Aviation Blog
About Our Blog
This blog is written by retired Designated Pilot Examiner and long time CFI Alan Malone. Alan has written over 350 essays and many are available on LaAviator.com. If you haven't read them all, this would be a good time to go to the archives, pick some titles that look interesting to you and read them. Our old website had access to all of them but when I had to build a new site I only listed links to those published back through 2017. The rest will be coming and are still out there in cyberland. If there is one that isn’t there yet that you want to read, just shoot me an email and I will send you the link to read it.
If you would like to contact Alan Malone to thank him and comment on his essays he can be reached at alanm1@cox.net.them and will learn something beneficial as well.
Alan's Novel
Alan has also graciously agreed to share his novel… The Quotidian Time Traveler….. with us. Here are the links to all of the chapters:
To read Chapter 1 just click HERE.
To read Chapter 2 just click HERE
To read Chapter 3 just click HERE
To read Chapter 4 just click HERE
To read Chapter 5 just click HERE
To read Chapter 6 just click HERE
To read Chapter 7 just click HERE
To read Chapter 8, Part 1 click HERE
To read Chapter 8, Part 2 click HERE
To read Chapter 8, Part 3 click HERE
To read Chapter 9 click HERE
To read Chapter 10 click HERE
To read Chapter 11 click HERE
To read Chapter 12 click HERE
To read Chapter 13 click HERE
To read Chapter 14 click HERE
To read Chapter 15 click HERE
To read Chapter 16 click HERE
To read Chapter 17 click HERE
To read Chapters 18 & 19 click HERE
To read Chapters 20 & 21 click HERE
To read Chapter 22 click HERE
To read Chapter 23 click HERE
To read Chapters 24, 25 & 26 click HERE
To read Chapter 27 click HERE
To read Chapters 28 & 29 click HERE
To read Chapters 30 & 31 click HERE
To read Chapter 32 click HERE
To read Chapter 33 click HERE
To read Chapters 34 & 35 click HERE
To read Chapter 36 click HERE
To read Chapter 37 click HERE
To read Chapter 38 & 39 click HERE
To read Chapter 40 & 41 click HERE
To read Chapter 42 click HERE
To read Chapter 43 & 44 click HERE
To read Chapter 45 & 46 click HERE
To read Chapter 47 click HERE
To read Chapter 48 click HERE
To read Chapter 49 & 50 click HERE
To read Chapter 51 & 52 click HERE
To read Chapter 53 & 54 click HERE
To read Chapter 55 & 56 click HERE
To read Chapter 57 click HERE
To read Chapter 58 & 59 click HERE
To read Chapter 60 & 61 click HERE
To read Chapter 62 click HERE
To read Chapter 63 click HERE
To read Chapter 64, 65 & 66 click HERE
To read Chapter 67 & 68 click HERE
To read Chapter 69 & 70 click HERE
To read Chapter 71 & 72 click HERE
To read Chapter 73 & 74 click HERE
I hope you enjoy it.
Warbird Adventures
When we see a warbird it makes all of our hearts race just a little bit faster. Some of us have been lucky enough to have flown in them. The rest of us really want to. Alan talks about flying several of them in Warbird Adventures (Essay #418)
To read the essay click HERE.
On Teaching and Learning Modern Normal and Emergency Procedures
Part of modern flight training is how to handle the various unusual situations that sometimes crop up in the life of a pilot. So the big question is when and how do we teach those things to a new pilot. Alan gives his opinion on that in this week’s essay…. On Teaching and Learning Modern Normal and Emergency Procedures (Essay #417)
To read the essay click HERE.
Don’t Be a Fool About Fuel
What is the number one reason for an engine on an airplane to get very, very quiet? Right, it’s fuel exhaustion and it’s something that is very easy to prevent. Alan talks about in this week’s essay….Don’t Be a Fool About Fuel (Essay #416)
To read the essay click HERE.
The Better-Than-New 172
Alan talks about some of the airplanes he has owned, particularly the Cessna 172, in this week’s essay….. The Better-Than-New 172 (Essay #414)
To read the essay click HERE
The Eyes Have It
Poor eyesight can make an impact on someone’s life. Find out how that impacted Alan in this week’s essay, The Eyes Have It (Essay #413)
To read the essay click HERE.
When The Winds Are Gusty
One of the hardest things to do is landing in a strong crosswind. And then when the wind is gusting it adds a whole additional level of difficulty. Alan talks about that in When The Winds Are Gusty (Essay #412).
