odyssey Aviation Publications Thirty-some-odd years ago when I started flying, general aviation had barely reached the age of DME, and RNAV was just beginning to allow some of us to fly straight lines between points. Today, DME is still useful in many applications; but for the most part the avionics we considered mainstream through the […]

CLICK FOR LARGE IMAGESEACH IMAGE WILL OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW Kids and their families came to the Quonset Air Museum hangar in North Kingstown, Rhode Island for preflight briefings on Young Eagles Day. They learned about navigation, air traffic control, and the instrument panel before even getting to the ramp. The last stop at […]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the year 1979, because it was the year that Cessna built the T310R that I’ve owned and flown for the past 18 years. Actually, 1979 was a very good year for general aviation. Manufacturers like Beech, Cessna, Mooney and Piper were assembling craft at a furious […]

N.Y. TRACON The report released by the FAA has me very worried (NewsWire, Jun. 6). Here you have an agency attacking the fundamental workers of its existence. What would cause them to do this? Definitely another agenda such as setting the ground for privatization; setting up a scapegoat when something tragic does happen; or putting […]

CLICK FOR LARGE IMAGESEACH IMAGE WILL OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW Kids try out a flight simulator in a lobby at the AOPA building. The curious check out Garmin units in the exhibitor tent. This Czech-built motor glider was for sale, gathering lots of interest but no takers (last we checked). Another popular stop – […]

My last column related the story of an aircraft owner who purchased a twin Cessna, took the aircraft to an IA for its first annual inspection, and had a truly horrific experience. At the end of that column, I promised to take a look at what an owner could do to avoid such a calamity. […]

Good afternoon everyone and thanks for joining this call. AsDoug mentioned, my name is John Carr, President of the National AirTraffic Controllers Association. And just to clarify, although the FAA [news conference] event happened probably was an hour or two ago, we just got our hands on the [FAA] report [on the New York TRACON] […]

My entire career in aviation has had to do with the immolation of the remains of dead dinosaurs. Beginning with my early years as a bicycle-riding line boy right through the last 23,000 pounds of Jet A that I burned from New York to Dallas, the rotting remains of latter-day super lizards have driven my […]