Damn Foreigner is back, and it’s good to see him among the living (posting?). His most recent entry was on a topic that is near and dear to his heart: immigration. He’s a smart guy and makes some salient points. However, I was left wondering what solution he might offer to fix this thorny problem. Should we allow anyone into the U.S. without any regard… Read more →
Month: March 2006
Landing on a Gravel Bar
Dan sent me a couple of companion pieces to yesterday’s entry. Both are cockpit-based videos of a tailwheel airplane landing on a gravel bar. In the first clip, our intrepid pilot uses the “waterski” arrival, touching down with the main wheels on the surface of the river and sliding right up onto the gravel bar. In the second, he drops… Read more →
The Ultimate Displaced Threshhold
A fellow CFI sent me a real gem.  I’d have to say this is the ultimate short field landing. It’s so short that half of it takes place on the water. This wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that the aircraft in question is not a sea plane. You can do some pretty amazing things when you… Read more →
Accident Investigation Leads to TFR
FDC 6/4280 ZLA CA.. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS 25 W PALM SPRINGS, CA. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.137(A)(2) TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT WITHIN A 3 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF 340223N/1165315W OR THE PALM SPRINGS /PSP/ VORTAC 281.0 DEGREE RADIAL AT 25.0 NAUTICAL MILES AT AND BELOW 11000 FEET MSL TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT… Read more →
Making Money the Old Fashioned Way
I keep a stack of quarters in a small tray built into the center console of my car. I’ve been doing this for years. After all, you never know when you’ll have to fork out some change at a parking meter. I always keep the tray full, because if you let any gaps develop in the tray, the remaining quarters… Read more →
Like The Man Said…
Perhaps whoever designed this sign lost sight of the, uh, “larger picture” — if you catch my meaning. It doesn’t help that the pilot is sporting what appears to be a bicentennial porno mustache, circa 1976. I’ve been trying to think of a good caption for this photo. Suggestions? Read more →
Eagle Flight 230
Just two days after Christmas in 2000, an American Eagle commuter flight developed pitch trim problems immediately after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The pilots had the controls full forward, yet the aircraft was climbing at “3000 to 6000″ feet per minute.  All pitch trim controls were inoperative. Take it from someone who’s been there: when one of the primary flight controls stops responding,… Read more →
High-Res Sectionals
High resolution sectional charts for the entire U.S. are available at Kyler Laird’s aviationtoolbox.org. How cool is that? These charts are not up-to-date, but they’re great for illustration, teaching, and web-based excerpts. Also, be aware that the downloads are pretty large. The south side of the Los Angeles sectional chart was more than 42 megabytes. The detail is worth it,… Read more →
What is a “Surface Area”?
When I start teaching aerobatics to a pilot, one of the first things we discuss is when and where aerobatics are allowed. Or, more accurately, where they are prohibited. As anyone who’s familiar with government regulation will attest, the Code of Federal Regulations doesn’t tell you what you can do. It only tells you what you cannot do. One of the places… Read more →
Angel Flight Crash
This is very sad. It seems that Angel Flight West has suffered the loss of one of its pilots while enroute to pick up a patient for transport to the UCLA Medical Center. SANTA MONICA, California (AP) — A former TV game show host and his wife were killed Monday morning when their small plane crashed into Santa Monica Bay,… Read more →