Recently my wife, kids, Mom and I all flew to Des Moines, Iowa, for the wedding of one of my cousins. While in Des Moines, we drove east to Newton to see where my Mom grew up. On our way in, I drove past the town so we could visit the Newton Municipal Airport (TNU). […]
Touch & Go
The saviors of general aviation
Guest Editorial By MITCH LATTING and JOLIE LUCAS Recently a critic of ours said that we “fly around the country acting like they are the saviors of general aviation.” As we thought about this criticism, we had to admit there is some truth to the statement. We so strongly believe in promoting general aviation, we […]
Shady Acres celebrates golden anniversary
SPANAWAY, Wash. — Shady Acres, a residential airpark, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a potluck party at the home of Rick and Bobbie Wicklander on Sept. 1. Current and former residents showed up, about 50 in all, for the celebration. Pictures and newspaper clippings were laid out for all to peruse. Shady Acres was created […]
Letter: KidVenture, 7-year-old key to getting AirVenture juices flowing again
Last week I wrote, “A suggestion for keeping the magic of AirVenture alive.” I’ve received a handful of emails thanking me for the post, some of which offered personal experiences. A few I’m still following up on, but following is what I received from Bill Middlebrook, president of Penn Yan Aero and longtime friend. Suffice it to […]
First Thun Cubs and Classics a hit
PUYALLUP, Wash. — The first Thun Cubs and Classics at Thun Field (KPLU) was a hit. After low morning weather lifted, Cubs, Champs, a Howard DGA, a Fleet and several other aircraft arrived to enjoy a day of hanging out at the Spencer Aircraft-hosted fly-in. In addition to a dozen Cubs (by my count) and […]
A suggestion for keeping the magic of AirVenture alive
AirVenture is a magical place. I didn’t attend in 2011 and couldn’t wait to attend this year. After all was said and done, I wasn’t disappointed. By the numbers, AirVenture is huge. Official numbers from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) shows: 2,489 showplane registrations, including 200 Piper Cubs to celebrate the venerable aircraft’s 75th anniversary; […]
More veterans launch skyward
Ageless Aviation Dreams continues its tour of the Pacific Northwest taking veterans and seniors for a ride in its Boeing Stearman. The barnstorming tour also attracts “good news” stories on local news channels. See the KVAL.com story here.
What role does radio-controlled flying have in GA?
At the Arlington Fly-In in July I bought a Blade Scout radio-controlled (RC) helicopter. It’s a beginner-level RC. It’s also an absolute blast to fly. Horizon Hobby was the exhibitor. “We are trying to reach new markets, that’s why we are here in Arlington,” said Kim Payne from Horizon Hobby. “We’ll be at AirVenture as well.” Both displays were packed with people every […]
UAS operation in the homeland
“According to a recent national poll conducted by Monmouth University in New Jersey, nearly two-thirds of Americans support the use of unmanned aircraft [systems] (UAS) to protect the U.S. borders and control illegal immigration. Eighty percent of Americans support the use of unmanned aircraft to help in search and rescue missions.” The above is included in Michael Toscano’s prepared testimony for the House Committee on […]