Search Results for: wright

(March 2012) Weighing five pounds fewer than I had three days before we began training in the steamy heat of south Florida, I finally breathed a huge sigh of relief. Bill Conrad had just told me I’d passed the type rating and multi-ATP check ride in the Lockheed 18 Lodestar. As we took the runway […]

Online flight tracking is a great resource for travelers and flight instructors alike. Websites such as FlightAware and flightwise are frequently used by friends and loved ones to watch the progress of airplanes enroute to their destinations. And if you don’t wish to actively track the flight, you can set up alerts that update you […]

The NTSB (or FAA when delegated by NTSB) investigates fatal accidents and the Board issues reports on the probable cause of the accident. The reports also list contributing factors to the accident. Typically, the final reports are peppered with words such as loss of control, controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and other language describing the final event in the accident sequence and attributing it to one or more other events. But rarely does the report explain the “why” of the accident or the “how” of the pilot’s or other participants’ actions relating to the “why.” For example, in a loss-of-control accident, why did the pilot lose control of the aircraft and how did he or she place themselves in that predicament?

Utah Valley University recently released a brief video highlighting major milestones in aviation history in a video animated in 3D. While it’s impossible to include all major historical events in 3:35 minutes, the video does a good job of including some of the most significant achievements, from Leonardo Da Vinci’s early drawings to the first […]

With Colton Harris-Moore’s federal sentencing set to take place this Friday, federal prosecutors are drawing attention to new statements made by the 20-year-old “Barefoot Bandit,” who was arrested and sentenced by the state of Washington to 7½ years in prison for a string of crimes that involved airplane and auto theft, among other infractions. After […]

Perfect weather graced the annual Experimental Aircraft Association skiplane fly-in on Jan. 22 at Pioneer Airport — a private grass field (when it’s not covered with snow) situated adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where AirVenture takes place every summer. With sunny skies, light winds and a few fresh inches of snow, 33 […]

Making the pilgrimage to the roots of powered flight.

Muslims have Mecca, Jews have the Western Wall and Christians have the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The aviator’s holy site is First Flight Airport (KFFA) containing the Wright Brothers Memorial. The memorial is a 60-foot granite pylon sculpture sitting on a star-shaped base at the top of a lush green hill. It’s the place […]

A closer look at the famous B-29 known as Bockscar and the story behind the aircraft.

As an arctic chill spills south from Canada to remind many of us that winter has indeed arrived, EAA is gearing up for its annual Skiplane Fly-In. Planned for Saturday, Jan. 21, at the association’s Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, more than two dozen skiplanes are expected for the event showcasing a unique segment of […]