To read the essay click….HERE
Hurricane Hunted
An airplane can be a great thing when you need to soar over some problems to escape from a storm. Alan tells you his experience in Hurricane Hunted (Essay #411). To read the essay click HERE.
The Thrill of It All
Captain Kirk just got to experience a thrill that the vast majority of us will never get to enjoy. To get Alan’s take on all that you need to read this week’s essay…. The Thrill of It All (Essay #410). To read the essay click….HERE
Problems With Partnerships
Partnerships can be good or bad, but either way they can be a very practical way to share the cost of aircraft ownership. Alan has been in several aircraft partnerships and shares his experience in Problems With Partnerships (Essay #409). To read the essay click….HERE
The Needles
Keep the needles centered. Easy to say. Hard to do. Alan tells you how those needles came to be in this week’s essay….The Needles (Essay #408)
To read the essay click HERE.
What is the Meaning of Flight?
What does flight mean to you? That could have as many answers as there are pilots. Alan talks about what flight means to many of the folks that he has crossed paths with over the years. This week’s essay is called What is the Meaning of Flight? (Essay #407). To read the essay click….HERE
Dancing With Ida
Alan talks about running from…. And not running from Hurricanes in this week’s essay Dancing With Ida (Essay #406). To read the essay click HERE.
Background, Motivation and Ability
Everyone who learns to fly doesn’t get taught the same way. Alan talks about how he assesses that in this week’s essay…… Background, Motivation and Ability (Essay #405). To read the essay click HERE.
Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
I’m sure you’ve all heard that if you have an issue in an aircraft, then the required tasks need to be performed quickly and efficiently in a certain order to ensure the most successful outcome. Alan talks about that order and why it’s important in this week’s essay…...Aviate, Navigate, Communicate (Essay 404).
To read the essay click HERE.
What Was the Most.....
What was the most….? That question can be completed with an endless number of different subjects. To see how Alan completes that question you need to read this week’s essay….. What Was the Most….. (Essay #403).
To read the essay click….HERE
You Don’t Get Any Better After a Thousand Hours (Or Maybe You Do)
Do we ever stop learning or can we always get better? Alan talks about that in this week’s essay….. You Don’t Get Any Better After a Thousand Hours (Or Maybe You Do) Essay (#402)
To read the essay click….HERE
Keeping It Up
Alan was planning to launch into a flight and tell us all about it. But a radio issue kept him grounded. So instead he launched into a discussion of lift, drag and a whole bunch of V-speeds. He calls it Keeping It Up (Essay #401).
To read the essay click HERE.
Opus 400
Alan has now written 400 essays for all of us to enjoy in seven in a half years. I had never even met him when he started. I thank him for his dedication and he thanks me for giving him a way to share them with everyone. I think it’s time to double his salary again. He reflects on all of those essays in today’s blog - Opus 400 (Essay #400). To read the essay click HERE.
About Hanging It Up Part 2
Alan is hanging it up. To find out what he’s hanging up, you’re going to have to read this week’s essay… About Hanging It Up Part 2 (Essay #399)
To read the essay click HERE.
About Hanging It Up
Do you own your possessions or do your possessions own you? Alan reflects on that in today’s essay….About Hanging It Up (Essay #398)
Flying Blind
Alan talks about taking off and even landing in zero/zero conditions in this week’s essay, Flying Blind (Essay #397). To read the essay click HERE.
Spaceship Earth
We all know what a spaceship is. Have you ever thought about that we live in one every day? Alan discusses that in this week’s essay…. Spaceship Earth (Essay # 396). To read the essay click HERE.
Roads Not Taken
We all have things we want to do during our lives. Some of them we’ve done. Some we’re still hoping we get to do. Alan talks about those for him in Roads Not Taken (Essay #395). To read the essay click HERE.
Reflections of Past Triumphs and Tribulations
We seem to remember really good things and really bad things. Alan share some of his memories in Reflections of Past Triumphs and Tribulations (Essay #394).
To read the essay click….HERE
Air Space Blues
I’ve always had trouble keeping all the different types of airspace straight. Maybe you have, too. Alan’s essay made it easier for me to understand so give it a read. It’s called Air Space Blues (Essay #393).
To read the essay click HERE.
The First Ride
Most of us remember our first airplane ride vividly. Many of us have given someone else their first ride as well. How did they react? Alan talks about his experience in this week’s essay, The First Ride (Essay #392).
To read the essay click HERE.
What's Your Relationship With Your Stuff?
We all have a bunch of “Stuff”. Alan has a question for you in this week’s essay…. What’s Your Relationship With Your Stuff? (Essay #391)
To read the essay click….HERE
Hitting the Mark
Dropping things out of airplanes…. like bombs (some are full of flour and some are a bit more hazardous) and people….can be a daunting task. Alan talks about that in Hitting the Mark (Essay #390). To read the essay click Here.
