Recent Updates

It’s wintertime again; the third winter since I started on this little adventure in airplane building. The fourth year on the Pietenpol project rolled around in late November. As I’ve said before, trying to predict when a project like this will be finished, or even when a component will be done, is a dangerous thing. […]

George is holding a phone in his right hand. On the other end of the phone, a pilot is telling George his woes of the day — how the weather was bad in Louisville, how lunch didn’t agree with his co-pilot, and how his wife spends too much money. Between his head and his shoulder, […]

It was about eleven at night when I pulled into Signature’s ramp at Baltimore. It had been one of those weeks in the check-hauling business; I’d battled a fair amount of poor weather all week, though in this instance it had been the low-ceiling-and-visibility variety more than the thunderstorm or icing types, which is what […]

In uncertain times like these, when insurance rates are skyrocketing and good coverage is hard to find, aircraft owners and pilots have lots of questions for their insurance agents.Tom Chappel of CS&A Aviation Insurance answers these “Most-Often-Asked Questions From Clients and Friends.” There are only eight standard aviation-underwriting companies and one direct writer remaining in […]

Richard Johnson of Winter Haven, Florida, isn’t your average flight instructor. For one thing, he is well past his early twenties, which the silvery gray hair poking out from under his baseball cap attests to. He has no particular interest in building hours to take him to the next rung of the professional pilot ladder, […]

Think you’ve got everything you need for that Caribbean trip? Looked up that insurance policy, just to make sure? Be careful — your insurer’s definition of “the Caribbean” may not include the particular island to which you’re flying. Tom Chappel of CS&A Aviation Insurance discusses the variety of ways insurers define their coverage area. In […]

Click any image to view a larger version. (All images open in new windows.) Elegant, the Cessna 195 is just flat out elegant. The Panel isn’t exactly original, but it is straightforward and well equipped. From Georgia to Florida and back again, this patriotic RV waves the flag where ever it goes. While not available […]

While the majority of the country was settling in for a long struggle with the slush and snow of early winter, the gates to Sun n Fun’s Lakeland, Fla., facility were thrown open for a new special event. The pre-Super Bowl weekend of January 25th and 26th saw an RV Fly-In take place that may […]

“Forgive me, oh spirit of Tony Bengilis, for I have been slothful. I have found excuses not to work on my airplane, and I have allowed myself to become distracted with other projects and with self-doubt. Please help me get off the dime and get back to work, like I know I should.” This should […]

Part I“Broker-Of-Record Letter” What is it?..Who Requires it?…Should you sign one? Aviation Insurance can be purchased in two ways: (1) from a “direct writing”company where the insured contacts the company direct; or (2) through an independentinsurance agent who represents several companies. Occasionally, an insurance buyer is asked by an independent insurance agent to sign a”BROKER-OF-RECORD […]