Letter: Volunteer Pilot Safety Stand Down a success

Ben Sclair | Letters, People | March 28, 2011

By Lindy Kirkland, President, The Air Care Alliance

First, let me say a big thank you for helping make the Volunteer Pilot Safety Stand Down (Sit up?) a big success.  All the comments I heard from pilots attending were very positive and encouraging.  I also appreciate AOPA promoting Public Benefit Flying by providing a summary of the event on e-Pilot today.  While the Air Care Alliance was very proud and honored to be a part of this great event, the real credit for its success goes to Steve Craven and Angel Flight Mid Atlantic.  Steve was the one who developed the initial concept and approached NTSB with the idea of this event.  Angel Flight Mid Atlantic was responsible for coordination and planning and provided the website for registration.   I just want to ensure the appropriate folks get recognized for their great work.

Bye Bye 3rd class medical

GAN Staff | Letters | February 10, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I read your post article, “Bye, Bye 3rd Class Medical,” and was very interested to learn that the FAA, or at least some individual within that organization, was actually reasonable enough to consider this long overdue idea. I have my own horror stories about dealing with the FAA and their Aeromedical branch and am therefore glad to hear that there are steps being considered that just might relieve the volume of presentations put before this understaffed branch on a monthly basis.

It has, since the creation of the sport pilot regulations, seemed to me that the 3rd class medical requirements currently regulated by the FAA are skewed. Continue Reading »

Wrong on the GI Bill

GAN Staff | Letters | February 9, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The article “GI flight training bill signed into law” states that for the first time GIs can get flight training paid for by the government.

In January 1955, after discharge from the army, the GI Bill paid for my commercial, instrument and multi-engine ratings.

NORM PAULSEN, via e-mail

GA Avgas Coalition mischaracterized in blog post

Ben Sclair | Letters | February 8, 2011

By Chris Dancy, Media Relations Director, AOPA

A recent GAfuels blog post in General Aviation News mischaracterized the position of several GA Avgas Coalition members with regard to automotive gasoline, or mogas.

The aviation members of the GA Avgas Coalition have never been opposed to having mogas available as an alternative to aircraft owners and pilots for whom it’s appropriate. Continue Reading »

Calling Chris Christiansen

GAN Staff | Letters | January 23, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I just read Meg Godlewski’s about Chris Christiansen’s Savor homebuilt aircraft and I wanted see if we could get in touch. I am an advisor in an Aviation Explorer Post in Mesa, Arizona. We teach kids how to fly and maintain an aircraft at Falcon Field and I thought that our young people would be very interested in what you did. I was hoping we could even arrange a visit to you since we are in neighboring cities. Someone like you who has designed and built their own aircraft (from scratch!) could inspire our Explorer kids into numberless possibilities! If you read this and would be willing to talk, please contact General Aviation News — I’d be very appreciative.

BENNETT SLOAN

A FlightPrep fan

GAN Staff | Letters | January 5, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I’ve read with considerable interest on this and other sites about the FlightPrep patent enforcement efforts and some concerns that have been expressed by the flying community.  I’m not quite sure I understand what all the fuss is about, but then, I come at the issue with a perspective that is perhaps different than most.

First, I’m an attorney with almost 27 years of legal experience.  I’ve read and, believe or not, actually understand the FlightPrep patent that’s at issue here.  Second, I’m a commercial pilot with almost 24 years of flying experience.  Third, I’m a frustrated software developer who has satisfied that frustration, to some degree, by being a beta tester for numerous real developers for more than 25 years.  Among them has been the Stenbock-Everson team in its various iterations since late 1980s.

Continue Reading »

Why teaching the young to love flying is important

GAN Staff | Letters | January 3, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

When I was 8 years old, I loved to watch the Stearman crop duster airplanes spray our fields for insects. I would marvel at these crop duster pilots flying under telephone lines and pulling back up into the air with the roar of the big engine. Then I got to meet a crop duster called B Mac. He was my hero. Continue Reading »

Sky’s the limit for the new year

GAN Staff | Letters | December 30, 2010

You’re on the edge of a brand new year. After months of gloom and doom about the recession and the inevitable doldrums that arise after the holidays, take advantage of the chance to shake things up for 2011, recommend two staff writers for the Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle. Top of their list to help meet the new year? Fly a plane. The writers talked to Jeff Soules of U.S. Aviation Group, which offers flight training at Denton Airport. They quote him as saying flying is “a freedom you can’t experience any other way.” Read the full story here.

Field of Dreams: 9N1

Janice Wood | Letters | December 20, 2010

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I really enjoyed the article about Van Sant Airport (Fields of Dreams: Saved but not immune from the times). I flew there in my Cessna 170B back in the early ’70s. At that time, the Smella family ran the operation. I got my first taste of soaring there and got my glider rating in two days. It was a very nostalgic place and so glad it escaped extinction. Thanks for the nice article.

GEORGE JOHNSON, via e-mail

Lockheed JetStar at Museum of Flight

Janice Wood | Letters | December 15, 2010

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I enjoyed Dennis Parks’ article on the Lockheed JetStar (Flight & Flyers: A new age of business travel). Perhaps he’s being modest since he didn’t mention the fact, but I believe the first aircraft (which as he notes became Kelly Johnson’s personal airplane) is currently under restoration in the Seattle Museum of Flight Continue Reading »