Tag Archives: learning to fly

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

Posted in Aviation, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On Buying An Airplane, Part II

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

Posted in Aviation, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On Buying An Airplane, Part I

The Dawn Patrol

In World War I, the fighters went out at dawn. In short order, the fighter pilots and maintenance crews began referring to this early morning mission as “The Dawn Patrol.” The pilots would rise early, breakfast, and then go out … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

High Flight

My last blog was about the men who saved England, no, indeed the world. The documentary I watched about the pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain moved me. Their story overwhelmingly impressed me because of my realization of … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Battle of Britain

This week, I had the opportunity to watch a very well done documentary on the Battle of Britain. Hosted by Ewan McGregor and his brother Colin, they told of how they grew up in England studying about the fighter pilots … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Engine Failures Are Louder at Night

I have written about engine failures in the past (Engine Failures, “Go ahead, punk, make my day!”, Running on Empty, and Dinner Conversations About Fear). The one thing I have not addressed is engine failure at night, which is, without question, the worst thing … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A Quiet, Nerdy Engineer

Neil Armstrong has passed at the age of 82. Yesterday, Fox News reported Armstrong regarded himself as, “a quiet, nerdy engineer.” Well, he may have considered himself in those terms, but for many of us, he was the nation’s hero, … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation History, Flying, History, Life in General | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dinner Conversations About Fear

We were sitting with friends at a great restaurant on the beach. The temperature was just right, the humidity relatively low, and the wind was light, but refreshing. It was a great evening and since we were aviators, our conversation … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Cub Versus the Champ

One of the ongoing debates in general aviation pertains to the merits of two of the most classic airplanes that flew in the formative years of aviation. The airplanes are the Piper Cub and the Aeronca Champ. I have written … Continue reading

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Cub Versus the Champ