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LaAviator.com

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Aviation Blog

Alan Malone

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.


Flying Flip-Flops

My favorite quote from someone who had taken a flight with a professional aerobatic pilot was, “I would have thrown up…. but I didn’t know which way up was!”   Alan talks about his experience with aerobatics in this week’s essay, Flying Flip-Flops (Essay #638).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Detailed to Death

Alan says airplanes are meant to be flown and not to just keep getting  polished or sitting in a hangar collecting dust.  He calls this one Detailed to Death (Essay #637).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Time is Money - Most of the Time

Airplanes can just about always save you time and sometimes can even save you money.  And of course they can also cost you large amounts of money.  Alan talks about all kinds of options in this week’s essay….  Time is Money - Most of the Time (Essay #637).

To read the essay click….HERE.

On Zero-Zero Takeoffs and Landings

Alan tells us how to take-off and land when we can’t see outside of the aircraft.    But we obviously all hope that it is something that we never have to do.  He calls his one… On Zero-Zero Takeoffs and Landings (Essay #636)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Interactions Among Instructors, Applicants and Designated Examiners

If you're a pilot, you've had at least one or more of what used to be called check rides (now called Practical Tests).  Whether you passed or failed them, they’re still etched in your memory.  At least two of the three of you that were involved in these events were probably very nervous.  I know I was.  As a long time FAA Designated Examiner, Alan obviously has performed thousands of these tests and has some interesting observations of the process.  He calls this one…. Interactions Among Instructors, Applicants and Designated Examiners (Essay #635)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Alan does something a little different this week.  He starts off writing about aviation as usual and then ends up writing about how his appreciation of art has changed over the years.  It’s an interesting subject that I know I have wrestled with as well.  He calls this one Pictures At An Exhibition (Essay #634).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Open the Pod Bay Door, Hal!

Have you ever heard of the Alan Malone School of Precision Flying? Probably not because it doesn’t really exist.  But if it did it would have a really nice simulator.  Why?  You can find out if you read this week’s blog, Open the Pod Bay Door, Hal! (Essay #633)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Caught On Top

You know that a Private Pilot needs to have some ability to fly on instruments by the time they get their rating. So, as a flight instructor, when and how do you start training them to have it?  Alan calls this week’s essay Caught On Top (Essay #632).

To read the essay click…. HERE

The Winner and Still Champ

Alan looked at an AOPA video that compared four classic tailwheel aircraft.  He writes about his experience flying those four aircraft in this week's essay.  He calls it The Winner and Still Champ (Essay #631)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Personal Maintenance

Alan had to hit the pause button to take care of a little medical issue.  To make sure we had something to read this week he shared a rerun of one of his personal favorites.  He calls this essay Personal Maintenance.  To read it click….HERE.  

Mindfulness for Fighter Pilots

Can you control your mind when under extremely stressful circumstances?  Would that be helpful when flying an aircraft?  Alan discusses a book written on that subject in this week’s essay….. Mindfulness for Fighter Pilots (Essay #630)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

I’ve Got Satisfaction

Mick Jagger says he “Can’t get no satisfaction…”  Well, that sure doesn’t apply to Alan.  He calls this week’s essay I’ve Got Satisfaction (Essay #629).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Decibels, Photons and A Pleasant Read

This week Alan writes about how what we do impacts our hearing and vision and their decline during our advancing years.  Relax, it’s not all bad news and there are some wonderful things we can do to protect and correct them.  He calls this one….. Decibels, Photons and A Pleasant Read (Essay #628).

To read the essay click….HERE.

They Don’t Quit Often, But…

Have you ever had an engine quit while flying?  They are amazing machines and extremely reliable.  I’ve never had one totally quit but I’ve had a few incidents when engines got very rough….. rough enough for me to make a quick precautionary landing.  Of course, Alan has flown a whole lot more than I have so what has been his experience?  He tells us all about that in…. They Don’t Quit Often, But…(Essay #627).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Getting Ahead of the Machine

Have you ever had an instructor tell you that you “need to get ahead of the airplane”?  Several instructors told Alan to do that and he had to figure out what they meant.  He’ll tell you what it means in…..

