Search Results for: Cessna 172

Living on the third rock from the Sun, that flaming orange ball is essential for our life, growing food, providing clean energy, and giving us something to lie under at the beach. But with all the good the Sun gives us, the side effects while flying are hours of exposure to harmful Ultraviolet rays, and […]

Each year, the National Aeronautic Association selects a list of innovative developments or products to compete for the coveted Collier Trophy. The list for 2020 represents a very diverse group of projects: a general aviation avionics product, travel initiatives, space developments, a green fuel, drones and a helicopter. Here is the list of nominees and […]

Business and general aviation weathered the storm of a generation in 2020, and now that the skies are slowly clearing, the resilience and innovation of the industry is coming to light. That’s the primary message from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s State of the Industry conference, demonstrated not only in the prevailing attitude and observations […]

Star Wars Episode 1 While the Star Wars movie series has ended (spanning 42 years), it is alive and well at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL) on the JEDII TWO ARRIVAL (RNAV). There are up to 11 Star Wars movies, depending on how you count. The original movie (1977) was Star Wars Episode IV: […]

Early on, pilots are taught that safety of flight depends on, among other things, a consistent flow of air across the airfoil and a positive angle of attack to produce lift. AOA is the angular difference between the wing’s chord line and the relative wind. Increase back pressure on the controls and lift increases, up […]

The building was a hulking blue, metal-sided affair, pockmarked by a nondescript door and a window air conditioner—but no window. It might have been difficult to reconcile the uninspiring appearance with the promise held within if not for a sign that declared: “Airplane rides, you fly the plane. Air-conditioned lounge and gift shop.” So I […]

I remember flow states, during times of stress in the airplane, when time slows down just a bit—enough to help me manage a given situation deliberately and appropriately. There is no flow today. Flashing back to two days ago, I recall a comment that has lodged in my mind, and I work hard to apply […]

A lot has been written over the past few years about pilots relying on the automation to fly the airplane to the detriment of actual hands-on-the-stick piloting skills. I have long been baffled by pilots’ reliance on the autopilot. But perhaps this attitude comes from my Air Force training early on and particularly from a […]

From the very beginning, my children were instructed to greet each landing with praise. As long as the crash didn’t dislodge any loose teeth—or, later on, their retainers—it was expected that they would utter an obligatory congratulation. Today, my grandchildren make a big point out of yelling, “Nice landing, Pop,” as I shut down. They […]

Night had fallen outside my approach control. I was settling into my chair in the radar room when Center handed me a Cessna 172. Remarks showed it was an IFR training flight to one of our Class D satellite airports. I checked the time. That airport’s tower was closing momentarily. We routinely ran non-towered ops […]