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I graduated from high school more than just a couple of years ago. Enough more, in fact, that a whole lot of details from those early school days have long since blurred into blessed oblivion. But when I sift through the pieces that remain, it would also appear that I’ve retained far clearer memories of […]

It’s no secret that Cessna is working on a new piston single. Cessna boss Jack Pelton told single-engine dealers last fall that a new airplane was coming. Jack and I even discussed potential new designs at length several months ago. Jack bought the martinis that I drank, and I think he listened, but by the […]

Every pilot who stays reasonably up to date with the march of aviation technology knows that today even pilots of piston singles and light twins can get aviation weather in the cockpit. For those pilots who fly their airplanes for transportation, this is nothing short of a safety revolution. Instead of guessing and hoping and […]

With Diamond expecting to fly its D-Jet soon, and the people at Cirrus talking about building a jet, is a true personal jet about to emerge? With so much industry attention focused on the several very light jets that are in various stages of development, the concept of a truly personal jet designed for the […]

It’s been raining an awful lot in Europe this summer. This point is relevant because it means the Danube River is six feet higher than normal, leaving only 27 feet between the water and the bottom of Budapest’s famous Chain Bridge. This is an important dimension,because all 10 pilots competing in the Red Bull Air […]

“What’s the deal on this next strip?” I look at the marked page in my “Fly Idaho” backcountry flight guide. “Orogrande,” I answer. “Elevation 4405. Runway is either one or one-nine, 2900 feet long. Notes say ‘New tree growth on sides of runway limit usable width to 50 feet.’” I glance out the window at […]

My cockpit is full of switches that can get me into trouble. For example, if I activate the fuel crossfeed switch without monitoring fuel levels, I can cause a lateral imbalance. If I forget to engage the LNAV after selecting a direct intercept to a waypoint, the airplane will navigate itself off course. But nothing […]

You can’t go to a party in Florida where I live and escape a conversation about real estate or hurricanes. There’s no doubt that the state is still adding to its population base and the interaction between the growth, the weather and the price of real estate makes for an underlying hum of concern. One […]