Flight Training

In 2012, I won the grand prize during AirVenture: a fully restored 1941 Piper Cub. I was, of course, surprised, given that there were 865,000 entries that year. It was an honest, original Cub with no electrical system and a 65-HP Continental that cannot be modified with a starter. (Well, it can, but it involves […]

Sports coaches, music teachers, and creative writing instructors all encounter people who just enjoy practicing—sometimes more than they want to play, perform or publish. If you’re one of those folks who find joy in doing turns around a point or steep spirals, more power to you. Go forth, have fun and don’t feel obliged to […]

Meigs Field The return of Meigs is a long, long shot but I guess it could happen. The location is perfect. Pete Whelan As a note, the Democratic machine will not be able to reopen Meigs. To many green people in the city will not allow it. As far as even making it a helipad, […]

Now, I realize that this column is usually about amusing encounters, but I want to share something that was simply heartwarming to possibly expand your horizons. About a year ago I was training a student pilot. The college student was very intense and strived to be perfect at all her training. She listened to LiveATC […]

Honeywell will be sponsoring 292 high school students to attend its annual Leadership Challenge Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama. The Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is a series of two one-week-long space camps run for children of the company’s employees. As shown in the video below, the program is […]

One Indian air force pilot was killed after two BAE Hawk aircraft collided midair. The Surya Kiran aerobatics team was preparing for an airshow at Aero India when the accident occurred. According to reports, Wing Commander VT Shelke and Squadron Leader TJ Singh both ejected, but Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi was killed. The two surviving […]

Two high-school students have been awarded $10,000 each under the EAA’s Ray Aviation Scholarships. Nicole Blount of Lake Placid, Florida, and Max Davidson of Jurupa Valley, California, will receive this important head start toward their flight training. “Through the generous gift of the Ray Foundation, aviation is a pathway to impart important life skills and […]

We take it for granted today, but 25 years ago a GPS navigator approved for non-precision instrument approaches was big thing—and Garmin’s GPS 155 TSO was the first to be approved under TSO-C129 A1. There’s reason for Garmin to look back on Feb. 16, 1994, with some pride. After decades of abundantly analog navigation solutions […]

Bye Aerospace’s Sun Flyer 2 electric Part 23 airplane took flight for the first time with its intended production configuration on Feb. 8 and President George Bye said all went well. The two-seat aircraft, which Bye intends to be fully certified, flew with the Siemens-built SP70D motor with a maximum of 120 horsepower and maximum […]

In most circumstances, an aircraft sales rep wants as much attention as possible for his product but Rick Rief had people calling 911 every time he did a demo flight in St. Louis last week. The Icon Aircraft rep was twice greeted by first responders when he landed his A5 on the Mississippi River. Bystanders […]