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I had been suffering with the original frontseats in my 1977 Tiger since I bought the plane more than three years ago. I really didn’tlike those seats. Since I was refurbishing the interior, I decided to make a change. As a first step, I had a well-known Grummanaficionado upgrade my seat backs to the 78-79 […]

Here’s the issue: Suppose you want to refurbish the interior of your FAA-certificated light plane with new carpet and upholstery. Further suppose that you have found a reputable auto upholstery shop that does great work and will reupholster your seats and cut you new carpets if you bring the stuff to them. What does the […]

Winters in northern states like Montana can be brutal which is why theprincipal means of maintaining controlled flight is with the heater knob.Freezing temperatures can begin in late September and are last seen sometime inApril. This is quite a chore for the lowly aircraft heating system, akin to theold Volkswagen beetle’s air-cooled engine and non-heater. […]

When Garmin first announced its forthcoming big-screen color mapcom in 1999, my salivary glands took on a life of their own. I just knew I had to have one! It’s been a long wait, but it was definitely worth it. After four months of flying with the GNS 530, I can say without reservation that […]

Simply stated, the function of any expert witness is to educate the trier of fact (judge or jury) so as to lead that individual or group to the same inescapable conclusion that the expert reached. Of course, if, during the discovery process, the expert is successful in educating opposing counsel and leading him or her […]

It was six o’clock on Valentine’s Day morning, 1995. Chris Watkins had places he’d rather be than a Wichita, Kan., hotel room and company he’d rather keep than his DUATS terminal as he watched ice pellets dance down onto the cars outside. Chris was an experienced ATP-rated pilot for Suburban Air Freight, a student of […]

Ice tinkled in glasses. Large screen TVs blared and you could hear the subtle sounds of country music wafting over the sour smell of warm beer and tattered dreams. I was at the bar in the layover motel once again. Many people suppose that airline pilots are drug-crazed loonies; otherwise, why would we be made […]

Since I’ve been writing this column I’ve been reading various and assorted publications about aviation just as I always have. I try to stay abreast of what is going on the the industry and how it might affect ATC. Writing this column has given me another perspective as I read. I’ve always questioned whether most […]

Driving along Interstate 280, the wind is really buffeting the car. It’s actually difficult to keep it pointed in a straight line, and it has four tires glued to the pavement. This is what I’m thinking about as I head for the airport. As I get further west, leaving the urban sprawl of New York […]

Robert Griffin was born July 30,1924, on a farm near Saint John, Wash. He grew up on another farm near Pullman,Wash., took his first flight with his father and identical-twin brother in aBoeing Mailplane, and learned to fly during high school in a J-3 Cub. After hisfirst year of college, Bob attended a presentation by […]