FBOs

Ray Dolby was born January 18,1933, in Portland, Ore. During 1949-52, he worked on various audio andinstrumentation projects at Ampex Corporation, and during 1952-57 he was mainlyresponsible for the development of the electronic aspects of the Ampex videotaperecording system. In 1957 he received a B.S. degree from Stanford University, and upon beingawarded a Marshall Scholarship […]

Many years ago when I was a whole lot younger than now, I was a championship athlete in a very competitive sport. When preparing for a competition, I always used to say, “Let my opponent have the skill, just let me be lucky!” When it comes down to a really tight situation in an airplane, […]

The Confederate Air Force (CAF) does the granddaddy of all warbird airshows every October, in an unlikely place called Midland, Texas. The airport is located between the towns of Odessa and Midland, and while it is a superb location to fly an airshow (flat, no obstructions, no noise complaints except from armadillos), it’s a million […]

Remember the last time you laughed so hard you wondered if you were going to be able to stop? We were lucky enough to have had one of those evenings in the pilot’s lounge very recently. A number of the regulars had gotten together to do some planning for the function we were going to […]

Preflight Briefing Photo Mission Prop Arc and Shutter Speeds Ground Shots Interiors Panels

Like aviation, photography can open up a new way of looking at the world around you. As in aviation, knowledge and experience are the best ingredients for a beautiful photograph. Knowing your equipment, surroundings, and techniques increases the chances for your intended results. These skills can only be acquired through practice. So be patient and […]

Michael Fizer was born February 14, 1959, in Phoenix, Ariz. Mike’s dad flew F-100s in the Air Force and Mike had his sights on the Air Force Academy to follow in his fathers footsteps. In 1974, at the age of 15, Mike received his first camera for his birthday. On his first photo shoot he […]

Everybody knows about “buyer beware,” but how about seller beware? Much has been written on the subject of protecting oneself when purchasing an aircraft (see Rick Durden’s excellent AVweb column or Brian Jacobson’s comprehensive book on the subject, Purchasing & Evaluating Airplanes), but I have yet to see anything on the subject of protection for […]

Air rage is big news these days, but it seems to apply only to passengers who act up. Sadly, it occurs in cockpits, too. There are a small number of pilots who really do need some counseling in anger management, a lot more who could use some of the techniques, and nearly everyone could benefit […]

It’s another one of those nights when I’ve stayed here in the Pilot’s Lounge after everyone has gone home. Tonight it is because I am still seething. I don’t want to get into my car because the level of anger I have over a case I settled this afternoon is still building. I have no […]