Author Archives: Joe Clark

A Lesson With Two Engines

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Joe Clark

Yesterday, I finished my piece about flying with Maurice by giving him thanks for a great flying lesson. It got me thinking about other great lessons I learned in airplanes with other flight instructors and I thought of another, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal | Tagged a great flying lesson, a great lesson, A Lesson With Two Engines, a loss of power, a moment of hesitation, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Cessnas, checklists and running the radio, flight training, flying, following procedures, judgment, learning to fly, multi-engine airplanes, multi-engine flight instruction, one of the best lessons in flying twins, pre-takeoff checks, professional pilots, something wasn’t quite right, surprise in the cockpit is never a good thing, training sortie, turn in the direction of the inoperative engine, twin Cessnas | 1 Comment

Flying the Ercoupe with Maurice

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Joe Clark

Down at the airport where I first worked as a flight instructor, my friend Maurice kept trying to get me to fly in his Ercoupe. For the pilots unfamiliar with the Ercoupe, it is a lovely little airplane powered by … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a slight wind right down the runway, airplanes, Cessnas, Ercoupe, flight training, flying, Flying the Ercoupe with Maurice, inexperienced pilots, judgment, landing in a crosswind, learning to fly, learning to fly in tailwheel airplanes, Maurice, memories, no rudder pedals, perfectly calm days, S-turning on final, slipping the airplane, taildraggers, take her around the patch, the limp windsock, the windsock, Time to fly the Ercoupe, training aircraft, watching a tailwheel pilot fly an Ercoupe | Comments Off

Today is Michael’s Day

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Joe Clark

Today Michael Monsoor would have been thirty years-old. He was born in Long Beach, CA and was the third child of four. Michael was a typical California kid, playing tight end on the Garden Grove High School football team. He … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life in General | Tagged a typical California kid, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, Coronado CA, Delta Platoon SEAL Team Three, discipline, Golden Trident, Great Lakes IL, he gave his life to save his fellow teammates, Iraq, military service, NAS Sigonella, Navy, Navy SEALS, Quartermaster “A” School, Ramadi, the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, the son of a former Marine, Today is Michael’s Day | Comments Off

Unbridled Student Excitement for Flying

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Joe Clark

Nothing is better than sitting in the office and having a student drop by to talk about flying their first aerobatic flight. When they become so excited they have a hard time containing their enthusiasm, it truly is an amazing … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a combat veteran of the Middle East, aerobatic flight, Air Force, air show airplanes, airplanes, Beechcraft Bonanza, commission in the Air Force, connecting to my own youth, discipline, enthusiasm for flying, eternally grateful, F-16 Fighting Falcon, first solo, flight training, Florida, flying, flying in the military, formation flying, friends, going vertical, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, military service, pilots, professional pilots, pulling 6g’s, slow rolling, student pilots, Sun ’N Fun, taildraggers, tailwheel flying, talking about flying, training aircraft, Unbridled Student Excitement for Flying | 2 Comments

Sun ’N Fun–The Day After

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Joe Clark

Okay, this is not officially the day after Sun ’N Fun, but it is for me. Often, I have said I want my 20-year-old body back; each day I live, it becomes more evident I am now well beyond 29 … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a bunch of backyard tinkerers, airplanes, at the hangar one evening, barnstormers, camaraderie, Cessnas, Continental engines, Experimental Aircraft Association, fellowship, flight training, Florida, flying, friends, homebuilt airplanes, inexperienced pilots, learning to fly, Lycoming engines, open cockpit biplanes, people who like flying and building airplanes, pilots, professional pilots, sitting underneath the wing, student pilots, taildraggers, Tampa, training aircraft, What Sun ’N Fun Is All About, “homemade” airplanes, “store-bought” airplanes | 1 Comment

