I’m excited about this trip for many reasons, but mostly because I am in a frame of mind that is unclouded and generally worry-free. It seems that on recent trips I’ve had many ankle-biting issues that seemed to be left undone as the trip started. On this trip I am ready to go. Here’s a…
See if this sounds familiar…you are a married man with a family that either loves to travel or has need of traveling, you’ve got a pilot license and 200+ hours of single-engine piston experience and an instrument rating, and you are dreaming of moving up to pressurization. You flew a Skyhawk/Cherokee for a while, moved…
I absolutely LOVE the JetProp and think it is one of the best airplane conversions. It makes a great airplane (PA-46 Malibu) even better. Here’s why: 1.) A Jetprop is just as easy to fly as a piston PA-46. In fact, it is arguably easier since there’s no mixture to deal with. If you…
As I advanced the throttles on the mighty King Air, the airplane surged forward in a familiar manner. I was off on a trip to New Mexico with 4 people on board and the weather was beautiful, albeit hot. As I accelerated down the runway, I usually announce “airspeed alive”, but on this flight the…
Ryne is a CFII/MEI that flies King Air’s, Malibu’s, and a whole bunch of other airplanes. As my right-hand man, I thought the experience of an International Ferry Flight from the Middle East to North America via the North Atlantic would be a huge confidence-booster. It was not only a confidence booster, but it also…
Dr. David Coats was a dear friend who was a true aviation aficionado and a fixture at the Cherokee County Airport (JSO). After a long bout with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), he recently passed away (May 2013). Those of us who knew him best at JSO wanted to do something special to commemorate his life. …
There’s 6 of us guys (and a few ladies) standing before a 185 lb bar (with weights) awaiting the “3-2-1-GO!!” countdown. We are all competitive and we all are about to give our all to post a respectable score. The Crossfit WOD (workout of the day) is: “1 minute at each station for Max Reps.”…
From fellow pilot, Tom Thomason: I’ve wanted to fly myself cross the North Atlantic for more than 20 years (or more) and the opportunity finally showed up this year. A good buddy of mine (Joe Casey) mentioned that he would be ferrying several aircraft across the North Atlantic from Saudi Arabia. That sounded like a…
This trip started out badly as I tried to jam too much into one day. I accepted a flight for a client to New Mexico on the same day that I was to depart for Saudi Arabia. My airline flight was not scheduled to depart until 4pm, and I figured I had plenty of time to…
Let’s assume that you’ve decided that aviation is in your future. The thought of going fast, maximizing your time, and increasing the company’s bottom line appeals to you and aviation is the one solution to your time problem. Now, what airplane should you buy? How do you go about starting the process? How much will…