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It started with a bike ride. I was taking advantage of our unseasonably warm fall and riding through a subdivision near a local lake. As I approached a woman who was out for a walk, I heard an airplane. Being genetically unable to ignore any aircraft in the vicinity, I looked and saw it was […]

Click on any image to view a larger version. Although downsized, the static display still offers plenty tolook at. The Bombardier Special Edition The Fairchild 328 Turboprop Fairchild’s 328Jet, executive commuter configuration Cessna’s Citation X Cessna’s Citation Excel The TBM 700 with and without the pilot door option Piper’s Malibu Mirage (left and center) and […]

Click on any image to view a larger version. The NBAA 2001 convention opens to crowds that are smaller thanusual, but motivated and enthusiastic. Thousands come to look and learn, and to wheel and deal. Look closely, ask questions, and get answers. Friendly experts stand ready to explain and show off theirproducts. And visitors make […]

AVweb‘s coveragethis year is in three parts: 1. It’s Back to Business at NBAA 2001 Notwithstanding a three months’ delay and an uncertain economy, it was back to business in New Orleans at the 54th National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting and Convention. As expected, attendance was down. Some of the usual exhibitors could not […]

Given the ongoing pre-Christmas sales, it has been difficult to avoid ananalogous view of this year’s attack-delayed convention of the National BusinessAviation Association: deeply discounted, like so much holiday merchandise. Many within the aviation community discounted the potential value of the 54thannual meeting after NBAA postponed its original September 18-20 dates inthe aftermath of the […]

When the rickety bus screeched to a stop behind thehangar, I didn’t even look up. My early morning attention was totally caught upin a careful preflight inspection of the Helio Courier before starting the day’sflying. It promised to be a busy day. The crunch of shoes on gravel and a cheery greeting broke my concentration.”Hola, […]

Painting anythingwell-especially an airplane-is as much art as science. It takes experienceand skill to get it right and, in the end, the customer might not appreciate thework because many owners have never seen a good paint job. Yet it doesnt takea trained eye to separate good paint from bad, a well-detailed master work from what one […]

G rowing up as I did in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, throughout the 1930s I was privileged to attend the National Air Races. Because my father was the attorney for the local organizing group, I was doubly blessed with the privilege of getting to sit right down in the pit where I got to meet all […]

This column, and my next one, are a little different, and serve several purposes. A New Name for an Old Flame First, it is an unabashed pitch for my favorite charity, hobby, and passion, the Commemorative Air Force. Ok, what’s that? Why, it is the Confederate Air Force, under its new name, as of December […]

I rolled my suitcase over the entry door hump, unhooked my flight bag from its strap and heaved it in one swift motion onto my left-hand seat in the cockpit of a rapidly aging MD-88. My suitcase went into the cockpit coat closet and like a good pilot, I strapped it in using the canvas […]