Over the past several months, the COVID-19 problem dramatically reduced the number of executives flying business jets around the country to meet with customers. But, that doesn’t mean all flying has come to a standstill. Much of the piston and propeller fleet has been flying just fine, and quite fortunately, so have I – though Read More
When I earned my Instrument rating, it was common to include the phrase “No SIDs/No STARs” in the Remarks when filing an IFR flight plan. Partly we were being cheap. In those days you had to buy stacks of paper charts and books even for a single IFR flight, and the SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures) Read More
As much as we try to personalize them, airplanes are above all mindless mechanical devices that wear down and break at regular intervals, in spite of our mechanic’s best efforts. When this occurs, the pilots involved (and I am definitely one of them) invariably tend to blame themselves and lie awake at night thinking about Read More
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably shocked by the price of an aircraft paint job these days. Just 10 years ago, I remember getting paint quotes from a reputable shop on a mid-size jet for around $60,000 to $70,000. Those days are long gone, unfortunately. This got me wondering, “Why is painting an aircraft Read More
I recently added an FAA Part 135 Citation 525-series Captain position with Jet Methods (based at Palomar, California) to my aviation experiences. The process required an interesting combination of ground, online and flight training. Each charter certificate holder has a set of FAA-approved operating specifications known as “OpSpecs.” They detail everything from dispatching the airplane, maintenance, Read More