Tag Archives: open cockpit biplanes

Gladys Ingle

There was once a time when flying airplanes was really fun and truly free – free in the sense of a lack of regulations. This period was short-lived, lasting less than a decade. During the time from the end of … Continue reading

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Solitude, at Icy Altitudes

This is a little bundled treat from music, aviation history, and my time. By my time, I mean from the time of my youth when the music was …  different. The artist is Joni Mitchell, who was a fantastic composer, … Continue reading

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Flying for Fun

As always, I woke early. Most of my students can’t believe I wake up so early – and without an alarm. I set my phone to sound at 6:05 and it is a rare morning when I sleep past 6 … Continue reading

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Getting a License

One of the books we produced at BluewaterPress LLC came to us from Captain LeRoy Brown. LeRoy lived the life all pilots would have wished to have lived, if they could have been as lucky. LeRoy, a fine gentleman of proper age, … Continue reading

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It’s Not About the Flying, It’s About Relationships

We fly. There are many reasons we fly. We fly for enjoyment, to learn new things, to travel, to have fun, to sight see, and more. But the most important thing about the flying really has nothing to do with … Continue reading

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Veteran Airshow Fans

I overheard the Chair of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), Bob Meder, say, “You can tell who the veteran airshow fans are. They’re the ones not paying attention to the show.” I thought about it and concluded he … Continue reading

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The Master Birdman

Ninety-nine years ago today, America lost one of her most cherished heroes. Pioneer aviator Lincoln J. Beachey, died when the aircraft he was piloting at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco on March 14, 1915 suffered structural failure. He … Continue reading

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Praise and Insults by Hemingway

I am writing again about writing pilots or flying writers. Sometimes it is difficult to decide which are adjectives and nouns when it comes to describing writers who are capable of flying, or pilots who can actually write. On my … 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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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

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