By IVY McIVER. Talking about flying with non-pilots reminds me of just how foreign the concept of general aviation is to most people. The ease of traveling in one’s own airplane is wildly different from most non-aviators’ experiences of flying. I remember being in the front row at a comedy show, and the comedian began […]
Opinion
The beginning of the light airplane movement
In the 1920s Great Britain saw a great growth in civil aviation, which was an outgrowth of its light aircraft movement. This movement originated with light plane trials held in Lympne, England. These competitions led to the development of new light aircraft for private ownership and flying clubs. The flying clubs saw thousands of pilots learn […]
Do unto others, and all that sort of thing
You know the drill. The neighbors complain about the airport because it’s populated entirely by spoiled, rich white guys who get their kicks by flying low over the neighborhood and making lots of noise. We can disagree, we can explain, we can put thousands of hours of effort into going door to door to tell […]
Taxing the lead out of 100LL
By DEAN BILLING. California was the first state to attempt to remove the lead from 100LL by lawsuit. Unfortunately, the result of the unsuccessful CEH lawsuit only increased the cost of 100LL in the state. Now, along comes Oregon, which wants to tax the lead out of 100LL. I have a feeling this method will appeal to […]
Go where your heart takes you
It will come as no shock to regular readers of this column that I am on a mission. My goal, and yes I have absolutely chosen to accept it, is to shepherd as many aviation enthusiasts into the industry as full participants as I possibly can. If they learn to fly, that’s great. But if […]
Sensing good things on the horizon
While flying, have you ever looked down to tune a radio? Check an engine or fuel gauge? Referenced your navigation chart? Chat with your passenger? Focus on something on the ground? Well, then you aren’t seeing and avoiding to the best of your ability. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some help? Something that doesn’t […]
Anachronism or genius?
The world of 100 years ago was quite different than the one we inhabit today. There was no central heat or air-conditioning back then. Private dwellings and places of business were drafty and cold, or insufferably hot, depending on the season. Distances were covered on foot, or on horseback, or in a wagon that bumped […]
The dangers of overthinking
My wife’s lovely voice pierced an almost-as-lovely evening flight. “What’s that red light on the instrument panel?” She was pointing to the alternator fail red warning light. And now a fancy-free evening above central Virginia pine forests had just turned into “a situation.” My wife is competent, cool under pressure. If she ever deigned to get […]
One becomes two, then becomes a movement
While there are plenty of reasons to hang your head and lament the difficulty of making a difference in your community, it is not impossible to have a positive effect. Hard? You betcha. Impossible? Not hardly. There is reason for real hope even when the hill seems unimaginably steep and the burden feels too heavy […]