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(Most photos are thumbnails.  Click them to view larger,higher-resolution images.) WhenDiamond Aircraft’s snazzy little Katana emerged into the flight training scene three yearsago, it seemed an easy setup for a bloody nose or two. “Way too small,” some said. “A plastic airplane? Are you kiddin’? That thing won’t last a month on thetraining line.” “No […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article toview larger, higher-resolution images. (For most of us, this is about as close as we’llever get to The Point! —Ed.) Cynthia, my otherwise perfect bride, hates to fly.  Alwayson the lookout for a pretext to lure her into the air, I stumbled across The […]

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT: On July 17, 1996, at 2031 e.d.t., a Boeing 747131,registration numberN93119, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about eight miles south ofEast Moriches, New York, after faking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport(JFK). The airplane was being operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight planunder the provisions of Part 121, […]

Ever made dinner reservations for 7:00 p.m., arrived at the restaurantat 6:56 and, upon giving your name to the maitre d’, discoveredthat not only is your table unavailable, but you can’t even getnear the dining room? Failing to grease the upturned palm witha ten, you find yourself in the lounge—waiting. In restaurantterms, you’ve been slapped […]

For reasons having a little to do with human failings and a lotto do with the FAA, remembering how to enter a hold correctlyrequires a level of effort that’s disproportionate to the importanceof the task. It’s like learning parallel parking for a driver’stest. You practice, get good at it, show the examiner you cando it, […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article to view larger, higher-resolution versions. My wife and I have a time-share condo on St. Thomas (Magens PointResort). Our time-share week is always the last week in January. This is perfect for ussince we live in the Washington D.C. metro area and the weather […]

NOTE: Click on any of the photos that accompany this article toview larger, higher-resolution versions. Afew summers ago, I flew my 1978 Grumman Yankee (affectionately named The Banana Slug)from Watsonville, California, to an AmericanYankee Association (AYA) national convention in Cable, Wisconsin. I then flew toOshkosh for the EAA fly-in which I had never seenbefore. The […]

2/10/98 2150.3A CHG 25 Appendix 1 COMPLIANCE/ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN NO. 98-1SUBJECT: Streamlined process for administrative action 1. DISCUSSION. In August 1996, the Administrator directed that a 90-day aviation safety review be conducted within the FAA. A number of initiatives resulted from the 90-day review including a recommendation that the FAA develop a strategic enforcement plan that […]

NOTE: The Cayman Caravan now has its own web site, which contains all the information andpaperwork you need to sign up for the event. Every June a bunch of small airplanes gather in Key West and fly over Cuba. Cubadoesn’t shoot at them or scramble MiGs. In fact, Cuban controllers actually look forwardto the big […]

Ron, tell us about Kennon Wind Spoilers. Your plane was made to fly. If the wind is strong enough it will fly…with you or without you. Tie downs can only hold a flying plane for so long. When you say flying plane, I get the impression that you are talking about a plane that is […]