Floats look very much like small boats slung beneath the fuselage of an aircraft in place of the original wheels and landing-gear struts. Adding floats transforms a land-based machine into a multipurpose recreational water vehicle, opening the door to thousands of small bodies of water not accessible by traditional aircraft. Floatplanes also serve as vital […]
Aloud, muffled boom is heard from within the cockpit. The airplane begins to buffet. The two pilots exchange wide-eyed glances. From years of routine and training, they simultaneously turn toward the center instrument panel and begin to focus their attention on the electronic engine displays. The needle of the left engine N1 gauge is gyrating […]
Last summer, I traveled to Scotland on vacation for a week to attend a wedding on the Isle of Skye. I’d hardly consider the first few hours of the trip relaxing. I picked up my rental car in the center of downtown Edinburgh and was instantly tasked with operating a manual transmission from the right […]
Sometimes the urge to fly strikes when I least expect it. It’s always there, mind you, but sometimes it lies dormant while my attention is elsewhere, only to suddenly resurface. Take yesterday morning, for example. I was lounging in Windbird’s cockpit, sipping coffee and enjoying the warm Caribbean breeze while planning an upcoming sail to […]
Not just anybody can join this group. We’ve been meeting for close to 30 years, and we guard admission with diligence. To become a member, you must be a man who looks good on paper, but be a bit of a mess in real life. Turns out, there are a lot of us. In the […]
Like the late stand-up comic Rodney Dangerfield who never seemed to get enough respect, the people at Gary Airport (GYY) feel as if they’ve been missing the love for many years. Sitting 20 miles south of Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan, Gary Airport has certainly seen its share of failed airline startups including […]
ELT (emergency locator transmitter). A self-contained radio transmitter that automatically begins transmitting on the emergency frequencies any time it is triggered by a severe impact parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Required by all U.S. civil airplane category aircraft except as provided below [91.207(e) and (f)]. Transmits on 121.5 MHz or the newer […]
Pilots like to fly low, so what can we learn from this 2017 Cessna 172 accident?
An acquaintance named Mark Burton recently sent me a copy of his book about an airport owned and operated by his family called Brownie’s. A few days later, I met a guy at a party who regaled me (unsolicited) with wild and woolly tales about flying out of a now defunct airport called Brownie’s with […]
If there’s one continuous strand that winds through the motley tapestry of my life, one single word that sums up who I am and what makes me tick, it’s wanderlust. My family, youth, career, marriage and passions for motorcycling, sailing and flying are all tied together by a constant, inveterate urge to head over the […]
Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE
