Back in the early eighties, I was renting a Super Decathalon in southeastern PA (New Garden Airport) to compete in local sportsman category aerobatic competitions. I would fly out to just south of a small town (Cochranville, as I recall) and practice the loops, rolls, hammerheads, cuban eights, spins, and such. I practiced at 1500' … Continue reading Snagging a fishing line over Cochranville by Larry Toto
Thuds Over Tangier by Dennis McGee
Flying at 500 feet above the sprawling farmlands of Southern Maryland and traveling at 525 miles-per-hour, Colonel Don Masuret is well aware that the arrival and departure of his fighter-bomber acts as an exclamation point in the lives of those below him. There is a one to two second warning -- a whining rumble -- … Continue reading Thuds Over Tangier by Dennis McGee
Life on the Westcoast of British Columbia by Bill Pennings
It was a day in the fall of 1975. Rain and poor visibility in the forecast and I was dispatched to do the Gulf Island scheduled service. From Coal Harbour to Saltspring Island in a Beaver on floats. Betty, the local Customer Service Agent, gave me my orders to take six passengers to Ganges. Here … Continue reading Life on the Westcoast of British Columbia by Bill Pennings
Navigating a KC-135 from Alaska to Thule, Greenland by Gerald Hanner
In the very early sixties, when the Evil Empire was actively testing the limits of its power, I joined the Air Force. There was no particular patriotic sense involve. My chief aim at that early point in what turned out to be a 25 year career was to fly airplanes, particularly military jets. Circumstances conspired … Continue reading Navigating a KC-135 from Alaska to Thule, Greenland by Gerald Hanner
No-Go by David Cohn
Twenty miles out of Allegheny County, enroute to Boston through the haze of western Pennsylvania, I decided to take the train home. I was coaxing the ancient Commonwealth Skyranger through 7500 feet, hoping to get into the clear air above before the ground disappeared into the gray muck below. I was on my way home … Continue reading No-Go by David Cohn
Flight to Oshkosh : Getting there is most of the fun! by Gene Seibel
This year I was determined to fly to Oshkosh. I had done it once before, eleven long years ago with my wife and 8-year old daughter. This year the idea gave me the same familiar anticipation that I remembered from that distant time, but this year was bound to hold fresh experiences with new found … Continue reading Flight to Oshkosh : Getting there is most of the fun! by Gene Seibel
How the C170 reminded me to pay attention… by Dylan Smith
They say that in your first hundred hours you'll do something that will scare the wits out of you when flying. I've actually done quite well - I've lasted over 200 hours without scaring myself. But I've been flying nosewheel aircraft all this time! Tailwheel aircraft have a way of reminding you that you are … Continue reading How the C170 reminded me to pay attention… by Dylan Smith
Kindred Spirits by David Cohn
As a traveler, I frequently find myself in the company of strangers whose companionship I find myself obliged to share, whether for a few minutes or a few hours. It may be in a stalled check-in line somewhere, or on the long bus ride home when a Sunday afternoon squall forces me to leave my … Continue reading Kindred Spirits by David Cohn
Coast-to-Coast in a 172 by Jeff Mitchell
Prolog: The following is a journal of a transcontinental trip that I took in a Cessna 172L (150 HP), N7262Q, from June 30 to July 12, 1995. I am a 500 hour commercial pilot with an instrument rating and fly purely for recreation. Questions or comments are welcome. Preflight Planning: Early '95 - Started telling … Continue reading Coast-to-Coast in a 172 by Jeff Mitchell
Engine Out in a PA-140 by Gerald Hanner
Everyone has practiced engine out procedures. You do it when you are learning to fly, and it happens on check flights, during upgrade training and many other situations in which you have to demonstrate your skill in handling an airplane. A simulated engine out in a single engine aircraft is a matter of picking out … Continue reading Engine Out in a PA-140 by Gerald Hanner