Tag Archives: Cessna 182

The Safety of “Little Airplanes”

Many question the safety of “little airplanes.” By the way, they are only “little” until you have to wash and wax them; then the smallest airplane suddenly appears similar in size to a Boeing 747. General aviation aircraft have always … Continue reading

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On Buying An Airplane, Part IV

Well, it is yours! The question now becomes, how much will it really cost to operate? The price of operating an aircraft falls into two broad categories. These include “fixed” costs and “variable” costs. Pilots (and accountants) appropriately refer to … Continue reading

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On Buying An Airplane, Part III

Okay, after discussing where to find airplanes, we now come to the question of what to look for when appraising the airplane. As with any mechanical conveyance, there are things that stand out right away when you evaluate the machine. … Continue reading

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On Buying An Airplane, Part II

When it comes to operating your own airplane, you have to keep a few things in mind. First, airplanes are not cheap, but if you are going to do more flying than usual, which is to say more than seven … Continue reading

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On Buying An Airplane, Part I

Once you make the decision to buy an airplane, it is one of the most exciting times of your life. It can also be one of the most frustrating. Oh, and let me also say there is a little stress … Continue reading

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The Souls of Airplanes

I remember the first time I realized an airplane could seem as though it were a living being. I was out at the Zephyrhills airport near Tampa, where I met a young man who owned a Republic Seabee amphibious aircraft. … Continue reading

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Night Charter

I’m on the drive home going north along Interstate 95. The storms have just passed and they remind of a night long ago in the charter business. There is lightning cloud to cloud and cloud to ground off to the … Continue reading

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Alaska

Earlier, when I checked my email, I found a message from a former student who recently graduated. Like the graduates before him, it was time for him to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, starting … Continue reading

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Flying, Learning, and Thunderstorms

The FSS flight specialist reported weather along our route with ceilings of 1,000 broken to overcast with tops about 12,000 feet. There was a chance of imbedded thunderstorms. It appeared as though the front was in the process of becoming stationary … Continue reading

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Misconceptions About Landing

Wednesday, I wrote about a pilot flying a light twin who made a hot approach and floated down the runway.  I think there are many pilots who carry misconceptions about flying into the cockpit with them when they learn how … Continue reading

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