The Mystery of the OX-9
John Peterson has written another essay for our reading pleasure. It’s called The Mystery of the OX-9 (Essay #9). To read the essay click HERE.
Some More Odds and Ends
Alan continues to clean out the filing cabinet, in a literary sense, in this week’s essay…. Some More Odds and Ends (Essay #388).
To read the essay click….HERE
How Soon We Forget
Do you occasionally have someone’s name pop into your head that you haven’t thought about for years? Well, Alan does and you can read about some of those folks in today’s essay….. How Soon We Forget (Essay #386).
To read the essay click….HERE
An Unusual Pilot History
As you can probably guess, Alan has an amazing number of flight hours even though he was never a military or airline pilot. How many? Well, to find that out you will have to read An Unusual Pilot History (Essay #385).
To read the essay click….HERE
Wordsmith (English Nerd)
Alan gives us an English lesson this week plus a couple of other subjects this week in Wordsmith (English Nerd) - Essay #384
To read the essay click….HERE
The Pilgrim's Progress
In this week’s essay Alan discusses the similarity between his first long solo cross country and a famous novel. It’s called The Pilgrim’s Progress (Essay #382). To read the essay click….HERE.
A Totally Safe and Legal Trip to Aunt Hattie’s
There can be a lot of pressure on a brand new Private Pilot when he is taking his family on their first cross-country. Alan tells you about his experience and advice in this week’s essay….. A Totally Safe and Legal Trip to Aunt Hattie’s (Essay #381)
To read the essay click….HERE
Grand Canyon Adventures
Alan tells us all about his several trips to the Grand Canyon in general aviation aircraft in this week’s essay….. Grand Canyon Adventures (Essay #380).
To read the essay click….HERE
The Eyes, Part II
When Alan wrote about the eyes eight essays ago, he said he would be needing cataract surgery. In this essay, which is appropriately called The Eyes, Part II (Essay # 379), he describes his surgical experience. To read the essay click HERE.
A Career Well Spent
An interesting story about handling an inflite situation is in this week’s essay…..
A Career Well Spent (Essay #378). To read the essay click HERE.
What I Was Born to Do
I can totally identify with the essay that Alan has written this week, since he and I make the same salary working for this publication. This week’s essay is
What I Was Born to Do (Essay #377).
To read the essay click….HERE
Don't Forget Your Checklist!
Have you ever forgotten something important when taking off or landing? Alan tells you about some times when he has done just that in Don’t Forget Your Checklist! (Essay #376) To read the essay click HERE.
On Scattering Ashes
It’s becoming even more popular to be cremated these days and then that leads to the obvious question about what to do with the ashes. A lot of times the conversation then moves on to spreading them at some favorite spot from an airplane. Alan talks about doing just that in On Scattering Ashes (Essay #375).
To read the essay click HERE.
The Straight and Narrow
Do you always keep your aircraft exactly on the runway centerline on the take-off roll regardless of the conditions? How narrow can a runway be and you still feel comfortable that you can handle it? Alan talks about his experience with those things in The Straight and Narrow (Essay # 374).
To read the essay click HERE.
Gliding in a Straight-Tail 172
Regular readers of Alan’s essays probably recall that he spent some time as a jump plane pilot for a skydiving club. In this essay he spends some time describing some of his more interesting events while performing that service. It’s called Gliding in a Straight-Tail 172 (#373).
To read the essay click HERE
Milestones
This week Alan writes about some of the significant happenings in his life, and one of them he mentions is writing these Blogs for LaAviator.com for seven years. I have read them all, and enjoyed them all. I feel guilty when he thanks me for publishing them. He is doing the hard work….. I just put them in the newsletter. So now is a good time for me to thank Alan for all of his dedication to keep us entertained, educated and safe. He calls this week’s essay, Milestones (#372).
To read the essay click….HERE
The Eyes Have It
Alan starts off the new year on a slightly different subject. If you can’t see, you can’t fly. He has some advice for you in The Eyes Have It (Essay #371).
To read the essay click HERE.
