Blog Profile / The House of Rapp
| URL : | http://www.rapp.org/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Hobbies / Aviation | |
| Posts on Regator: | 155 | |
| Posts / Week: | 0.6 | |
| Archived Since: | April 25, 2008 | |
Blog Post Archive
Taming the Beast
My most memorable flight? There are many to choose from, but one of the most indelible was soloing a Pitts biplane for the first time in the unexpectedly high winds of the desert southwest. Here's how it happened.
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Best...Show More Summary
Circling the Pacific
He's off again! This time it's a west bound trip as we circle the Pacific Ocean in first-class, Gulfstream style with stops in Alaska, Japan, and Hawaii.
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Runway Incursions An Associated Press story entitled “LAX ranks at [...]Show More Summary
A Weekend in Yosemite
Summer is here, and what better way to start than spending a long weekend exploring the Yosemite Valley! It's not flying, but the view is almost as good.
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Military Honors A day of reflection. A day of family conflict too,...
Flying...Show More Summary
The City of Lights
They call Paris the 'City of Light', but the most memorable part of this visit was spent underground in the dark.
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St. Maarten It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it! A...
G-IV Type Rating, Day 6 God may have rested...Show More Summary
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.
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Visual Descent Point Hazards Visual Descent Points...Show More Summary
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.
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Getting Better: Simulators for General Aviation Most of the big technological advances in flying have been...
Aviation...Show More Summary
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.
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.
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.
Judgement: Knowing When to Say When
Flying is less about physical aircraft control than it is about good judgement. 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.
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.
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.
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?
FAA Tower Closures
The FAA's proposed tower closure list hits Southern California airports particularly hard. Let's look at some numbers and see if this makes sense.
IPC as a Flight Review?
I'm often asked if an Instrument Proficiency Check can double as a flight review. Unfortunately, it can't. Here's why.
Low and Slow
Flying's always an adventure -- especially when it's a coast-to-coast trip in a light aircraft!
TSA Follies
The Monty Python-esque TSA strike again! In this episode, they confiscate my security badge, lose it, and then fine me for not having it available for renewal.
Big Brother is Watching
As pilots, it's worth remembering that virtually all aircraft contain computerized devices, even if they're just portable ones. They're everywhere, and they record things that can come back to haunt us later.
Taming Tailwheels
AOPA just published an article and video about some tailwheel flying I did with Managing Editor Alyssa Miller to complete her tailwheel endorsement.
Hope & Change in California Aerospace
There's not much left of the old aerospace manufacturing sector in Southern California. But while we are unlikely to return to the frenetic activity of the post-war era, there are a few interesting developments taking place around the Southland.