Several aviation blogs have touched on the subject of bird strikes recently, and it reminded me of a wildlife encounter I had almost exactly a year ago. The day started pleasantly enough. I met up with Dan over Chino and we formed up as a flight of two enroute to Crystal Airpark. We spent an hour or so with the… Read more →
Category: Aviation
South of the Border…
It’s that time of year again. The annual dive trip to Mexico! Most of the guys are driving down to San Carlos this time. Personally, I think it’s crazy to spend 16 hours driving across the featureless desert when America West offers daily (though spotty) service to nearby Guaymas. And right out of John Wayne, too! No getting up at… Read more →
Stealth
Anyone who knows me is aware that I love just about anything aviation-related. If there’s a film, book, documentary, magazine, or web site that promotes or involves flying, I’m all for it. It takes a lot for me to turn my nose up at anything with an airplane in it. Nevertheless, the trailers for the new Sony film Stealth look… Read more →
AIM Phraseology
The topic of radio etiquette has come up quite frequently of late, and it got me poking through the Airman Information Manual. Officially, when a controller calls out another aircraft to you, he/she is expecting one of two and only two replies. Either “traffic in sight” or “negative contact”. It may not be standard AIM phraseology, but I use the… Read more →
West Coast Cub Fly-In
So I’ve returned from that Big Adventure in the J3 Cub I’m constantly blabbering about these days. The trip was fantastic. My original intent was to provide a fairly in depth look at why those who love these little yellow airplanes call this sort of trip “real flying”. Unfortuantely, I’m too busy doing the “fake” flying (read: work) to tell… Read more →
Air Ambulances
Apparently it’s a slow news day at CNN, which is quoting a USA Today article about the “surge in crashes” which is “scarring” the air ambulance industry. As usual, it’s clear the pieces were written by people with little if any aviation experience. They’re unbalanced and sensationalized. It’s an undeniable fact that air ambulance service is responsible for saving thousands… Read more →
Slow Flight
I’m flying Sunrise’s J3 up to a Cub fly-in at Lompoc this morning. The official purpose is to try and drum up some business for the aircraft. The unofficial purpose: fun! I’ve been flying the plane quite a bit over the past couple of months and have to say it’s one of the most enjoyable planes I’ve flown. The windows… Read more →
Fourth of July
Lesley and I enjoyed a great 4th of July yesterday. Our schedules rarely mesh these days — she works Monday through Friday and I’m on from Wednesday through Sunday — so it was a welcome treat to have a whole day together. We started with a picnic at Irvine Regional Park. There were quite a few people around, but I… Read more →
Oh the Humanity
So I’m waiting to board my United Airlines flight to Seattle. A few days ago I was congratulating myself on resisting the temptation to fly up in my own airplane, opting instead to take advantage of frequent flyer miles to obtain a free ticket. Now that I’m here, however, the plan doesn’t seem quite so bright. Oh sure, the flight… Read more →
I Learned About Flying From That
So I recently got back from my third aerobatic contest, the Northern California Aerobatic Challenge at Paso Robles. I finished in second place, a nice surprise considering some serious obstacles were encountered along the way. After the Apple Valley contest (where I finished in sixth place), the plane developed a crack in the right fuel tank. Replacing this tank definitely… Read more →