Tag Archives: flying

Emergency Landings

Well, another event happened following a loss of power in a general aviation aircraft. A pilot had an engine failure, tried to make it back to the airport, and landed on a Florida beach. Unfortunately, the forced landing killed a … Continue reading

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Trees, Shade, and Friendships

We went to a town hall meeting last night, Tuesday evening, to listen to one of our elected officials speak before his constituents. It was a very interesting event; Representative Ron DeSantis is a straight shooter and we enjoyed listening … Continue reading

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The Master Birdman

Ninety-nine years ago today, America lost one of her most cherished heroes. Pioneer aviator Lincoln J. Beachey, died when the aircraft he was piloting at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco on March 14, 1915 suffered structural failure. He … Continue reading

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Model 299

In 1930, aviation remained in the beginning stages of development. Pilots were few, airplanes fewer, and almost every aircraft was small with inadequate performance. Most airplanes were of the biplane design with some sleeker monoplanes starting to come off the … Continue reading

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The First Lady Lex

Eighty-six years ago today, the first aircraft carrier to bear the name Lexington was commissioned. The USS Lexington was the first of her kind and consequently she became the lead ship of her type, the Lexington-class. Of the class, there … Continue reading

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Hurricanes and Emergency Diverts

Thirty years ago this month, I checked into my first operational squadron in Gitmo. They gave me the “gouge” about flying in the Caribbean, including divert/bingo information for any reason when we could not return to Guantanamo. I gathered up … Continue reading

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Rate My Controller!

I am sitting in my office, recording grades. Dr. Cass Howell comes walking by the open door and stops. We start talking about life. Get a couple of old naval aviators together and of course, the talk always turns to … Continue reading

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Surviving an Airliner Crash

This week’s crash of Asiana 214 was a terrible event with great miracles – the survival of 305 people out of 307 onboard the airliner. When I initially wrote about the accident, I said I would follow up with some … Continue reading

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The Safety of “Little Airplanes”

Many question the safety of “little airplanes.” By the way, they are only “little” until you have to wash and wax them; then the smallest airplane suddenly appears similar in size to a Boeing 747. General aviation aircraft have always … Continue reading

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First Flights

When you first go flying with a new student, you should make certain everything is as perfect as possible. In other words, a new student’s first flight should occur very early in the morning when the temperatures are low and … Continue reading

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