Aircraft Ownership

Pilot Workshops has launched “Aircraft Engines: A Pilot-Friendly Manual” on September 22, adding to its series of guides for pilots and aircraft owners with a well-targeted text for aircraft engine care and feeding. The manual, available in print or eBook format, is organized by task, with descriptive photos and diagrams on each page, and written […]

The rumblings have been going on for some time as to what the next chapter would be for the Mooney aircraft company, with a minimal amount of activity continuing to quietly sustain the business over the last 9 months. Now, what has been rumor turns to fact: Mooney’s new owners revealed themselves in an open […]

The Icon A5 amphibian isn’t for everyone. It’s not very fast. It doesn’t really carry all that much, and it can’t fly a four-hour leg non-stop. But flying the light-sport Icon is one heck of a lot of fun when you’re able to peel off from cruising flight at 500 feet above a favorite lake […]

You may not believe it—unless you’ve been shopping for a used Cessna 182 or its like over the last few months—but the general aviation used aircraft market has stayed relatively strong throughout the first half of 2020, according to industry representatives from insurance brokers to aircraft brokers. Now may be a really good time for […]

Do you believe the Earth is warming? I do. Do you believe that man contributes to this warming trend? I do, but I don’t know how much. Do you believe that the Earth’s supply of fossil fuels is finite? I do. Do you believe that aviation contributes to climate change? I do—but not as much […]

If you are anything like me, an abrupt and bouncy touchdown on a gusty day leaves a lingering frustration. I can do better. I’ve found that I’m not alone in the realm of self-criticism: Most pilots have a healthy relationship to judging one’s own performance—and boasting about it to boot. Are we always ahead of […]

What’s one way to ease the pain of the enforced aircraft downtime prompted by stay-at-home orders or other current realities? If an aircraft owner had a panel upgrade planned for 2020, moving that installation up on the calendar clearly proves an effective use of time. At this time last year, the avionics industry was riding […]

What do pilots do when they’re not flying? Good question. While we’ve been featuring a host of educational resources for you, perhaps you’d rather keep your hands busy with a good solid DIY effort. Here’s a round-up of products and sources that may come in handy as you use the current social-distancing protocols to tackle […]

Jason Blair, a longtime flight instructor, aircraft owner, and designated pilot examiner in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area recently published two practical guides—An Aviator’s Field Guide to Buying an Airplane, and An Aviator’s Field Guide to Owning an Airplane—through ASA aimed at getting more pilots flying and keeping them flying. Blair authors the monthly Chart Wise […]

In 1984, when I was 12 years old, Ferrari built a car called the 288 GTO. I had a poster of it on my bedroom wall. I knew everything about that car like it was my job. I knew its origins, lineage, performance capabilities. I was obsessed. It was the first machine I had ever […]