A seemingly simple Lear 31 trip turned into a journey fraught with frustration, inconveniences and unexpected risks. We were to pick up two of our regular passengers, one of them a teenager, the other his mother in her 40s. They were going to Palm Desert for three to four days to get some sun and Read More
Every month I receive a surprising number of reader emails from pilots on the subject of turning professional. Almost all have a couple of thousand hours of flying time, a commercial license and are in their 50s or early 60s. Many are professionals in other fields such as doctors, lawyers or accountants, or have been Read More
There was a truly rare, freak-out weather event this past year at our airport. Strong gusty winds just blew the roof and doors off around 40 hangars built 30 years ago out of wood frames, wood truss roofs and metal siding. Oddly, aircraft tied outside on the flight line 100 yards from these hangars Read More
The challenge is figuring what is unique or different about a new-to-you airplane, then applying that information in some practical fashion.” One of the companies I fly for recently acquired a Gulfstream 150, and over the past several months, our pilot group (mostly accustomed to flying lighter Learjets and Citations) has been getting checked out Read More
I am 15,500 feet over the approach end of Runway 26L at McCarran International Airport (KLAS) in Las Vegas. I am in a Cessna 340 and not required to talk to anyone on the radio. But for awareness reasons, I have the tower controller on Com 1, who is talking nonstop to inbound airline traffic. Read More