Editor’s Log

A recent feature article first appearing in Kentucky’s Louisville Courier-Journal then picked up by USA TODAY and Yahoo News carried the headline, “Rogue pilots trafficked a billion dollars in cartel drugs across US while no one watched.” The lengthy piece detailed how “California businessman” Robert Carlson used private aircraft to transport illegal drugs throughout the U.S. […]

It’s not a secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many industries and businesses. Aviation generally and general aviation specifically haven’t been immune, for which the impossibility of social distancing in a typical cockpit is at least partially to blame. It’s been a rough few months for the overall industry, and the downturn […]

I do a lot of the regular (read: “preventive”) maintenance on my airplanes. For example, I’ve gotten oil changes down to a fine art and usually can perform all the related hands-on tasks in under 30 minutes, including safety-wiring the new filter. I typically drain the used oil overnight, though, and let each plastic bottle of […]

COVID-19 continues to impact the aviation world with a multitude of threats and challenges. Many have not been previously observed in aviation. While maintaining proficiency is a constant challenge, the lack thereof is a foe that aircrews have battled since the birth of the airplane and is currently revealing itself as a novel concern. In […]

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been flying as much as I normally do this time of year. The reasons are many, but the bottom line is I’m not getting airborne as much as I used to. I suspect there are more pilots like me who, among other things, might not have anywhere to […]

As much as we may want to get back to normal and “reopen,” the ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on many industries worldwide. The airline and travel industries have taken a major hit, of course, and likely will continue to hemorrhage cash and well-paying jobs at least until a therapy […]

I probably don’t have to tell you that all segments of the aviation industry have taken a major economic hit as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Various sources report domestic air travel is down more than 90 percent year-over-year and that some 2400 jet transports have been grounded in the U.S. alone. Observers project a […]

What a year the last few weeks have been. The ongoing health crisis in the U.S. and throughout the world has upended the concepts of “normal” and “everyday life” for billions. As this was being written in late March, U.S. state and local jurisdictions were competing to put into place travel restrictions, business closures, stay-at-home […]

I’ve long been a big fan of Ernest K. Gann’s writings, to the extent I pull down and re-read my copy of “Fate Is The Hunter” once a year or so. It’s a remembrance of Gann’s service as an airline pilot before WWII, then as a cargo pilot during the war, and his adjustment to […]

For the most part, airplanes and helicopters aren’t environmentally friendly. They consume lots of petroleum and they distribute greenhouse gases throughout the planet, including otherwise inaccessible locations. They remain the best solution for many transportation challenges, however, and emerging technologies like electric powerplants and the same kind of noise-reduction incorporated into modern headsets hold promise […]