There are as many types of weblogs on the World Wide Web as there are people to read them. But one of the most timely weblog subcultures is a unique brand of no-spin news borne out of the war on terrorism. They’re often referred to as “war blogs” — online journals updated remotely from the Middle East by soldiers who… Read more →
Vote, Dammit!
I doubt there is a single voter the nation’s electorate who hasn’t at one time been told that “if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain”. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? The last presidential election only reinforced the importance of voter participation. Those that don’t take the time to cast their ballot have little credibility when it… Read more →
Convertible Baron
My home base airport sits in the Santa Ana canyon area of Southern California. It’s so heavily traveled by general aviation aircraft that a certain paranoia about a midair collision sets in. Everyone–and I mean everyone–keeps their eyes peeled while flying near Corona. When flying over less populated areas, however, a certain complacency can set in. After all, midair collisions… Read more →
Fun With NTSB Reports
Anyone want to take a guess what the pilots of this aircraft were doing when the plane crashed? It may seem cruel to make light of an accident that took two lives, but I can’t help but chuckle when this appears in an official NTSB accident report: EXAMINATION OF THE INDIVIDUALS’ CLOTHING REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF RIPPING OR DISTRESS TO… Read more →
A Bum Steer
You know your trusty steed is getting old when a team of factory-trained mechanics at the local dealership spends an hour troubleshooting the power steering system (“we couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working”). I should note that the car doesn’t have power steering. You see, my ’93 Eclipse has the dubious distinction of being the oldest vehicle they see… Read more →
Skylane for Sale
1975 Cessna 182P N6594M “Tweety Bird” $92,000 N6594M has been SOLD! Additional photos available here. 3000 hours total time 1150 hours SFRM on the factory reman engine (1993) 50 hours since prop overhaul (2003) 100 hours since mags were overhauled (2003) Equipment: heated pitot static wicks alternate static air Cessna umbrella fuel caps Rosen sun visors nav light… Read more →
Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend
After much consideration, I have decided to put my aircraft up for sale. Not because I have to get rid of it (though aircraft are certainly not cheap to own!), but because I have put more than eight hundred hours on her and I’m ready for a new adventure. I’d like to pursue CFI, -II, and MEI certificates. Learn to… Read more →
Is The Housing Market Cooling Off?
The money mavens at CNN seem to think so. I’m not sure I’d classify a 6.6% year-over-year increase as “cooling off”, especially when inflation is less than 3%. No, I’d put it more into the category of another irrational jump in a real estate market that’s already every bit as crazed as the NASDAQ composite at the turn of the… Read more →
On Ralph Nader and Third-Party Candidates
Hold on to your absentee ballots kids. He’s back! Ralph Nader is once again officially pursuing the presidency of our modest little country. And I say God bless him. He has no chance of winning, of course. You don’t have to be John Zogby to figure that one out. We could start with the fact that this nation will never… Read more →
Look Ma, No Flight Controls
Who says flying cargo is boring? Certainly not the DHL Global flight crew that landed their crippled Airbus A300 at Baghdad International Airport last November. Their jet was hit by a surface-to-air missile at 8,000 feet while on descent for landing in Baghdad. The missile tore off a large chunk of the left wing, which sounds bad but is not… Read more →