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Category Archives: Flying
The 1940s
My friend, Mike, sent me an email featuring a PowerPoint presentation about the 1940s. Coincidentally, I spent time earlier in the day researching some of the great airplanes of the period. I came away thinking about the airplanes and the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged Air Force, airliners, airplanes, altitude, Chuck Yeager, discipline, Douglas DC-7, flying, humanitarian roles, judgment, Lockheed Constellation, Mach, military service, offensive and defensive weapons of war, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, professional pilots, Royal Air Force, The 1940s, the airline industry, the Korean conflict, The World's Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw, United States Air Force, World War II
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5 Comments
The First Casualty
Today, 20 years ago on January 17, 1991, Operation Desert Storm began. Onboard the USS Saratoga, men prepared to go to war and they would be some of the first warriors over the beach. VFA-81, the Sunliners, was one of … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History
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Tagged airplanes, CAPT Joseph Mobley, discipline, flying, friends, judgment, LCDR Michael Scott “Spike” Speicher, military service, Navy, North Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, pilots, prisoner of war, professional pilots, The First Casualty, the first loss of the war, the Rampagers, the Sunliners, USS Saratoga, VFA-81, VFA-83
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6 Comments
The Aeronca Chief
She is another one of those classic airplanes. As with most airplanes coming into production after the war, the Aeronca Chief was an airplane as perfect for personal use as she was for flight training. Not as popular as some … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
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Tagged adverse yaw, Aeronca 11AC, Aeronca 7AC Champ, Aeronca Chief, airplanes, Cessnas, classic airplanes, Continental A-65 engine, control sticks, cruise speed of 90 mph, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, Middleton OH, not a “nasty” taildragger, pilots, Raymond Hermes, side-by-side seating, student pilots, taildraggers, the Aeronautical Aircraft Company, The Aeronca Chief, training aircraft, World War II
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7 Comments
Why Fly?
Why fly? There are many motivating factors compelling many to fly. Everyone has personal reasons as to why they fly. Some have verbalized those reasons, some not. Some reasons for flying include a deep and resounding desire to soar like … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal
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Tagged airplanes, Cessnas, flying, inexperienced pilots, instrument flying, judgment, learning to fly, pilots, professional pilots, student pilots, taildraggers, training aircraft
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6 Comments
The North American P-51D Mustang
One airplane which has always mesmerized me was the North American P-51D Mustang. Truly, the airplane and the pilots who flew her into combat were in a class of their own. When I started flying in 1971, I came across … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History
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Tagged .50 caliber Browning machine guns, Air Force, air shows, airplanes, Eighth Air Force, flying, grueling missions, incredibly higher return than Wall Street, inexperienced pilots, judgment, long range bomber escort, military service, Mustangs for sale, Packard V-1650-7, pilots, professional pilots, race pilots, taildraggers, the National Championship Air Races in Reno, The North American P-51D Mustang, torque rolls, Trade A Plane, World War II
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3 Comments
The Day of the One’s Takes its Own Place in History
Well, yesterday I made mention January 11, 2011 would create its own history and it did not disappoint. Throughout the eastern half of the nation, the weather was awful. According to various news reports, the airlines canceled as many as … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged 1-11-11, 7700 flights canceled, a unique day, airline cancellations, Atlanta's Hartsfield, awful weather, declare an emergency, Delta Airlines, hotel rooms, hurry up spring, loss of millions of dollars, Old Man Winter, state of panic, stranded passengers, The Day of the One’s Takes it Own Place in History, the Sunshine State, too cold, travel delays, treacherous driving, uncomfortable nights in airport terminals, US Airways
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Comments Off on The Day of the One’s Takes its Own Place in History
Carrots and Night Flying
When I talk with my commercial pilot classes about radar, one of my favorite “extra point” test questions deals with carrots. None knew the story of British ace, John Cunningham. Cunningham was a Royal Air Force officer who went from … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged beta-carotene, British ace John Cunningham, carrots, Carrots and Night Flying, fighter pilot, flying, military service, pilots, Royal Air Force, the British High Command, The Germans, the invention of radar, the most dangerous night fighter pilot of the RAF, World War II, “extra point” test questions
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1 Comment
A Guy Named Joe
Here in Central Florida, there once was a guy named Joe. Joe was a fairly well known aviator, antiquer, and homebuilder. His day job was flying Lears and DH-125s for a bank; his passion was flying antiques and homebuilts. Timing … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged 1929 Command-Aire biplane, A Guy Named Joe, airplanes, antiquer, aviator, barnstormers, Central Florida, Cessnas, Drane Field, flying, homebuilder, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, open cockpit biplanes, Piper Cubs, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, student pilots, taildraggers, training aircraft, Waco cabin biplanes
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1 Comment
The “Potato” Plane
If you look at the Piper Apache head on, it looks a bit like a potato. A potato with wings and smaller spuds on the wings that house Lycoming engines of different sizes. Originally, the Piper PA-23 came out with … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged A potato with wings, a real airplane, airplanes, flying, high-lift wing, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, Lycoming engines, multi-engine trainer, new ME trainees, PA-23-150, PA-23-160, PA-23-235, PA-23-250, pilots, Piper Apache, Piper Aztec, professional pilots, student pilots, The “Potato” Plane, training aircraft
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1 Comment
Adaptation
Sometimes life will throw you a curve and you have no choice other than to adapt. In the case of those who want to fly, many times the curve ball is color blindness. Colorblindness is usually a problem for the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged Adaptation, airplanes, backup plan, be productive, colorblindness, commercial pilots, connect, create, cross-country flight, curveballs, discipline, flying, flying career, having a plan, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, make a living, no choice other than to adapt, pilots, professional pilots, serve, start a business, student pilots, the big picture, your own company jet
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2 Comments
