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Sport Pilot Sport Pilot, though convoluted and confusing, has some meritorious features. A simpler approach would have been to liberalize part 103, the ultralight regulations, particularly as regards the weight limitation of 204 pounds.Robin Nichols FAA Designee GAO Report The GAO report highlights a couple of things (NewsWire, Nov. 18:1. The number of FAA Designees […]

The lights were on late in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport and the place was packed when I arrived. The big, old recliners had been claimed early by the more senior, or perhaps the lazy; some six-packs of soda and beer were being decimated steadily as the regulars dissected the stunning events of […]

Ah, autumn — birds on the wing, a crisp snap to the air, and pumpkins falling from Cubs. For those seeking the true meaning of flight you need only look to southern Iowa, where at an undisclosed location, close to the Maharishi TM University, unfettered by TFRs, the Annual Great Pumpkin Bombing and Chili Shootout […]

Many years ago, I was training for my multiengine flight-instructor rating. I had been flying my Cessna 310 from the right seat, and the instructor prepping me for my checkride was in the left seat. I’d just completed a series of right-seat touch-and-go landings, and we were about to make a full-stop landing to break […]

Digital ELTs Required By 2009 All of the new 409 units have a 121.5 transmitter just like the current ELT’s and that is what is used for the fine tuning of the search (NewsWire, Nov. 11). So interference with TV’s DVD’s etc will still be with us. On Civil Air Patrol missions I have personally […]

Many thanks to those who wrote and said they missed my column, some even asking if everything was OK. I’m happy to be back, and things are more than OK, they’re great! For the personal, non-column stuff, please see the sidebar below on the right.On rare occasions in my career I’ve been in a small […]

One of the many responsibilities that come with the title “Renaissance Man” is helping our little crumb crunchers learn about aviation. Remember, “Children are our future” is more than a platitude — it is a frightening reality.So, this aging airline captain finds himself at least twice a month at the local aviation museum trying to […]

Pelican’s Perch #80: Gear-Up Landing In A 747? – (Articles – Nov. 21, 2004) You know the cliche: There are two kinds of retractable-gear pilots in the world – those who have landed gear-up, and those who will. AVweb’s John Deakin is back with his Pelican’s Perch column, and relates his own heavy-jet gear-up story. […]

As a result of my AVweb columns and some of the groundschools I’m teaching, I have several old books available in reprinted form. They might seem expensive, but they are in full color, just like the originals. Color duplication is expensive, but schematics and diagrams lose a great deal without color. I sell these at […]

This is the fourth in a series of excerpts that began with Chapter One. Chapter Six: Notes on Lesson Five — Basic Stalls The flying was going wonderfully well, as far as I was concerned. That the instructors were reduced to casting lots to see who would have to fly with me was not something […]