Ever had one of those IFR flights where ATC vectored you all over in complex airspace, wouldn’t let you climb or descend in a timely fashion, or vectored you around a MOA that is bigger than most New England States? I’ve had a bunch of them over the years, and several recently. I’ve been flying…
It’s the “Guest Blog” at Casey Aviation featuring “Notso”, an officer/pilot and brand new Commercial Glider Pilot. From Notso…So there I was, strapped into the front seat of a Schweizer 2-33 on a picture perfect 80 degree day on the beautiful north shore of Oahu getting ready for takeoff. Before takeoff checklist was complete, tow…
I’ve been doing a lot of PA-46 recurrent and initial training lately at KJSO, and with the Texas temperatures, there’s one device that has received LOTS of favorable comments from my customers: a 110v Air Conditioner. It has been so nice to hook up the air conditioner while ground school is being conducted, and then…
Ahh…the Caribbean…a lovely locale. Beautiful beaches, blue-green water, and cool music…what’s not to love? I got to spend a few days in Barbados getting ready to fly a Cessna 421 back to the US, and really enjoyed the island. This particular C-421 had been in service as an inter-island charter airplane, and had spent the…
I think there’s a recurring theme happing here on my site…our military. As an Army Reserve soldier, I enjoy many of the benefits that servicemen receive, and a few that we have to seek. I’ve always felt the best “benefits” are not those provided by our government (PX privileges, education, etc.), but those provided by…
Much of a pilot’s life is spent sitting around an airport waiting for passengers, weather, or, if things are really bad, a maintenance event to be repaired. Today I got to sit around the Millionaire FBO at the San Antonio International Airport (KSAT), and got to meet some special guys. One had a neat story…
I’ve grown to love this little device. In the US, a flight can be tracked easily via www.flightaware.com, but in the rest of the world, it is not so. I started looking into ways that I could track my flights so my family could check in on my and see what I’m up to. I…
If you’ve read my stuff on this website thus far, you know I’m a huge fan of the PA-46 airframe. So you’d think I’d be all about the new Matrix, right? Well…yes, and no…there’s lots to love, but there’s something big missing. First, the good. Here’s some good reasons to consider a Matrix: It’s…
I’ve grown to love this tool. There are lots of GPS’s that can be bought nowadays, but here’s why I like to Garmin 496: * It is very user friendly. All you need is a 30 minute flight to tinker with it, and you’ll have no trouble moving from page to page comfortably. * It…
If I had to rank changes to aviation that have occurred over the last 10 years and then pick the top 3, there is no question what those top 3 would be. We are far better off as pilots today because of the GPS, the I-Pad, and noise canceling headsets (not necessarily in that order).…