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Category Archives: Flying
Any Attitude, Any Airspeed
I am sure you have heard old flight instructors or pilots say, “An airplane can stall in any attitude or any airspeed.” Come on, admit it. You really didn’t believe them did you? I mean, how is it possible an … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal
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Tagged 2 v 3 dogfight, A-4, Any Airspeed, Any Attitude, Challenger, critical angle-of-attack, DACM, dissimilar air combat maneuvering, F-14, Guantanamo, gunsight, old flight instructors, pilots, pointed straight down, rolling scissors, Skyhawk, slow flight, stall, throttle wide open, Tomcats
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1 Comment
Low and Slow
Nothing is better and more fun than flying low and slow across the country. Particularly in an airplane with an engine that turns at a low rpm in cruise. It gives an all new meaning to the term “cross-county.” Hit … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged aeronautical knowledge, angle-of-attack, critical angle-of-attack, cross-county, flying low and slow, flying the wing, fun and joy of flying, higher fuel flows, horsepower, joy of the journey, Low and Slow, old days, pilot training, sitting inside an aluminum container, skill, speed, young pilots
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The Instrument Flying Season
We are moving into the “instrument time of the year.” It is a precarious season, a season in which the weather can be capricious at best and downright dangerous at worst. Caught in the middle with everything to lose or … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
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Tagged cold fronts, instrument approach minimums, instrument flying, instrument proficiency, instruments, judgment, local weather, national weather, newly instrument-rated pilot, non-precision approach, poor visibility, precision approach, private aircraft, shooting approaches, stratus type clouds, warm fronts, weather, “breaking out”, “on the gauges”
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The Barnstormers
After the First World War, aviators returned to America in search of their fortunes in aviation. For a mere $400 or $500 each, they were able to acquire training aircraft from the government, the most common of which was the … Continue reading →
The Art of Climbing
Getting to altitude involves more than crawling into an airplane, starting the engine, and pointing the nose up. Pilots must consider many aspects factoring into the initial climb and the following ascent to cruise altitude. Some of these include the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged airplanes, altitude, best angle of climb, best rate of climb, clear an obstacle, cruise altitude, cruise climb, failure to maintain flying speed, Flight instructors, flying, getting to altitude, headwind, initial climb, learning to fly, NTSB accident reports, other climb techniques, private pilot, short field take off, soft field take off, spins, stalls, student pilots, tailwind, The Art of Climbing, Vx, Vy
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A Very Pleasant Surprise
One wonderful thing about airplanes is that each has a lesson to teach. All a new or old pilot has to do to learn the lessons of an airplane is keep his or her eyes and ears open. The airplane … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged a lot of fun, A Very Pleasant Surprise, airplanes, Cessnas, especially delightful, flying around the patch, lessons to teach, Phantom II ultra-light, phenomenal climb rate, pilots, power loading, regrets, selling airplanes, shockingly short takeoffs, the wind on my face, warping wings, weight shift, what flying is all about, wing loading
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1 Comment
Flying Right
I read an article published in Flying Magazine almost 20 years ago that was one of the best articles I have ever read. The article started with the observation of a cropduster landing to reload and then took off again. … Continue reading →
TGIF – On an Air Show Weekend
It’s Friday! Not only is it Friday, things are abuzz at the world’s greatest beach down in Florida. This weekend, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University will host the The Embry-Riddle Wings and Waves Air Show in Daytona. The air show will … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged 2000 Fountainhead Productions National Writing Contest, Air Show, British Sopwith Camel F.1 biplane, Daytona Beach Fla., Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, F-16 Viper, F/A-18 Hornet, Fokker DR-1 triplane, Greg Poe, Julie Clark, Matt Chapman, Michael Goulian, Michael O’Neal, Mike Whiskus, Snowbirds Demonstration Team, Spruce Creek Airport, TGIF, TGIF – On An Air Show Weekend, The Eighth Day, world’s greatest beach
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2 Comments
Stretching It
Following on the heels of yesterday’s blog, I need to let you know how to “stretch it.” Now, let me explain: I am not talking about stretching a glide or your gas supply. What I am referring to is getting … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged airplane flying more efficiently, altitude, college students, cross country planning, glide, headwind, L/Dmax, power settings, skill and intellect, smart pilots, Stretching It, tailwind, thin air, Top Gun, University of Florida, winds aloft, “I feel the need for speed.”
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The Front Side and the Backside!
One of the more complex concepts for students or inexperienced pilots to grasp involves flying on the “front side” or the “backside” of the power curve. On the front side, everything seems to be working normally while on the backside, … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged aerodynamic control, flight instructor, flying, helping your students “get it”, inexperienced pilots, maximum endurance speed, motorists, mountains, pilots, region of normal command, region of reversed command, stall speed, steep hills, student pilots, Teaching Speed, the backside of the power curve, the front side of the power curve, the gas pedal, total aircraft control, young flight instructor
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5 Comments
