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Flying the Sky Arrow 650
Last year a new member joined my flying club, Leading Edge Flying Club, and brought with him a 2004 Sky Arrow 650 TNS to expand our fleet. I was immediately intrigued by this aircraft the first time I saw it....
Link: Private pilots pushed out of hangars at Toronto island airport
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/06/07/private-pilots-pushed-out-of-hangars-at-toronto-island-airport-court-documents/ Porter contends that the Q400 turboprop planes it flies qualify the airline’s activities as general aviation. I love Porter as an airline, but that statement (if accurately reported by Macleans) is BS of the worst kind. Porter is trying … Continue reading ?
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
The Mallettec Mini Vario
"What's that thing on your hat?" people occasionally ask. It's the Mini Vario from Mallettec. I've had one for a long time - I'm not sure just when I bought it. I'm writing about it today just because I finally had to replace the batteries after 6 or 7 years.
It could not be much simpler. Show More Summary
Thoughts on Practice Approaches
A few years ago I was doing a checkout with an instructor and after various steep turns, stalls, Vmc demonstrations, and the like, I was asked to fly a practice approach. I dutifully donned my view-limiting device and dialed in the approach control frequency. 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
Quick Wx with Takeoff HD
Amazing when you think about it, but the iPad has been out for over three years and there are plenty of mature aviation weather apps are available. There's still room for innovation and improvement and Takeoff HD provides something new:...Show More Summary
Back in the Air after Refinishing
I have not posted since early March because... I have not flown since then. Our Grob 103 Twin Astir has been out of service in order to have the top surface of the stabilizer and elevator stripped and refinished. It was peeling veryShow More Summary
Thought Processes
LFE said: "My instructor tells me you should always be scouting for potential forced landing sites, where the hell do you put it down in the mountains?"Here's my take on what I think the correct answer might be. Since I am not an instructor...Show More Summary
Terrain Awareness
Terrain Awareness, aka getting down amongst the weeds, is all about the different considerations required to safely operate an aircraft at low level or in mountainous terrain. When I did my PPL I had done a few low flying lessons, including...Show More Summary
Flying with the Monticello Flying Club
I am such a huge advocate of the General Aviation community. Since becoming a pilot in 2004 I have been amazed by how open and friendly the aviation community is. Whenever I visit new places I try to seek out...
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
Hot Off the Press
With the kind help of the iBooks support team (seems there's a bug in iTunesProducer 2.9), the 4th edition of my book the Concise Guide to IFR is now available on the iTunes store. This edition contains some editorial changes as well...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
Flying Club Scholarship Receives 126 Applications
Several months ago I joined forces with three other Chicago based pilots to form Ground Effect Advisors and to offer the first ever scholarship to help create a flying club. We realized that there is a need across the country...
Pretty Talk
Congress got off it's rusty-dusty and passed legislation allowing the FAA to shift funds to apparently end most air traffic controller furloughs, which allows said members of congress to fly home on the weekend with fewer delays. ItShow 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.