Getting Ahead of the Machine (Essay #626).


Flying or Driving For Turkey

We all know that turkeys can’t fly but Alan has flown on a lot of trips to eat turkey.  He compares a lot of those flights and a driving trip that he is on right now in this week’s essay …. Flying or Driving For Turkey (Essay #625)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Let’s Go Bowling

Alan continues discussing his very rough year…. and a few miscellaneous subjects.  He calls this one Let’s Go Bowling (Essay #623).

To read the essay click….HERE

Good-bye To A Good Friend

Alan reflects on his friendship with long time fellow DPE Sammy Whatley.  This week’s essay is called Good-bye To A Good Friend (Essay #622).

To read the essay click…. HERE

On Not Letting the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good Enough

Alan has a family member that is planning to learn how to fly.  Alan talks about how he might be able to help and what he needs to avoid that might be detrimental to that effort.  He calls this one On Not Letting the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good Enough (Essay #621).

To read the essay click….HERE

What’s Fun?

We’ve all heard the words, “Have fun!”, when we’re leaving to pursue something enjoyable.  Those two simple words can mean so many things to different people.  Alan shares his thoughts on what those words mean to him and others in this week’s essay - What’s Fun? (Essay #619).

To read the essay click….HERE.

A Horrible Year in the Life of Alan Malone

This year has not been good to Alan and he definitely wants an opportunity to vent.  So do him a favor and read this week’s essay, A Horrible Year in the Life of Alan Malone (Essay #618).

To read the essay click….HERE.

The Accidental Essayist

Alan talks about the several interesting careers that he has enjoyed over the years…. that have led to him writing essays for us.  I’m so glad that it has.  It’s called The Accidental Essayist (Essay #617).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Gone With the Wind

This week Alan writes about something that those of us that live in South Louisiana are unfortunately way too familiar with….. running from hurricanes.  He calls it Gone With the Wind (Essay #616).

To read the essay click….HERE.

The Joy of Tracking

In this week’s essay, Alan is giving you some valuable teaching on one of the very basic and necessary instrument piloting skills.  Does the phrase “magic number” mean anything to you?  Anyway, he calls this one The Joy of Tracking (Essay #624). 

I Used to Know What Infinity Was, But Then I Got Hung Up in Limitation and I Forgot

Suppose you’re taking off on a runway that is infinitely long.  Well, we know that isn’t really possible and what does that have to do with anything?  You’ll have to read this week’s essay to find out.  It’s called I Used to Know What Infinity Was, But Then I Got Hung Up in Limitation and I Forgot (Essay #615)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Getting Current

Alan talks about flying the Big Engine Luscombe with his friend Emmet Bartholomew after a long break from the cockpit.  He calls this week’s essay…. Getting Current (Essay #614).

To read the essay click….HERE.

On Flying to California

Do you consider a single-engine, four-seater aircraft with horsepower in the mid-100s to be a perfectly respectable traveling machine?  You can see how Alan would answer that question by reading this week’s essay…. On Flying to California (Essay #613)

To read the essay click HERE.

I Think I Can Teach ALMOST Anyone to Fly

I’m sure that I can’t be taught how to pole vault…. and a lot of other things as well.  How about flying?  Can everyone be taught how to fly?  Alan talks about the subject in this week’s essay….. I Think I Can Teach ALMOST Anyone to Fly (Essay #612)

To read the essay click….HERE.

The Good Old Days

Regardless of the subject of a conversation, usually someone will get around to talking about “the good old days”.  When it comes to aviation, were they really that good?  Alan gives his view of that in this week’s essay….. The Good Old Days (Essay #611).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Adventures Behind Round Engines

Hopefully you’ve been fortunate enough to be around some airplanes with a round engine (see what I did there).  Even better, you've actually flown behind some of those wonderful powerplants.  Alan’s going to tell you all about them in this week’s essay…. Adventures Behind Round Engines (Essay #610)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Busy In A Beaver

