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Tag Archives: flying
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
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
Mankind’s Greatest Navigational Achievement
Traveling from one place on the earth to another is a phenomenal accomplishment. To get from one place on the globe, precisely to a predetermined destination against incredible odds is, in a word, amazing. How were we able to get … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged Apollo 13, Apollo spacecraft, Christopher Columbus, flying, Fred W. Haise, Hawaii, Houston, James A. Lovell, judgment, Mankind’s Greatest Navigation Achievement, Marquesas Islands, modern navigational instruments, navigators, October 12 1492, Palos de la Frontera, slide rules, the Niña, the Pinta, the Polynesians, the Santa Maria, trans-Pacific crossings, “hand-flying”
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1 Comment
Flying Tired
It is time for the blog to go up, it is time to write the blog, and I am only at the beginning of the post. Unfortunately, I am really tired. I am not complaining, and I am sure many … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged a lethal situation, accidents, airplanes, commercial fishing, crew duty and rest requirements, Cuba, degraded performance, Douglas DC-8 freighter, driving trucks, fighting fires, flying, flying airplanes, Flying Tired, Guantanamo Bay Cuba, inexperienced pilots, instrument flying, judgment, Kalitta International Flight 808, Leeward Point, Navy, pilot-in-command’s judgment, pilots, professional pilots, running an operating room, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), tired aircrew, walking a police beat, working tired
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1 Comment
We’re All In This Together
And, according to some of my old Navy pilot buddies, “None of us are getting out alive!” If there were a group of humans who possess an almost morbidly comedic viewpoint of death, it would be Navy carrier pilots. Only … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged all in fun, bravado, cats, deadly serious business, emergency tanker pilot, far out at sea, flying, getting out alive, Marines, military service, morbidly comedic viewpoint of death, moxie, naval aviators, Navy, Navy carrier pilots, old Navy pilot buddies, pilots, pre-destiny, professional pilots, We’re All In This Together, “checking out”
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1 Comment
Hey – what’s happening here?
Those were the last words of Captain Robert Loft, 38 years ago tonight. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 departed New York’s JFK airport at 9:20 in the evening enroute to Miami International Airport. The flight progressed normally until about 11:30. On … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged airplanes, autopilot, Captain Robert Loft, cockpit voice recorder (CVR), Eastern Airlines, Eastern Airlines Flight 401, famous last words, First Officer Albert Stockstill, Flight 401, flying, Hey - what's happening here?, indication on the nose wheel, judgment, Lockheed Tristar, Miami International Airport, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), New York’s JFK, pilots, professional pilots, Ray Dickinsin, Robert “Bud” Marquis, sawgrass, the Everglades, water
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1 Comment
Hey – what’s happening here?
Those were the last words of Captain Robert Loft, 38 years ago tonight. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 departed New York’s JFK airport at 9:20 in the evening enroute to Miami International Airport. The flight progressed normally until about 11:30. On … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged airplanes, autopilot, Captain Robert Loft, cockpit voice recorder (CVR), Eastern Airlines, Eastern Airlines Flight 401, famous last words, First Officer Albert Stockstill, Flight 401, flying, Hey - what's happening here?, indication on the nose wheel, judgment, Lockheed Tristar, Miami International Airport, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), New York’s JFK, pilots, professional pilots, Ray Dickinsin, Robert “Bud” Marquis, sawgrass, the Everglades, water
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1 Comment
