Lately, I’ve had two images stuck in my head. The first is an Interstate highway overwhelmed by gridlock. The second is a graph of the population of the United States. As the population continues to climb, real estate continues to increase in value. Along with population increases come surface transportation challenges. Unless we annex Canada […]
Touch & Go
Ever seen a Cessna Tail Slide?
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. That is certainly the case for Pete and Shiley Nelson from Challis, Idaho. The husband and wife have owned and operated Middle Fork Aviation in the backcountry of Idaho for more than two decades. I met up with Pete and Shiley at the Great Alaska Aviation […]
The dash of SUN ‘n FUN
The 2018 SUN ‘n FUN fly-in ended much the same as it started…with a torrent of rain and wind. Those two weather features make any outdoor event rather untenable. But as I was driving to Sarasota to see family on Monday after the fly-in closed early on Sunday, I found myself lost in thought. While the […]
How do you recommend getting started learning to fly?
“I thought your platform would help me figure out how introduce the following idea to my husband,” began the email that appeared in my email box on April 15. “I’m just beginning in my quest to find flying lessons to give to him as a gift. He’s a semi-retired software engineer (I’ve got to tell you, the […]
Godspeed Mary Rosenblum
On March 15 I opened my email and found the following message from Stephanie Smith: “Many years ago (2012 to be exact), my husband, Dennis, and I met you during the Minam Airlift, based in Joseph, Oregon, to deliver supplies to Minam Lodge. My husband was president of the Oregon Pilots Association at the time, […]
Good things are happening, just look around
If you can break yourself away from the breathless stream of negative news that invades our collective inbox (digital and physical) it becomes rather easy to see all the good that is happening around us. Don’t believe me? A new Ranger on duty From the mind — and wallet — of a successful entrepreneur by […]
Out of sight and sound
I can’t imagine letting any of my kids fly an ultralight at 13 years old. And yet that is exactly what my parents let me do. Granted, I grew up on an airport and had flown with my Dad for years by the time I was 13. Training in the single-seat Robert B1-RD consisted of […]
Are backup systems overrated?
What’s the point of carrying a handheld radio if you have one (or two) radios installed in your panel? For that matter, why carry a paper sectional chart if you have a fancy glass panel cockpit or an iPad running ForeFlight or FlyQ? Besides common sense, what’s the point in having a backup to your […]
It isn’t a pilot shortage, it’s a compensation shortage
Not long after Mark Baker joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) as president, I was at a breakfast the AOPA Foundation hosted at SUN ‘n FUN. Following a briefing from Mark, he called for questions. “What’s your opinion of the pilot shortage we’re starting to hear so much about?” asked a fellow attendee. Mark’s […]