We went on a tour of the Canadian Rockies back in June and took a flight in an Otter floatplane with a turbine conversion.  It was wonderful.  Then when we were in Oshkosh last week we saw a Beaver floatplane that was powered by an electric motor.  Then I read Alan’s essay for this week and he rode in a Beaver floatplane powered by the original Pratt and Whitney radial engine.   I think Alan had the best experience.  The essay is called Busy In A Beaver (Essay #609) and you can read it by clicking HERE

On Getting Briefed

At one time you got briefed for a flight by going to a building and talking to a real live human being.  Now you just pick up your smartphone or iPad.  How will you get briefed in the future?  Alan talks about this in this week’s essay….. On Getting Briefed (Essay #608).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Out of Practice

The FAA has some rules that you have to follow to officially be “Current” to exercise the privileges of your airman certificate.  If you haven’t flown for a while, is meeting those rules good enough to competently fly in your aircraft?  Alan gives us his thoughts in….. Out of Practice (Essay #607).

To read the essay click….HERE.

All Take Offs Are Voluntary, All Landings Are Mandatory

The fact is that there is some amount of risk every time we climb into an airplane.  Alan talks about how to manage that risk in today’s essay…. All Take Offs Are Voluntary, All Landings Are Mandatory (Essay # 606). To read the essay click…. HERE.

Sergeant GUMPS Can Help You Remember

“There are those that have and those that will.”  With that statement as a hint I’m guessing that you now know exactly what this week’s essay is all about.  You can confirm that by reading it.  It’s called Sergeant GUMPS Can Help You Remember (Essay #605).

To read the essay click…. HERE

What Really Happens Out There?

What is the decision that keeps a Flight Instructor awake at night?  Alan tells us what he thinks it is in this week’s essay….. What Really Happens Out There? (#604).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Should I Should or Should I Shouldn’t?

As you would expect, Alan has been approached by a lot of folks over the years to help them accomplish their aviation dreams.  What should he do if he thinks their dream is more like a nightmare?  Alan talks about that in this week’s essay….. Should I Should or Should I Shouldn’t? (Essay #603).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Dealing With the Unexpected

Flight training has to prepare you to automatically handle every emergency.  Alan tells us his approach for doing just that in Dealing With the Unexpected (Essay #602).

To read the essay click….HERE

My Best Man

Alan shares the story of his lifelong friendship with Harry Shannon, an aircraft mechanic from Houma that now lives in Florida and maintains Lake Amphibians.  Harry recently visited Louisiana and I fortunately got to meet him for a few minutes at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Monroe.  It is a fascinating story that I thoroughly enjoyed and I think you will enjoy it, too.  It’s called My Best Man (Essay #601).

To read the essay click…. HERE

Back in the Saddle Again

I’m very glad to be sharing one of Alan’s essays again.  He’s been through a very serious series of medical issues but is now healing and improving every day.  So, I want to be the first to welcome our Staff Writer back to the word processor.  He tells us all of the details of his medical episode in this week’s essay…. Back In The Saddle Again (Essay #600).

To read the essay click….HERE

Ability Authority Integrity

I plan to occasionally publish aviation essays written by guest authors. I found a Blog post from the organizer of the Gulf South Aviation Maintenance Seminar, Jeffery Howard, that I think you will enjoy.  It's called Ability Authority Integrity.  To read it click HERE.

Glider Wave Flying 2024 in Marion, NC.

Glider pilot Glenn Mcgovern has written another essay for us about soaring.  This one is called Glider Wave Flying 2024 in Marion, NC.  To read it click HERE.

A Logbook Review

A Pilot’s Logbooks can tell a lot about a pilot’s flying career.  Alan analyzes what his are telling him about his many hours of flight time.  This week’s essay is called A Logbook Review (Essay #527).

To read the essay click….HERE

On Retirement

Alan has had a variety of careers in his life and in this week’s essay he explains why he made the decision to retire from all of them but the current one.  It’s called On Retirement (Essay #526).

To read the essay click….HERE

The Instrument Syllabus

If you are a student training to receive your Instrument Rating or a CFI training Instrument students, then you need to read Alan’s essay this week.  It’s called The Instrument Syllabus (Essay #525).

To read the essay click….HERE

Worst Case Scenario

It’s never a good thing to lose power in an airplane when you’re low and slow.  Alan talks about that in this week’s essay, the Worst Case Scenario (Essay # 524).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Fit To Fly? Says Who?

