Friday Photo: chasing the rainbow

Every pilot has spent time in an FBO waiting out weather. For a lucky few, that patience is rewarded with a beautiful view. That's what happened to Rick Kennett as he climbed out of St. Louis in his Cessna 340. The stormy clouds supplied the perfect rainbow, which he followed on his way home.
Airline cockpit at night

Night, over water

On a moonless or cloudy night, over deep water, without visual reference and out of normal VHF radio communications range with air traffic control, you are alone. Having charge of all souls on board, while always a heavy responsibility, feels heavier.

Nine things I know about flying in Maryland

Maryland is one of the most unique states in the country in that it has a unique mix of mountains, the Chesapeake Bay - which is the largest estuary in the United States - and beautiful beaches on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. By itself this would be notable, but we also have airports that serve these regions so they are more easily enjoyed.
Rain shower

My “pucker factor” story

“Pucker Factor,” for those unfamiliar with the term, is loosely defined as how tight a grip your butt gets on the seat in times of stress. Every pilot has a few Pucker Factor stories. My CFI probably has a couple dozen with my name on them. This is my story as to how, in a single flight, I emptied half of a 30-pound bag of luck and stuffed 50 pounds of experience into the empty space.

Friday Photo: Indonesia airstrip

For Caravan pilot Peter Santana, simple grass or dirt strips are nothing new. In fact, such challenging airports are just part of the job. But while many are challenging to land on, there's something very beautiful about strips like the remote Koropun airstrip in Papua, Indonesia. It's certainly not flat and there are tall cliffs off the end, but it's an essential lifeline for villagers there.
Ercoupe takeoff

My excellent Ercoupe adventure

On April 21, 2015, I accomplished something that I could have never imagined doing at the age of 63. I got a Sport Pilot certificate, and then with just 113 hours and three months as a pilot, I took off for the trip of a lifetime. I departed from Kingsbury, Texas (85TE) for Sheboygan, Wisconsin (KSBM) to attend the 2015 National Ercoupe Convention (75th Anniversary) before continuing on to Oshkosh, Wisconsin (KOSH) for AirVenture 2015.
Whitted Airport

A fifty-fifty decision in Florida

Spring, 2016. On the last week of my vacation, I did my favorite activity for any vacation: I traveled to the United States to fly. Since my last FAA checkride (Commercial Multiengine) had been over two years before, I was required to do this in order to act as pilot in command of an American registered aircraft again. But there was another guy to do an arrangement with: Colin.
question mark

Reader question: what do non-pilots ask when they learn you fly?

When meeting someone for the first time, talk often turn to hobbies or professions - the dreaded, "what do you do?" question. For most of us that means flying and a long conversation about airplanes, weather, safety, and so much more. So this month's question asks: when you tell someone you're a pilot, what question do you know is coming next?
OSU airport

Rod Stewart and my first solo

The first solo is an event remembered clearly by most of us. This summer marks the 40th anniversary of that seminal event for me. As the years have blurred many of the details, two aspects remain crystal clear.
172 over Argentina

Friday Photo: a GoPro view of Argentina

Pilot and aviation enthusiast Agustin Rubiños describes it as, "vuelos divertidos en Skyhawk." As this week's Friday Photo shows, he does indeed have a lot of fun flying around Argentina. In this photo, taken from his wing-mounted GoPro, he's soaring over the vast plains in his Cessna 172M.

Feeling helpless on my second solo cross-country

“And this time, go to at least one airport you’ve never been to before. Make it a towered field.” What’s the word for being excited and scared at the same time? Anxious? Yeah. That’s what I was. Six days later, I was off again.

Seven things I know about flying in California

California is a huge state and to sum it up in a few bullet points doesn’t truly do it justice. You must fly there to fully experience it yourself so “Go West, young man!” With airline service and a checkout from one of the many FBOs, it’s possible to experience California flying on a vacation if only for an afternoon.

Video tip: circle-to-land instrument approaches

Circling approaches are pretty rare these days, but at some airports they are the only option. While flying the approach to minimums is the same as a straight-in approach, what happens next leaves no room for error. This video breaks down the circling approach, including when it's required, how close to stay to the runway, and what to do if you lose sight of the airport.
Snow below

Denver to Norway in a Pilatus PC-12

In early 2016, my family was ready to see something new and beautiful. The past year had been tough -- we nearly lost Dad to a stroke – then, during his recovery from the stroke, we determined that he needed a heart valve replacement, his second such surgery. By February, with a fresh reminder of life’s fragility and brevity, we began laying the groundwork for an August adventure to Iceland and Norway.

Friday Photo: the plains of New Mexico

What a spectacular sight. The plains of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico seem to go on forever and with the vibrant blue of the sky contrasted by the white of the puffy cloud, well it was a picture worth putting in the family photo book.
Island Beach State Park

A pilot struggles with bladder control

Cecil was checking with the pilots to see if they needed anything. As he did several times a summer, he stuck his head in my Cub and asked, “Do you have a bottle to pee in?” Everyone but me carried a bottle. I guess it was a young guy thing. He liked to kid me about it. “Nah, I can hold it.”
American airlines airplane

Pilots make a deal with the devil

As an industry, we know how to essentially eliminate fatal accidents. As pilots flying for our own reasons we can learn how the big boys did that, and adapt as many of the lessons as we can afford, or decide are worth the required tradeoffs. We still must make our own deal with the dark side to fly our own airplanes for our own reasons by ourselves, but I hope we are making the best and most informed deal we can.

Go or No Go: home from Michigan?

Summer is coming to an end, which means your annual family vacation to northern Michigan is coming to an end as well. Today is go-home day - if the weather cooperates - so it's time to look at ForeFlight. The goal is to get from Traverse City, Michigan (TVC), to your home in Columbus, Ohio (OSU). Read the weather report below and decide what you would do.
Citabria on grass runway

Always read the fine print

It was pretty obvious that some folks hadn’t cracked open their respective book(s) in a long time. Those who had studied their documents, tended to be familiar with the BIG PRINT stuff, like their Normal Procedures sections and Emergency checklists, but were not so well-versed when it came to the various Notes, Warnings, and Cautions found throughout. There’s a lot of free, but hard-earned, wisdom in that fine print, all intended to protect life and limb.

Friday Photo: sunset over a grass strip

Words cannot express the feeling that comes over you as you leave the earth and look around at God's creation. As the sun begins to disappear on the horizon, and the shadows begin to stretch across the ground, for the moment, the earth seems to be calm and peaceful.