Search my Blog
Subscribe
rss
-
Recent Posts
March 2026 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Archives
Recent Comments
- Marie Palachuk on My Grandfathers
- Ingrid on My Grandfathers
- Joe Clark on The Aeronca Chief
- Lindsay Barra (Knowles) on The Aeronca Chief
- Peter Brown on Gladys Ingle
Category Archives: Aviation
Cutting Teeth
I am nervous, the weather is not good. I have been contracted to fly a client in her airplane, a Cessna 182, to the Cook County Airport up in Adel, GA. The weather in Tampa is awful, below mins. And … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
|
Tagged Cessna 182, Cutting Teeth, Flight Watch, glideslope, IFR clearance, instrument flying, instrument pilots, localizer, minimums, new commercial pilot, outer marker, predicaments, the weather is not good, untested instrument rating, weather forecasts
|
Comments Off on Cutting Teeth
First Solo, New Birthday
Today, this evening at about a quarter before seven, I will celebrate the 39th anniversary of my first solo. The day I soloed, it was raining hard. I got off work at the propeller shop and headed straight for Charlie’s. … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
|
Tagged 39th anniversary, control over my life, first solo, I knew I could do it, it was time, late afternoon Florida skies, New birthday, perfecting landings, Piper J 3, safe landing, what was there to be afraid of?, You’re on your own
|
4 Comments
“Go ahead, punk, make my day!”
I am dreaming. I know I am asleep and this is only a dream. In the dream, I see Dirty Harry threatening me with his famous line, “Go ahead, punk, make my day!” Only Dirty Harry is not a cop, … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
|
Tagged 45-degree AOB turn, bank angle, emergency, engine failure on takeoff, flying skills, inexperienced pilots, lucky, make my day!”, punk, shallow turn, stall speed increases, steep turn, turning back, turning quickly, uncoordinated turn, “Go ahead
|
3 Comments
Passing Gas
A pilot spends his or her entire life avoiding other traffic (code for not hitting another airplane in mid-air). And then one day, he or she becomes a military pilot. The next thing you know, someone says, “Go up and … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
|
Tagged Air Force, Army Air Services, Army aviators, avoiding traffic, challenges, DH-4B biplanes, getting aboard, hit the tanker, in-flight refueling, Korea, military pilot, Navy, Passing Gas, Texaco, Vietnam, World War II
|
Comments Off on Passing Gas
My Favorite Student
Becky was a wonderful person. From the moment I first met her, she was on her way to becoming one of my favorite students. Becky came to me by way of a fellow airport bum and friend, Dave, a pilot, … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
|
Tagged airport bums, barnstormers, enthusiasm, favorite students, flying machines, homebuilders, life lessons, little country FBO, mechanics, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, someone as old as me, the barnstorming era, the CPTP program, WASPs, Wittman Tailwind
|
Comments Off on My Favorite Student
True Solitude
In yesterday’s blog, I touched on the peculiar sense of solitude found only in flying alone. I have spent my fair share of flight time flying solo. In my Part 135 days, I was alone from Sunday night to Friday … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
|
Tagged A-7E Corsairs, catapult shot, catshot, F-14 Tomcats, flying alone, flying solo, hauling checks, night trap, spatial orientation, TF-41 turbofan, The Air Plan, the flight deck, the yellow shirts, True Solitude
|
Comments Off on True Solitude
You Are Cleared to Blah, Blah, Blah
There is something I don’t understand about the new pilots who are learning to fly in these modern times. Many are all for flying, but they must have the radio to do it. And GPS. They can’t go anywhere without … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
|
Tagged air traffic controller, ATC, Blah, clear of other traffic, controllers, delight in flying, Flight instructors, flying, focus on the basics, learning to fly, near misses, reliance on technology and the system, self-reliance, student pilots, technologies, training, Why do you fly?, You Are Cleared to Blah, “freedom” of flying
|
2 Comments
Engine Failures
Last week I told the story of my first engine failure in Joe’s Luck. Looking back from the vantage point of 30 years, it’s pretty funny. At the time, however, it lacked any humor; it was not until I slept … Continue reading →
Why You Should Fly That Old Taildragger
My friend, Ray, is fond of saying, “ ’Bout the time you start feeling comfortable and think you have everything under control, you suddenly see a bright flash going by the right side of your cockpit. About a second later, … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
|
Tagged antique biplane, Cessnas, everything under control, forces acting on the cg, gear up landings, glass cockpit, groundloop, instability of the landing gear design, longitudinal axis, nosewheel pilots, Pipers, taildragger pilots, the tail of your airplane, twins, Why You Should Fly That Old Taildragger
|
1 Comment
Strawberry Fields Forever
OK, so I was arcing about the web reading other blogs last night and came across FlyingGma’s Blog about going to a fly-in with the top down. She and her husband started out on their motorcycle, but then changed their … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
|
Tagged Corvette convertible, eat my fill of strawberries, fly-ins, FlyingGma’s Blog, ground reference maneuvers, J-3 Cubs, laughing, motorcycles, relative wind, smelling all the smells, strawberries, Strawberry Fields Forever, top down, winds
|
2 Comments
