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SPECIAL REPORT: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2002 Now in its 31st year, Albuquerque’s annual extravaganza of ballooning attracts pilots and spectators from all over the world. It’s a massive congregation of the devoted and the dilettante, a celebration of the mystery and magic of this most ancient form of flight, and pure spectacle. AVweb’s Senior […]

When I was young, I had fantasies of becoming a test pilot. I’d done some test flying in the F-51 and lesser airplanes, but with no college at all, no money, and very poor high-school grades, it seemed an impossible prospect. Then I joined Air America in 1963, and the money started flowing into my […]

A collection of images to accompany “Pelican’s Perch #61: Test Pilot School.“ KEDWAirspace Chart Click the image for a much higher-resolution version, which will open in a new window. Note: CHUM (see lower right corner of chart)stands for Chart Update Manual. The CHUM has all the changes to the charts for new towers and obstructions, […]

Last month I said that this month’s column was going to be the third in the series on flying tailwheel airplanes. In working on it, I have spent quite a bit of time in the Pilot’s Lounge here at the virtual airport, and received a lot of very good feedback on the subject. I’ve enjoyed […]

Klyde Morris was created by author Wes Oleszewski on February,13, 1978. Atthat time Wes was a freshman at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, andtwo days later the very first Klyde Morris cartoon strip appeared in the campusnewspaper, the Avion. Fortunately for the readers of Klyde Morris, butunfortunately for Wes, he was compelled to work his way […]

Welcome to AVweb‘sKlyde Morris gallery! ABrief History of Klyde Klyde’sWeb site AVwebwelcome page Click for larger image Klyde Morris is copyright 2000, by Wes Oleszewski. All rights reserved.

Everyone I told about my upcoming checkride wished me “Good Luck.” Why did I need luck? Luck is for the incompetent. I only needed their blessing for good weather, because I was trained to fly “good.” Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I will start to believe it. In trying to remain confident, my […]

My lukewarm Diet Coke had lost all its bubbles, and my folding chair was getting to feel a little hard as I sat at East State Junior College and Aviation Academy. It was their career day and I was invited as an “expert witness” about airline careers. They had no idea what they were getting […]

Cessna is toast; Piper is roadkill; and Mooney? Fuggedabout it. The way A. Sandy Munro sees it, the established U.S. GA industry has a couple of years — a half-decade at best — to reform or face being gutted by the same people who dominate the auto industry, steel-making and machine tools: the Japanese. According […]

Pilots who love to ski often daydream about combining their passions. What could bemore alluring than flying to a fantastic ski resort within minutes of an airport? Stopdreaming and start planning because it is a reality and well within your range. However,before reading on, you must promise not to tell everyone at your home base […]