Blog Archive
2020 Blogs
N77029 (Essay #370) - 12/17/20
Where Were You in Sixty-two? (Essay #369) - 12/9/20
Monoamine Oxidase Moments (Essay #368) - 12/3/20
A Couple of Memorable Thanksgiving Trips (Essay #367) - 11/27/20
Airplanes I Have Loved (Essay #365) - 11/19/20
Learning to Fly - Part 6 (John Peterson Essay #8) - 11/10/20
Order in the Cockpit (Essay #364) - 11/5/20
The Swinging Compass (Essay #363) - 10/29/20
Reviewing the Review (Essay #362) - 10/20/20
Learning to Fly - Part 5 (John Peterson Essay #7) - 10/26/20
On Carburetor Heat (Essay #361) - 10/14/20
Crew Coordination (Essay #360) - 10/8/20
Travels With Charlene (Essay #359) - 9/30/20
Learning to Fly - Part 4 (John Peterson Essay #6) - 9/28/20
On Picking Up Airplanes (Essay #358) - 9/24/20
What Do Folks Do With An 80 Knot Bugsmasher? (Essay #357) - 9/16/20
The Champ (Essay #356) - 9/9/20
Getting It Off the Ground (Essay #355) - 9/4/20
Another Anniversary (Essay #354) - 8/25/20
The Tip of the Iceberg (Essay #353) - 8/18/20
Tailwheel Background (Essay #352) - 8/13/20
Learning to Fly - Part 3 (John Peterson Essay #5) - 8/14/20
Opus 350+1 (Essay #351) - 8/5/20
Oshkosh Memories (Essay #350) - 7/31/20
The Community (Essay #349) - 7/23/20
The Dual/Solo Ratio (Essay #348) - 7/14/20
Learning to Fly - Part 2 (John Peterson Essay #4) - 7/9/20
Some Adventures in Gravity Powered Aircraft (Essay #347) - 7/9/20
On Using a Complex Aircraft For Primary Training (Essay #346) - 7/2/20
Logging Jumps (Essay #345) - 6/26/20
Learning to Fly (John Peterson Essay #3) - 6/22/20
Successive Approximation (Essay #344) - 6/18/20
Frank V. Ryder (Essay #343) - 6/11/20
Flying Stories (John Peterson Essay #2) - 6/8/20
If All You Had to Do Was Not to Kill Yourself…. (Essay #342) - 6/4/20
Learning Sticks and Tailwheels (Essay #341) - 5/27/20
Turns Out (Essay #340) - 5/21/20
My First Flight - by John Peterson - 5/18/20
Beauty is In the Mind of the Beholder (Essay #339) - 5/1/20
The Law of Extinction (Essay #338) - 5/8/20
A Pilot’s Airplane (Essay #337) - 4/29/20
A Night Flight With a Quiet Passenger (Essay #336) - 4/23/20
On Regaining Currency (Essay #335) - 4/16/20
Open the Pod Bay Door, Hal (Essay #334) - 3/11/20
Design Consists of a Series of Compromises (Essay #333) - 4/9/20
Wearing the Plane (Essay #332) - 4/1/20
Something To Do While You’re Shut In (Essay #331) - 3/24/20
An Abundance of Caution (Essay #330) - 3/18/20
Open the Pod Bay Door (Essay #329) - 3/11/20
Members of the Tribe (Essay #328) - 3/5/20
Cinco De Mayo Revisited (Essay #327) - 2/19/20
Fortunate Transitions (Essay #326) - 2/13/20
The Cross-Country Package - Volume III (Essay #325) -2/7/20
The Cross Country Package Volume II (Essay #325) - 1/28/20
The Cross-Country Package Volume I (Essay #324) - 1/23/20
The Last Few Seconds (Essay #323) - 1/16/20
Ground School (Essay #322) - 1/9/20
2017 Blogs
THIRTY SECONDS OVER NEW IBERIA 12/28/17
GETTING STARTED 12/22/17
PILOT PRODIGY 12/21/17
FIRST THINGS FIRST 12/14/17
THE PERIPATETIC SEPTUAGENARIAN RETURNS 12/10/17
A FEW MORE WORDS ON RISK MANAGEMENT 11/21/17
KNOCKING ANOTHER ONE OFF BUCKET LIST 11/18/17
AIRSHOWS 11/5/17
TIMES FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN 11/5/17
FLIGHT TRAINING, TAKE FIRST THINGS FIRST 10/24/17
ANOTHER ALMOST-PERFECT FLIGHT 10/24/17
A CLEARANCE CHALLENGE FROM OKC 10/6/17
BACKGROUND, MOTIVATION AND ABILITY 9/30/17
DON’T PREFLIGHT IT LOVER 9/30/17
