A good flight attendant can be one of the most valuable features of a business aircraft, but they don’t always get the respect and recognition they deserve. Read more →
Category: Gulfstream
Fuelish Decisions
For the charter/corporate pilot, determining if, when, how much, and where to purchase fuel can be rather complex… and getting it wrong can cost a fortune. Here’s a look at the decision-making process. Read more →
The Longest Day
Over the years, business aircraft have evolved dramatically in terms of their range. That’s wonderful for the passengers, but for the crew it presents some serious safety hazards which must be dealt with. Read more →
A License to Learn
When a newly minted pilot receives his or her temporary pilot certificate after a successful checkride, the examiner often refers to this piece of paper as a “license to learn”. Nearly twenty years into my flying career, does this aphorism still hold water? Read more →
What a Country!
Many people aspire to travel internationally. It looks glamorous. Feels that way too — sometimes. But from a pilot’s perspective, there are plenty of things about flying abroad that make me realize how good we have it here at home. Read more →
Special Mission Aircraft
I recently encountered a uniquely modified aircraft in Hawaii that got me thinking about how business jets serve millions of people who never get to ride in them and are probably not even aware of their existence. Even in the GA community, I’d imagine plenty of folks would be surprised how many of these customized airplanes are out there and what they do for us on a daily basis. Read more →
Gulfstream’s New G500 & G600
It’s Christmas for airplane geeks: the wrapping has finally come off the shiny new multi-million dollar toys from those aerodynamic elves at Gulfstream! Here are my thoughts about today’s big reveal of the G500 and G600 business jets. Read more →
P42: The Mystery Ship
Something new is brewing on the eastern shore of Georgia, and it’s going to make a big splash in the aerospace industry soon. Thousands of people on the inside know what it is, but for years the vault door has remained firmly — and admirably — closed. It’s known only by the code name “P42”. Read more →
Back to the (Supersonic) Future
While supersonic airliners were all the rage in the 1960s, they never panned out economically because commercial airliners have to turn a profit. But business aircraft do not. They’re simply tools for allowing business to be conducted. In addition, recent technological developments are bringing us closer to mitigating the sonic boom’s impact. It’s clear we’re headed back to that supersonic future to pick up where we left off half a century ago. Read more →
The Contract Pilot
As much as one may love flying, it can be a tough career choice. Many pilots struggle through the food chain only to end up discouraged, if not downright hating their job. We’re all aware of the reasons: low pay, long days, little respect, too much time away from home, difficult working conditions, commuting, regulatory hassles, bankruptcies, furloughs, and ruinously expensive training. Quite a list, isn’t it?
On the other hand, life is often what we make of it. From bush flying to firefighting, there are many different gigs out there for those willing to take Frost’s road-less-traveled. For the past three years, for example, I’ve been flying as a “contract pilot” and truly enjoy it. Read more →