'See where the river breaks over that wide rock?' said our guide, Donny. 'We need to be careful there because the water tumbles violently on the other side, like a horizontal tornado.'
Two Props and a Pink Slip
I have survived five checkrides in my 18-year flying history, and I dreaded every one. Only one, my private pilot checkride, felt good from the start, perhaps because I had no idea what to expect or didn't understand the consequences of a pink slip.
Flying Carpet: Sky King and the Old Apache
Twin-engine airplanes weren't available for rent at my old home airport of Lafayette, Indiana, so when I decided to pursue multiengine training I went down the road to Herman Brown's flying service in Terre Haute. 'Brownie,' as he's known in the neighborhood, fit the mold of old time pilot examiners - hardboiled and independent, but warmhearted once you got to know him.
Lunch on the Lawn with Sean
I thought I was doing fine flying loops and rolls, even a hammerhead, in the brand-new Pitts S2C with only 36 hours on the tachometer. A half-hour earlier, Sean D. Tucker (yes, world-famous airshow performer Sean D. Tucker) had said jokingly, “Now don’t lose your lunch in my new airplane, Laurel.” But, the flat spin did me in.
Flying Carpet: Of Tanks and Tennis
“I wonder if there’ll be time to land at the Patton Museum.” “I hope so,” said my wife, Jean. “You deserve it for flying me to Palm Springs. Besides, I’m getting sick of hearing about it.” I looked forward to delivering Jean to her annual tennis camp. Not only is Palm Springs an interesting aerial journey from Phoenix, but along the way lay an unfulfilled Flying Carpet adventure.
Trivia Teaser: More Last Words
Question: You've seen the Trivia question about the first words spoken by mankind on another heavenly body, but what were (so far at least) the last words?
Trivia Teaser – Built to Last
Question: True or false: Some airport signs are built to withstand the equivalent of an F5 tornado.
Goodbye, Don
Don was at the island that Saturday, his bit of paradise on the Canadian side of Lake of the Woods, when the pain began. Fortunately my brother-in-law Dave was there with his wife, Barb. They rushed Don by boat and car to Kenora, Ontario, where he was airlifted to Winnipeg.
IFR Alternates and Minimums Made Easy
Flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) is largely procedural. There’s little room or tolerance for zany spontaneity; if you love surprises, look elsewhere. But although we fly by the book, when the plot thickens, we do in fact have options (although they’re more like regulatory provisions) for choosing a different ending. Usually, the thickening agent affecting our best-laid plans is weather related.
Filling the Gaps
Efficient in quickly developing pilots, traditional aviation training nonetheless leaves significant knowledge gaps that contribute to the vast majority of aircraft accidents. It’s up to pilots to seek out knowledge to fill those gaps…here are three ways to increase your knowledge and safety.