Flying an airplane can be very challenging at times and you have to be performing at your best to do it.  In most cases, you are the one making the decision about whether you are fit to fly.  Are you being honest with yourself when you make that decision?  Alan writes about that in this week’s essay…. Fit To Fly?  Says Who? (Essay #523)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Alternates

The FAA rule says you have to carry enough fuel to fly to your point of first intended landing, then fly from there to your alternate and then have an additional forty-five minutes of fuel, predicated on normal fuel consumption at cruise speed.  Alan talks about whether that is a good enough in Alternates (Essay #522).

To read the essay click…. HERE

In-Groups and Out-Groups

Alan gives us a chance to enjoy one of his older essays again.  It discusses that even though we are all aviators, we are divided into groups and it would probably be better if we all talked more.  It’s called In-Groups and Out-Groups (Essay #521).

To read the essay click….HERE.

The Key to the Operation

When you go flying there are a lot of keys that you need to know about….. and I’m not talking about the keys for the ignition switch.  Alan talks about several other keys in this week’s essay…. The Key to the Operation (Essay #520)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Happy Surprises and Anxious Anticipations

Alan talks about his several “solos” and why being surprised for them is better than knowing that they are coming.  This week’s essay is Happy Surprises and Anxious Anticipations (Essay #519)

To read the essay click….HERE

The Most Important Skill

Alan has some questions for you this week.  What’s the most important thing you’ve ever learned about flying?  And, for any instructors out there, what do you consider the most important things you have to teach your students?

He gives you his answers in this week’s essay…. The Most Important Skill (Essay #518).

To read the essay click….HERE

Where Do You Want Dese Wings, Lady?

Alan finally settles the perennial debate that has been going on since airplanes have been invented….. Is it better for the wings to be on the top or the bottom?  Well, at least he discusses it in this week’s essay…. Where Do You Want Dese Wings, Lady? (Essay #517)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Some Celebrity Contacts

Alan has met some “celebrities” that have made an impact on his life….and sometimes the lives of others. To find out who they are you’ll have to read this week’s essay….Some Celebrity Contacts (Essay #516).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

The Santa Bust

Alan appropriately shares an essay with a Christmas theme this week.  It’s called The Santa Bust (Essay #515).  To read the essay click….HERE.

In the Beginning…. Part 3

If you have been following Alan’s Essays, the one two weeks ago described the right way to conduct a first flying lesson.  Last week’s essay described the second flying lesson.  Would you like to guess what this one is about?  Right, the description of the third flying lesson.  This one is called In the Beginning…. Part 3 (Essay #513).

To read the essay click….HERE.

In the Beginning… (Part 2)

In last week’s essay, Alan defined what a first flying lesson should look like and the reasons behind it.  In this week’s essay, he describes the second lesson and also tells the instructors some problems to look for as the student progresses.  It’s called In the Beginning… (Part 2) (Essay #512)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Another Glenn McGovern Soaring Article

Louisiana Glider Pilot Glenn McGovern has graciously volunteered to write a series of articles about soaring.  Here’s his fourth article called Flying the Carolina Wave Project Marion, N.C. or Ten Things I learned about Wave Flying in a 1-26.  Thanks to Glenn for sharing it with us.  I hope you'll enjoy it.  To read the article click: HERE.

The First Small Steps Toward Wisdom, Grasshopper (Part One)

When someone who very successfully taught a lot  of people to fly provides some advice, you would be very wise to listen.  You can read this week’s essay to get Alan’s advice about how to conduct the first flying lesson for a new student.  It’s called…..

The First Small Steps Toward Wisdom, Grasshopper (Part One) (Essay #511)

To read the essay click….HERE.

The “C” and Me

Alan discusses owning and flying a Mooney M-20C in this week’s essay, The “C” and Me (Essay #510).  To read the essay click….HERE.

Here Comes the Foggy Season

With the current weather conditions we’ve been dealing with, it’s a good time to talk about how to handle making a go/no go decision.  Alan discusses his personal approach in this week’s essay…. Here Comes the Foggy Season (Essay #509).

