Destinations

Here are some of our favorite journeys sure to transform that next flight into a true flying adventure.

It’s a group known for its proactive approach to keeping airports open—so it’s no surprise that the folks at the Recreational Aviation Foundation have kept busy over the past few months. Projects abound across the country that can be supported with small work parties and private action well suited to the current state of general […]

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 […]

Almost 50 years ago, Nancy and I and a couple other would-be hippies, brother and sister, flew to Baja California, Mexico, in a Beech Musketeer, N298M. Whatever happens to obliterate airplanes must have happened to that Musketeer, because N298M is now a Cessna. My philosophy of travel is to leave as much as possible to […]

It’s a beautiful late-fall day: warm and clear with a hint of breeze, a cherished last vestige of summer this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. “The Mountain is out,” as the locals say—the mountain in question being Rainier—and its 25 glaciers glittered in the sun as we made our way across the Tacoma […]

Once every year or two, I have a peculiar and memorable dream while I sleep. I am quite sure I’m not alone among pilots—and likely among mere mortals as well—in occasionally dreaming that I’m flying. I don’t mean flying in an aircraft or manipulating the controls—although I have those dreams too. I mean bird dreams, […]

After a weekend with friends at Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland, my niece and her husband were packing up for the drive home. Somebody tossing garbage bags into a dumpster spied a bundle of discarded Playboy magazines in pristine condition all from the 1980s. “Any of you guys interested in old Playboy magazines?” My psychologist nephew-in-law, Jim, […]

Many things have to fall into place for a skiplane fly-in to come together, and each is a moving target. A nice snow base is needed, the snow itself shouldn’t be too icy or slushy, and of course ceilings, winds, and visibility need to be conducive to flying. Fortunately, all converged perfectly on Saturday, February […]