They call Paris the ‘City of Light’, but the most memorable part of this visit was spent underground in the dark. Read more →
Circle-to-Land Complications
The FAA is adding new circling radii for some (but not all) approaches. Sounds good on paper, but I can foresee some unintended consequences that might not be too pleasant. Read more →
Looking Back: How I Got Started in Aviation
Hard to believe I’ve been in the flying game for 15 years now. Let’s take a look back and see how it all started. Read more →
Blogging in Formation
You can fly in formation… but can you *write* in formation? I join five fellow bloggers as we decide to find out. Read more →
Fighting Back at SMO
The Santa Monica city council has set a new low with their recent shellacking of the airport. It’s time to stop playing nice and start communicating with them in a language they can clearly understand. Read more →
The Good Life
To me, flying is The Good Life, even when you’re not in the air. Here’s a video that says it better than I ever could. Read more →
Judgment: Knowing When to Say When
Flying is less about physical aircraft control than it is about good judgment. Unfortunately, many of the situations we face as aviators are not cut-and-dried. We’ll all get along a lot better if we can remember that. Read more →
Getting Better: Simulators for General Aviation
Most of the big technological advances in flying have been in the instrument panel. But now they’re starting to make serious strides in the area of flight simulation, and GA stands to reap a huge benefit. Read more →
Speed-to-Fly
Speed-to-fly is a concept traditionally limited to the glider pilots. But the physics apply to all aircraft, and with the advent of computer technology in the cockpit, it’s possible to augment the traditional “best glide” speed and truly maximize our engine-out performance. Read more →
Constant Speed Propeller Maintenance
Physical failure of a prop blade or hub in flight is far more likely to kill you than an engine failure. So why do many pilots ignore the relatively infrequent maintenance needed by their constant-speed propeller? Read more →