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It was a wonderful South African Sunday winter morning.Clear skies, still a bit cold, but the weatherman insisted it would reach25 C later today. Sigrid, my wife and a pilot, too, was preparing for theflight to Lindbergh Lodge. Lindbergh Lodge is a private game and hunting farm in the North-Westprovince of South Africa. At an […]

AVweb: David, first of all, thank you for taking some time to talk with AVweb. I don’t have to tell you that there was a lot of initial concern about the composition of the Commission. There are those who feel that general aviation was omitted and that perhaps other segments of the aviation industry were […]

According to the AviationCrime Prevention Institute (ACPI), there has been a sharp upturnin aircraft thefts and associated violence in western Mexico andBaja California. In March, ACPI reported that threeMexican-registered aircraft were stolen in one week alone. OneCessna 402 pilot was approached by a gunman, shot dead and thrownoff the aircraft. A Cessna 206 pilot was […]

Everyone in General Aviation -pilots, journalists, alphabet groups and even competitive plane makers – seems to behappy to see Cessna building piston aircraft again. After a decade-long hiatus, theappearance of new piston Cessnas has been widely hailed as a sign that G.A. is finally onthe road back from near extinction. But at the same time, […]

Theannual trek to Sun ‘n Fun was, as usual, a great deal of fun. Flying myPiper Arrow down and back is always the best part of the entire week, andthis year was no exception. The weather cooperated for the most part, andthe bird ran flawlessly. When my wife and I departed Howell, Michigan, there was […]

Are you looking for trouble? You know as well as I do that looking for trouble isn’t conduciveto a long and safe career in aviation. But, we all have probablylaunched on trips without running the weight-and-balance numbers.And, in doing so, we may have inadvertently punched a few holesin the weight-and-balance envelopes established by the manufacturersof […]

Moving is difficult for a family, but in these days of “upwardcorporate mobility” it’s not unusual for mid-level managersto change domiciles routinely as new opportunities arise. Severalyears ago, a private pilot moved his family and household goodsfrom California to New Jersey, then returned to the West Coastto pick up his Bellanca 260A and bring it […]

Pilots transitioning from one type of aircraft to another havea responsibility to themselves and to their passengers to ensure that theyare comfortable and safe in the new aircraft. Others, from instructors todesignated check airmen to company managers, have the job of overseeing theprocess and ensuring that when a recently upgraded pilot makes his firstflights in […]

The old man stooped and opened the door of the old wood burner. The handle sent a flash of heat through his hand and into his arm. As he swung the door he became enveloped in blazing heat that felt comfortable for some seconds before becoming sweltering and then painful. The logs were against the […]

Aviation Safety Communique Reported by: USFS, Ochoco NF, P.O. Box 490, Prineville,OR 97754 Event: Date: 02/13/97, Local time: 1545, Injuries: no,Damage: no Location: North Fork Crooked River, Oregon, along Forestboundary T15S R21E Mission: Type: elk census (recon), Procurement: OR Dep’t.of Fish and Wildlife, Persons onboard: 3 Aircraft: Hiller 12E Narrative I was asked to assist […]