What Sun ’N Fun Is All About

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Joe Clark

Sun ’N Fun is all about camaraderie. Pure and simple, it boils down to people who like flying and building airplanes getting together in fellowship. There is not one group of people to better “hang out” with than those who … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a bunch of backyard tinkerers, airplanes, at the hangar one evening, barnstormers, camaraderie, Cessnas, Continental engines, controlling the finances of the project, Experimental Aircraft Association, fellowship, flight training, Florida, flying, friends, homebuilt airplanes, inexperienced pilots, learning to fly, Lycoming engines, open cockpit biplanes, people who like flying and building airplanes, pilots, professional pilots, seeing the light, sitting underneath the wing, student pilots, taildraggers, Tampa, the last of the sunset, training aircraft, What Sun ’N Fun Is All About, “homemade” airplanes, “store-bought” airplanes | 1 Comment

The Tragedy of Sun N Fun

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Clark

Yesterday will long live in the memories of many of the homebuilders who flew their airplanes into Sun N Fun this week. For those who survived the devastation, they will always be grateful. For the builders who lost their planes…, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged "spam-can" airplanes, a great deal of property loss, a treasure, aerial displays, airplanes, builder-owner pilot, Cessnas, Florida, flying, friends, homebuilders, homebuilt airplanes, horrific storms, inexperienced pilots, instrument flying, judgment, Lakeland Airport, learning to fly, life must go on, memories, no one died, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, professional pilots, student pilots, Sun N Fun, taildraggers, Tampa, The Navy's Flight Demonstration Team, The Tragedy of Sun N Fun, training aircraft, Vero Beach, Wichita | 1 Comment

Sun N Fun Gets Slammed

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Joe Clark

It is early, but late. I have slept too long. It is after 6 a.m. and I am usually up and writing by 5:45 most mornings. But last night was a late night and so I understand why I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a comforting rain, airplanes, airplanes upside down, Cessnas, double-check the weather forecasts, editors, Florida, flying, friends, get up to make coffee, go back to sleep the word processor, hangars demolished, lightning and thunder, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, professional pilots, radar screens, rain, student pilots, Sun N Fun, Sun N Fun Gets Slammed, taildraggers, Tampa, The Lakeland Airport, the pinging of hail, the Sunshine State, the telecommunications expert, thunder, tornadoes, training aircraft, typesetters, typewriters, up and writing by 5:45 | 1 Comment

The Almost Did Club

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Joe Clark

The old pilots, those much older (and presumably wiser) than me, have proclaimed, “There are those who have and those who will.” What they are referring to are pilots who have landed an airplane gear up and pilots who will … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flying, Personal | Tagged airplanes, automaticity, autopilot, breaking the rules, Cessna 210, Cessnas, charter pilots, discipline, flying, Flying Tired, GUMP check, judgment, landing an airplane gear up, landing flare, old pilots, Orlando International, pilots, professional pilots, redundant backup warning systems, Tampa International, The Almost Did Club, the famous four-letter expletive deleted, the junior officer’s hand salute, you don’t remember, “hackers”, “There are those who have and those who will” | Comments Off

A Writing Template

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Joe Clark

While writing can be easy for some, it can be a very difficult endeavor for others. I don’t know how many times I have watched students and adults fret endlessly over a writing assignment. Here are a few rules for … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged a single-sentence zinger, A Writing Template, collecting a check for your writing, conclusion, few rules for making writing easier, fretting endlessly over writing, introduction, journalistic terms, keep your writing simple, less is more, main body, payment for writing, pique reader’s interest, the conclusion, the lead, understanding format, writing a freelance article, writing can be easy, writing can be very difficult, writing logically | Comments Off

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Author Archives: Joe Clark

A Lesson With Two Engines

Flying the Ercoupe with Maurice

Today is Michael’s Day

Unbridled Student Excitement for Flying

Sun ’N Fun–The Day After

What Sun ’N Fun Is All About

The Tragedy of Sun N Fun

Sun N Fun Gets Slammed

The Almost Did Club

A Writing Template

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