THE THINK METHOD 9/15/17
ON ACCURACY AND PRECISION 9/6/17
ECLIPSE TRIPS 8/26/17
A DATE TO REMEMBER 8/19/17
A DAY IN THE LIFE 8/12/17
AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE 8/6/17
THE PERFECT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 7/20/17
A FLIGHT TO REMEMBER 7/5/17
ON THE FREEDOM OF FLYING 7/5/17
WHERE YOUR AIRPLANE LIVES 6/24/17
LIES, DAMN LIES, AND STATISTICS 6/16/17
SOMETIMES YOU WANT A BRIEFER BRIEFER 6/9/17
ANOTHER IN SAGA OF GOING DIGITAL 6/7/17
THE SYLLABUS 5/21/17
ADVENTURES WITH JOSH 5/21/17
HOBKNOBBING WITH THE BIG BOYS 5/21/17
AN UNEXPECTED TRIP BACK IN TIME 4/28/17
INSTRUCTOR LIABILITY 4/24/17
THE FEEL OF AN AIRPLANE 4/15/17
SCHWEINHUNDT - ENCHUN FAILURE! 4/11/17
MEMORABLE INSTRUCTORS I HAVE KNOWN 4/1/17
OPUS 200 - ALAN’S 200TH ESSAY 4/1/17
200 Opus 200 - 3/23/17
199 RULES FOR SEASONED TRAVELERS - 2/20/17
198 OVERHAULIN’ BLUES - 2/13/17
197 FREQUENTLY MISSED QUESTIONS - 1/30/17
196 THE PERFECT TEST - 1/23/17
195 FANTASY AIRPLANES - 1/16/17
2016 Blogs
148 DIFFERENT PLANES – LUSCOMBE 8A (1/4/16)
149 SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT RISK MANAGEMENT (1/11/16)
150 OPUS 150 (1/18/16)
151 MY LATEST PLANE (12/25/16)
152 THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS (2/1/16)
153 THE SAVANNAH MILK RUN (2/8/16)
154 TAILWHEEL SPECIALIST (2/15/16)
155 THE FLYING DONAHUES (2/22/16)
156 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (3/14/16)
157 UP, UP, AND AWAY (3/21/16)
158 REMEMBERING DARRELL (3/28/16)
159 SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS ON RISK MANAGEMENT (4/4/16)
160 BEHIND EVERY JOURNEY IS A REASON (4/11/16)
161 A LAS BAS (4/18/16)
162 ON STAYING CURRENT (4/25/16)
163 AN AFTERNOON AT THE AIRPORT OFFICE (5/2/16)
164 THE PLACEBO EFFECT (5/9/16)
165 WHEN THE RUBBER BAND BREAKS (5/16/16)
166 ON STATING THE OBVIOUS (5/23/16)
167 SINES, COSINES, AND EAR WAX (5/30/16)
168 IMPROVING THE PRACTICAL TEST (6/6/16)
169 ON BACKACHES, BUDGETING, AND RESTRICTED AIRSPACE (6/13/16)
170 THE FIRST LESSON PART 1 – The Blank Slate (6/13/16)
171 THE FIRST LESSON PART 2 – (6/20/16)
172 WHERE DOES YOUR AIRPLANE LIVE? (6/27/16)
173 TRIBALISM IN THE COCKPIT (7/11/16)
174 NORMALIZATION OF DEVIANCE (7/18/16)
175 A FICTIONAL FLIGHT FROM LAKEFRONT TO JACK EDWARDS (7/25/16)
176 THE MILLENIUM FALCONS (8/1/16)
177 ON FLYING BIPLANES (8/8/16)
178 ON FLYING DIRECT WITHOUT RADIO AIDS (8/15/16)
179 ON EMERGENCIES, REAL AND IMAGINED (8/22/16)
180 THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING AMERICAN (8/29/16)
181 THE 2016 BOULDER MILK RUN (9/5/16)
182 LOSING COMMUNICATION IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES (9/12/16)
183 SOME MORE ODDS AND ENDS (10/3/16)
184 AN UNFORTUNATE STORY, SELECTED AT RANDOM (10/10/16)
185 THOUGHTS THAT COME WHILE BORING A HOLE IN THE SKY (10/24/16)
186 THE CURSE OF MONTGOMERY (10/31/16)
187 ON PROFESSIONALISM (11/7/16)
188 FROM THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA (11/14/16)
189 A COUPLE OF THANKSGIVING TRIPS WITH ICE (11/28/16)
190 THE ODD COUPLE (12/6/16)
191 ON FLYING BY THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS OR THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (12/13/16)
192 I WON’T TELL IF YOU WON’T TELL (12/20/16)
193 AN AVIATION CHRISTMAS MEMORY (12/27/16)
The rest are coming! I will keep adding them until I get them all on here.....