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Tag Archives: airplanes
Reno
As usual, the news media is doing a terrible job on the continual reporting of the Reno crash. There is a modicum of fact and the remainder of their reports, articles, and videos contain unsubstantiated conjecture and a lot of … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged aerodynamic flutter, air race spectators, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, discipline, elevator trim tab, excessive g-loading, flight training, flying, hardware, Jimmy Leeward, judgment, modified P-51 air racer, Ocala FL, professional pilots, taildraggers, the Army Air Forces, The Galloping Ghost, Thompson Trophy Race, Trim Tabs, World War II
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Trim Tabs
Friday was a terrible day for aviation and for air racing in particular. When the elevator trim tab separated from the airframe, Jimmy Leeward lost control of his modified P-51 air racer, The Galloping Ghost, crashing into air race spectators. … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying
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Tagged 1959 Cessna 150, aerodynamic flutter, air race spectators, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Bruce Raymond, elevator trim tab, excessive g-loading, flight training, flying, football player “Red” Grange, hardware, humanware, Jimmy Leeward, judgment, Leeward Air Ranch, modified P-51 air racer, National Aeronautics Association, Ocala FL, Reno Air Races, Steve Beville, the Army Air Forces, The Galloping Ghost, Thompson Trophy Race, Trim Tabs, Walnut Ridge AR
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Tribute
This is a very good tribute to the old aviators who made aviation what is today. I have no idea as to the author and editor who created this, but they did a good job with the tribute to the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying
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Tagged 180-horsepower Lycoming engine, a history lesson in verse, a poor man’s F-14, aerobatics, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, flying, homebuilts, John Denver, memories, Navy, Richard VanGrunsven, RV-6, taildraggers, the most delightful airplane, the old aviators, Tribute
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Looking Both Ways
In teaching student pilots, I have been amazed that a few will cross a runway or taxiway without looking. At airports with control towers and active ATC, the instances of this happening are more pronounced than at airports without ground control. The … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal
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Tagged a late Friday afternoon, airplanes, airports with control towers, Cessnas, clearance to our ramp, crossing a runway or taxiway without looking, discipline, Flight instructors, flight training, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, look both ways, Looking Both Ways, making the approach to another airport, pilots, professional pilots, similar runway patterns, student pilots, teaching student pilots, the mighty PA-44 Seminole, using the radio
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2 Comments
Precession – Is It Really A Left Turning Tendency?
Flight instructors teach their students about the left-turning tendencies an airplane encounters on takeoff. Unfortunately, some flight instructors may not fully understand the dynamics of takeoff and might pass a misconception or two on to the next generation of new … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Back in the Old Days, Cessnas, conventional landing gear, flight controls, Flight instructors, flight training, flying, full throttle, high power settings, high-angle-of-attack-flight, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, left-turning tendencies, Newton’s third law, nosewheels, novice pilots, P-51 Mustang pilots, P-factor, pilots, precession, Precession - Is It Really A Left Turning Tendency?, professional pilots, propeller blade, right rudder, spiraling slipstream, student pilots, students, taildraggers, tailwheels, torque, training aircraft, World War II
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6 Comments
The Thing About Flying
My friend, Holly, sent in this account of one of his latest adventures. He wrote it so well and supplied great photos, I had to have him debut as my first guest colmnist. ——————— The thing about flying, the adventures … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
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Tagged airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Atlanta, Epps Aviation, Florida, flying, friends, instrument flying, judgment, Larry King, memories, PDK, pilots, Pipers, training aircraft, Yaks
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Off to School
Every two years flight instructors must renew their credentials in order to continue teaching. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides three ways to accomplish this task. The easiest way is by providing documentation of flight activity showing at least an … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Personal
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Tagged 80 percent success rate, Air Force, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Avon park bombing and gunnery, Cessna 150, Cessnas, CFI endorsements, discipline, documentation of flight activity, F-16 Falcons, FAA check ride, first solo, Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic (FIRC), Flight instructors, flight training, flying, friends, Guantanamo, gun sights, judgment, learning to fly, memories, Off to School, pilots, professional pilots, rolling in “hot”, student pilots, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), training aircraft
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1 Comment
Heat
Here in the southeast, the temperatures are unusually high. The same is true of other areas of the south and southwest. This past week, the forecasters predicted highs in the realm of 107 to 110. Of course, as aviators, we know the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged a loss of consciousness episode, airplane performance, airplanes, airspeed, altitude, aviators, flight training, Florida, flying, forecasters predicted highs in the realm of 107 to 110, functioning as an aviator, Heat, high temperatures, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, memories, mental and physical performance, Oklahoma City, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), The National Weather Service (NWS), The South, the southeast, the southwest
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2 Comments
Miracle at Lake Clark Pass
Over the weekend, a legitimate miracle took place at the Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. In the designated pass, a Piper Navajo and Cessna 206 floatplane came together in the crunching of metal and no one died. In fact, … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
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Tagged Air Traffic Control (ATC), airplanes, airspeed, altitude, Cessna 206 floatplane, Cessnas, dependency on technology, discipline, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), flying, judgment, maintaining a vigilant lookout for other aircraft, midair collisions, Miracle at Lake Clark Pass, mountainous areas, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Piper Navajo, professional pilots, radar coverage, rviving a midair collision, see and avoid, Self-Confidence, sophisticated electronics, visual profiles
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Apples and Oranges
Remember all the times someone told you to keep the apples and oranges correctly separated? There is probably some math teacher somewhere in your past who said you have to keep the apples with the apples and the oranges with … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged airplanes, an accurate estimate of the fuel weight, Apples and Oranges, Cessna 170, flight training, flying, judgment, learning to fly, student pilots, taildraggers, the advantage of using pounds over gallons, The Cessna 170, training aircraft, weight and balance problems
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