I don’t care how well you think you are ready for an emergency, nothing beats professional training to make sure. My wife, Staci, and I often fly our Cardinal RG over water to favorite diving destinations. And so it was that we were sitting in a classroom of Survival Systems USA, Inc. (SSUSA) in Groton, […]
Owner's Handbook
Perceptions
It’s pretty common for the family and close friends of a pilot to consider that pilot “the only one I’d feel comfortable flying with.” It’s no different with my family and non-flying friends. (Those friends of mine who do fly know better!) My wife is my No. 1 flying groupie. We’ve been flying together for […]
Mindsets — The perceived value of used airplanes is changing
As a Cessna C177 Cardinal RG owner, I belong to a “type-club” called Cardinal Flyers Online. As the name implies, the organization depends heavily on the benefits of the Internet, although the organization’s reach is far greater. One of the major attractions of membership is the near daily e-mail digest that acts as a forum […]
Aircraft shopper 101: The top 25 questions you should ask
And if the seller is either unwilling or unable to answer these basic questions, it might be best to move on to another airplane.
Getting started — Make your first aircraft choice the right one
By Guy R. Maher The single most consistent mistake I see first-time owners make is that they buy too much airplane. Learning about airplane buying should be like learning about airplane flying. For example, let’s say you know that your goal is to be the pilot of a corporate, twin-engine airplane. You still go to […]
Not just for the big boys
The twin-turbine Bell 412 helicopter I fly for Baptist Hospital in North Carolina sucks a lot of Jet-A. This is why when we land at FBOs, the line crews have big smiles. And when it comes time to pay for that fuel, I just whip out the familiar white and blue Multi Service charge card […]
Helicopter Training – Texas Style
Ask someone what comes to mind when the state of Texas is mentioned and the answers will surely be varied: Cowboys (both real and football players), Dallas (both the city and former TV show), the Alamo, cattle, oil, you choose. To me, Texas is associated with the best helicopter playground in the world. I am […]
Cool running
Do you remember the days before digital watches or clocks? When we were asked for the time, the answer usually would be something like “It’s almost 2:30” or “About 1:15.” Then came digital timekeeping and the answers became “2:28” or “1:13.” When pilots began using Loran and ultimately GPS, the same thing happened with headings. […]
One Man’s Treasure
The final part of my series on upgrading the avionics in my Cardinal RG is elsewhere in this issue. For as many aircraft as I have owned over the past 27 years, this was my first experience in a complete avionics upgrade for myself and, as you may recall, the decision to part with the […]