To read the essay click….HERE

FBOs: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

As you would expect, not all FBOs are created equal.  Alan talks about some of his FBO visits in this week’s essay….FBOs:  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Essay #508)

To read the essay click….HERE

My Next Step in Gliders - Why I Decided to Enter Glider Contests

Louisiana Glider Pilot Glenn McGovern has graciously volunteered to write a series of articles about soaring.  Here’s his third article called My Next Step in Gliders - Why I Decided to Enter Glider Contests.  Thanks to Glenn for sharing it with us.  I hope you'll enjoy it.

To read the article click: HERE

Performance Figures

Every airplane you fly is supposed to have an Owners Manual on board and you're supposed to be familiar with how to use it.  Alan talks about that in this week’s essay…..Performance Figures (Essay #507).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Decisions, Decisions

Flying is all about making decisions.  Sometimes we have the luxury of having a lot of time to make them.  Other times, they have to be made and acted upon almost instantly.  Alan gives his take on that in this week’s essay….Decisions, Decisions (Essay #506)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

There Are No Obstacles, Only Challenges in Gliding

Louisiana Glider Pilot Glenn McGovern has graciously volunteered to write a series of articles about soaring.  Here’s his second article called There Are No Obstacles, Only Challenges in Gliding - My Attempts to Master Cross Country Gliding.  Thanks to Glenn for sharing it with us.  I hope you'll enjoy it.

To read the article click: HERE

Memorable Moments

Alan says, “Intense experiences tend to stimulate our memories better than routine

sensory inputs.”  The official name for that is the Law of Intensity.  Alan talks about a couple of his “intense experiences” in this week’s essay….Memorable Moments (Essay #505).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Why I Became Passionate About Soaring in Gliders

Louisiana Glider Pilot Glenn McGovern has graciously volunteered to write a series of articles about soaring.  Here’s his first article called Why I Became Passionate About Soaring in Gliders.  Thanks to Glenn for sharing it with us.  I hope you will enjoy it.

To read the article click:  HERE

I Learned About…. From That

A lot of what we’ve learned has come from what we’ve experienced.  Alan talks about that this week in I Learned About…. From That (Essay #504).

To read the essay click….HERE

Living Near Lift

An engine?  We don’t need no stinking engine?  Alan talks about that in this week’s essay…. Living Near Lift (Essay #503).

To read the essay click….HERE

To Go Around or Not To Go Around

There is a critical decision that all pilots have to occasionally make.  Alan talks about it in this week’s essay…. To Go Around or Not To Go Around (Essay #502).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

It Must Be Nice

Alan starts his second 500 essays this week with #501.  If you’re like me, and most of you are…. then you've seen someone living in an idyllic aviation community or flying that gorgeous airplane that you’ve always wanted and been a bit envious.  Alan writes about that in this week’s essay… It Must Be Nice (Essay #501).

To read the essay click….HERE

Opus 500

Congratulations to Alan!   Here is his 500th aviation essay.  When Alan asked me if I would like to publish one of his essays, I had no idea that it would result in so many and for so long.  Neither did he.  The oldest one I can find is dated July of 2011.  It looks like they started coming on a regular basis on January 27th of 2013.  So the math essentially works out…… roughly 50 essays a year for a little over 10 years equals 500 of them.  If you scroll down on this Blog page you can still read every one of them. 

I’ve read them all and enjoyed it.  Depending on the subject they will entertain, educate and inform.  If you apply them to your flying, I’m confident that you will become a safer pilot.  Hopefully you’ve read some of them, too.  Whenever you get the opportunity just come to this blog page, scroll down until you see a title that looks interesting and click on it.  I think you’ll enjoy it.

Oh, that brings up something else I wanted to mention.  When someone gives you a gift you thank them but they usually don’t thank you. Every time I’ve thanked Alan for doing this over the years he thanked me.  I had a tough time understanding that until I read #500 but I think I finally got it.  

Here is an excerpt from his 500th essay… “I’d like to comment that learning by doing is a hallmark of the teaching/learning process. We learn to fly by flying. We learn to drive by driving.  We learn to paint by painting. Maybe it’s possible to learn to write essays by writing essays.”

