
What controversy? 5 debates new pilots don’t understand
John's blogPilots love a good debate. This may be the only thing that isn't controversial in aviation. Enthusiasm for debates doesn't necessarily make aviation unique; after all, sports fans are famous for their spirited arguments too. What is different is our need to debate the same issues, year after year, sometimes decades after the facts are settled. Two recent examples are particularly long-running - to the point of being frustrating.

Quality miles: the best route isn’t always the shortest
I was thereAs we crossed into Michigan, the satellite downlink picture beyond Lake Huron showed an irregular line of large thunderstorms stretching on a 35 degree angle from right to left across our path. I had been warned about scattered thunderstorms across Ontario leaving Green Bay but this looked more than scattered and I could not tell if there was a gap at least 50 miles wide for us to go through.

Why a 10 mile flight in a 727 took 30 minutes – or 4
I was thereA flight from LGA to JFK was normally nowhere near as short as you might think. Although the direct distance between the two airports is less than 10 miles, the flight itself often involved a tour of Long Island nearly out to Montauk to fit into the arrival pattern at JFK. It was not uncommon for the off-to-on time of this ferry flight to exceed 30 minutes.

Friday Photo: storm over the Everglades
Friday PhotoMost pilots can think of at least one experience that made them appreciate the power of Mother Nature. For Joel Graham, it was this picture, captured from his Piper Arrow on the way to the Florida Keys. It shows towering storms over the Everglades, and "has a way of reminding you how small you and your airplane really are."

Meigs saves the day: flying to my wedding during the blizzard of 1967
I was there"It’s snowing in Chicago and Indiana, and there won’t be any open roads or airline flights to Chicago until next week" – a prediction which turned out to be absolutely correct. This announcement tended to make it seem somewhat difficult for the groom to get to the suburban Chicago wedding by Saturday night – two days later.

Double trouble: have twins suddenly turned deadly?
Dick's blogIn the course of a few days, two old piston twins, a Model B55 Baron and a Piper Navajo, crashed, killing six in each case. My main question about the recent accidents was whether or not they were related to the failure of one engine and the resulting asymmetric thrust.

Head games: getting IFR current with a big trip
I was thereAfter a few more minutes of discussing the round dials and radios, my wife began to ask about the clouds in front of us. I did my best to be nonchalant about the approaching wall of smooth, white clouds, but in the back of my mind was the thought that this was the first time in over 10 years that I would be in actual “hard” IFR. I could feel that my smile lacked some sincerity when I joked about the weather.

Friday Photo: Monday over the rainbow
Friday PhotoWow. That's about the only reaction that seems appropriate after seeing this week's Friday Photo. Ethan Levi's wife snapped this photo of a beautiful rainbow just off the wing of their Mooney as they were vectored for the ILS 13R approach into Hillsboro, Oregon. Hopefully good weather and light winds were at the end of this rainbow.

Stayin alive – 16 favorite aviation quotes
HistorySometimes a simple phrase can sum up the essence of flying better than a chapter in a textbook. Here, experienced pilot Dan Littmann shares 16 of his favorite aviation quotes. From Wolfgang Langewiesche to Bob Hoover, well-known pilots share words that are funny but lessons that are serious. Read his list, then add your own.

Go or No Go: afternoon buildups
Go or No GoThe goal today is to get to Tallahassee, Florida, so you can be at a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. On paper, this is an ideal trip for you and your Piper Arrow. It should take just over an hour and a half, and a colleague will be waiting to pick you up in Florida. Of course the only question now is the weather. Let's look at what your iPad has to say, then decide whether it's a go or a no go.

Confessions of a timid pilot
OpinionWould it be VFR by the time I got there? Maybe… maybe not. Sure I’m instrument current, but is that good enough? Maybe… maybe not. It’s legal, but legal isn’t always smart. So, with full tanks I taxied back to the hangar and, after some light ribbing from my flip-flop-wearing buddy who questioned my judgment on such a perfect day, we heaved her back into the hangar.

Friday Photo: Blue Cut Fire
Friday PhotoPeter Hudson (photographer) and I happened to witness Mother Nature in all her fury as the "Blue Cut Fire" raged on day one. The awe of the strength of a wildfire like this is quickly tempered by the enormous consequences it has to everyone and anything in its path.

A really quick turn: a DC-8 evacuation from Uganda
I was thereThere was some apprehension as we approached the terminal as we could see a lot of military personnel and when we parked, I left the No. 3 engine running until I was assured of an airstart as we had no APU on DC-8 aircraft. I opened the forward door to be met by a six-foot Ugandan soldier holding a rifle at me.

How to fly safely when you’re low and slow
John's blogYou don’t have to fly IFR at 10,000 feet to travel efficiently by general aviation. I was reminded of this fact after logging 15 enjoyable hours over the past month - all at 500 feet and 100 knots in VFR-only aircraft. That doesn’t mean it was boring. Over the course of two long trips, I had a few speed bumps, and in the process I re-learned some important lessons about weather, decision-making and technology.

Merlin’s magic: unintended fireworks from a P-51
I was thereI lined up on the centerline and advanced the throttle. The aircraft accelerated rapidly and broke ground. This was my fifth solo takeoff in this aircraft, a North American P-51D Mustang. I raised the landing gear, and the climb speed reached about 175 knots. Approaching the airport boundary, the engine began shuddering and vibrating.

Friday Photo: Diamond Twinstar on top
Friday PhotoThe final entry in our Friday Photo Weekend is from Ryan Biziorek. He describes this beautiful shot as, "Serenity and sunshine above cloud tops on a late winter day in March perfectly framed by the dash and glare shield. A great reward for a newly minted multi-engine and instrument rated pilot. This is what the ratings are for."

Friday Photo: Monument Valley Stone Statue
Friday PhotoAnother great memory for our Friday Photo Weekend. Canadian pilot Simon Pinsonneault took a memorable flight through the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in a Cessna 172RG and all he could say is "wow!"

Friday Photo: sun peeks out behind a storm
Friday PhotoThe fourth picture in our celebration of Friday Photo Weekend shows the power of Mother Nature. Jim Yares was commuting from Northern California to Southern California in a Cirrus SR22 when he saw the sun breaking out underneath a dark cloud. He captured this stunning photo, which is at once beautiful and intimidating.

Friday Photo: Tomahawk over Lake Erie
Friday PhotoThe third installment of our Friday Photo Weekend. This one comes from Adam Thomas, who was out for a leisure flight in a Piper Tomahawk, just about to cross the coast of Lake Erie in Canada, when he took this picture. As he says, "all the weather came together."

Friday Photo: Mooney over Mexico
Friday PhotoThe second installment in our Friday Photo weekend series comes from Fernando Gonzalez-Fisher, who took a photo of the cloud-covered mountains of Monterrey, Mexico, from his Mooney M20M. The speed brakes are retracted and the airplane seems to be racing along, but the rugged mountains below are a reminder that all flights must eventually end.