Author Archives: Joe Clark

Happy Fourth of July!

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Joe Clark

Good morning, America! Happy 235th birthday! Can you believe it? Two hundred and thirty five years ago today, we declared our independence from Great Britain. This day, many fill their day with T-ball and baseball games, picnics, cookouts, boating trips, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life in General | Tagged boating trips, Concorde Hymn, cookouts, cookouts and family gatherings, embattled farmers, freedom, Good morning America!, Happy Fourth of July!, on April 19 in 1775, picnics, Ralph Waldo Emerson, T-ball and baseball games, the American Revolution, the Battle of Lexington, the shot heard around the world, the true significance of this day, their sacrifice, those who bought this day by their blood, to live their lives free, we declared our independence from Great Britain | Comments Off

Apples and Oranges

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Joe Clark

Remember all the times someone told you to keep the apples and oranges correctly separated? There is probably some math teacher somewhere in your past who said you have to keep the apples with the apples and the oranges with … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged airplanes, an accurate estimate of the fuel weight, Apples and Oranges, Cessna 170, flight training, flying, judgment, learning to fly, student pilots, taildraggers, the advantage of using pounds over gallons, The Cessna 170, training aircraft, weight and balance problems | Comments Off

More on G and the Envelope

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Joe Clark

Yesterday, in G-Loads and the Envelope, I explained the basics of the Vgn diagram and the limits of the operational categories. Today we’ll discuss more about what it means to operate within the envelope. First, its all about what the wing … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged accidently “falling” out of a maneuver, acrobatic category, afternoon thermals, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Cessnas, Charlie’s Cubs, flight training, flying, g-loads, G-Loads and the Envelope, g-meter limits, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, maneuvering flight, More on G and the Envelope, most humans become uncomfortable over 2g’s, normal category, pilots, power available, professional pilots, stall speed, structural damage, the accelerated stall curve, trading altitude for energy, training aircraft, utility category, Vg-Vn diagram, Vgn diagram, your mother’s favorite silverware, “the envelope”, “the heart” of the envelope | Comments Off

G-Loads and the Envelope

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Joe Clark

When I learned how to fly in 1971, I was a kid who really did not know much about anything, but thought I knew everything. When it came to airplanes and flying, I knew even less than I realized. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged acrobatic category, afternoon thermals, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Cessnas, Charlie’s Cubs, flight training, flying, g-loads, G-Loads and the Envelope, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, maneuvering flight, most humans become uncomfortable over 2g’s, normal category, pilots, professional pilots, stall speed, structural damage, student pilots, the accelerated stall curve, training aircraft, utility category, Vg-Vn diagram, Vgn diagram, your mother’s favorite silverware, “the envelope”, “the heart” of the envelope | 2 Comments

Air Dancing II

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Joe Clark

The subject of yesterday’s blog was unique. The things the human mind can come up with to entertain itself amaze me. Even more amazing is the control the human mind has over the physical body. The cliché about being able … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a 20-something year-old brain trapped in a 50-something year-old body, a mighty blast of wind, aeronautical engineers, Air Dancing, air pressure, angle-of-attack, athletics, born too early, born too late, choreography, dance, engineering, fighter pilots, lift, mathematics, mechanics, music, sky diving, sticking our hand outside the window of the car, the concept of “q”, the human mind, to fly, “airspeed”, “dynamic pressure”, “relative wind”, “relative work” (RW), “Whoa! That ain’t right!” | Comments Off

Air Dancing

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Joe Clark

For those of us who fly, we know our ability to fly is predicated on mathematics and air. In other words, to fly you must have lift and to generate lift, you have to have a lot of air pressure. … Continue reading →

Posted in Flying, Life in General | Tagged a mighty blast of wind, aeronautical engineers, Air Dancing, air pressure, airspeed, angle-of-attack, athletics, choreography, dance, engineering, fighter pilots, lift, mathematics, mechanics, music, relative wind, sky diving, sticking our hand outside the window of the car, the concept of “q”, to fly, “dynamic pressure”, “relative work” (RW) | 2 Comments

Flying, Learning, and Thunderstorms

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Joe Clark

The FSS flight specialist reported weather along our route with ceilings of 1,000 broken to overcast with tops about 12,000 feet. There was a chance of imbedded thunderstorms. It appeared as though the front was in the process of becoming stationary … Continue reading →

Posted in Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a fatal aircraft accident, a sense of relief, actual instrument time in my log, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, breaking out into brilliant sunlight, canceling instruments, Cessna 182, Cessnas, cleared as filed, discipline, flight specialists, Florida, flying, Flying Learning and Thunderstorms, IFR operations, imbedded thunderstorms, inexperienced pilots, instrument flying, judgment, Lake Okeechobee, learning to fly, lived by the rule of always being able to see thunderstorms, Pahokee, Palm Beach Approach, pilots, professional flying career, professional pilots, Tampa, Tampa Departure, the FAA called, the Pahokee VOR, too many pilots die by breaking that rule, “VFR is not recommended” | 2 Comments

Another Late Night Drive Home

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Joe Clark

Today was the last day of the Summer A term. I know there are many students who are happy the term is over. I was just glad the day was over. It was a day that started very early this … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal | Comments Off

Bugs and Other Gotchas

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Joe Clark

Okay, I think I have the subscription bugs worked out. Of course, I am not going to declare victory early; I will wait and see what happens. This is where I need a little help from my friends, as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Publishing | Comments Off

Flying, Biplanes, and Museums

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Joe Clark

This morning when I got up, I began trying to catch up on some of my reading. One of the emails I read came from AOPA_ePilot@aopa.org and the lead article, titled, “Plane Jane makes last flight,” made me reflect on … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged a 1929 Fleet biplane, a birdcage of flying wires and anti-drag wires, AOPA_ePilot@aopa.org, barnstormers, Charles Lindbergh, emails, Ernest K. Gann, flying, Flying Biplanes and Museums, Gene Breiner, maintaining older planes in flying condition a retired FAA maintenance inspector, museum artifacts, open cockpit biplanes, qualified pilots and mechanics, rare antique airplanes, Richard Bach, Sarah Brown, Smithsonian, struts, the secret, training aircraft, two wings, working on antique airplanes, World War II, “Plane Jane makes last flight”, “the peculiarly sensual delight” of flying an open cockpit biplane an open cockpit, “You haven’t flown until you’ve flown a double-winger.” | Comments Off

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Author Archives: Joe Clark

Happy Fourth of July!

Apples and Oranges

More on G and the Envelope

G-Loads and the Envelope

Air Dancing II

Air Dancing

Flying, Learning, and Thunderstorms

Another Late Night Drive Home

Bugs and Other Gotchas

Flying, Biplanes, and Museums

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