Once you write it, you need someone to read it.  You get that by finding a platform that gets your writing to the readers.  I provided that to Alan through LaAviator.com and became his Enabler-In-Chief as he calls me.

Thank you, Alan.  Your dedication to your craft and perfecting your writing skills are exemplary.  I hope you’re satisfied with the salary you receive ($0) and I’ll do what I can to continue to double it every year as promised. 

To read Opus 500 click….HERE

Honorable Mention

Alan begins this week’s essay with the words, “So. Here I stand, on the threshold of having done something that few people have done before.”  What is he getting ready to do?  Publish his 500th aviation essay and I hope you have been enjoying them all.  This week he thanks those who have helped him reach that incredible milestone.  He also added a beautiful tribute to a dear pilot friend who has passed away.  This week’s essay is called Honorable Mention (#499).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Killing Time, Waiting on Mother Nature

You know the old saying….. “If you have time to spare, go by air.”  Alan talks about several examples of that in this week’s essay….Killing Time, Waiting on Mother Nature (Essay #498)

To read the essay click….HERE.

A Blast From the Past

Alan pulls out one of his old logbooks and finds some interesting things to share with us.  This weeks essay is A Blast From the Past (Essay #497)

To read the essay click….HERE

Let’s Get ‘Er Did

There are two types of flight instructors - time builders and skill builders.  To find out what that means you need to read this week’s essay - Let’s Get ‘Er Did (Essay #496).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Gone But Not Forgotten

You have probably seen in some earlier newsletters that the Fly By Knight Flight School in Hammond is for sale.  Alan talks about them and other past/present Louisiana flight schools in this week’s essay….. Gone But Not Forgotten (Essay #495).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Traveling During Mid-Summer Heat

You’ve probably noticed that it has been a little hot lately.  Besides being really uncomfortable for us, what does that heat due to the performance of your airplane?  Alan talks about that this week in Traveling During Mid-Summer Heat (Essay #494).

To read the essay click…. HERE

The Wreck of a Body You See Before You

Do you think that what you do when you’re young can impact how you feel when you reach your golden years?  Alan gives us his opinion in this week’s essay…. The Wreck of a Body You See Before You (Essay #493)

To read the essay click….HERE

The Perfect Trainer

Is there an optimum aircraft and training syllabus to use to learn to fly?  Alan provides his opinion in this week’s essay…. The Perfect Trainer (Essay # 492)

To read the essay click…. HERE

Memorable Returns to Earth

To say that all landings are different is an understatement.  Which means there are always some we will never forget.  Alan talks about some of his in Memorable Returns to Earth (Essay #491).

To read the essay click…. HERE

Updated Advice to the Superannuated

Alan explains why he has taken the last couple of weeks off in this week’s essay.  It’s called Updated Advice to the Superannuated (#490)

To read the essay click….HERE

Roots

We’ve all visited a lot of hangars over the years and in many of them we’ve seen model airplanes hanging from the walls or ceiling.  If you have the opportunity to ask those hangar owners about those models, you’ll probably get to hear the story about how they have something to do with their early interest in aviation.

Alan’s essay this week is about his early beginnings in Roots (Essay #489).

To read the essay click…. HERE.

Need Some Therapy?  Here’s A Suggestion

Going to see a therapist can be a very good thing if your life seems to be spinning out of control.  Alan has another suggestion that works for him.  This week’s essay is….Need Some Therapy?  Here’s A Suggestion (Essay #487)

To read the essay click….HERE.

Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later

Should you own your own airplane or rent one?  Well, that depends on a lot of things.  Alan discusses that in Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later (Essay #486).

To read the essay click….HERE.

Stand By For The Singularity

Alan talks about the amazing technology changes that he’s lived through and the even more amazing changes that some folks predict will be in our future.  Is it a good or a bad thing?  This week’s essay is Stand By For The Singularity (Essay #485).

To read the essay click….HERE

A Decade of Dopamine and Norepinephrine

All of you regular readers know that when Alan was young he routinely threw himself out of perfectly good airplanes.  He tells us more about that in….

A Decade of Dopamine and Norepinephrine (Essay #483).

To read the essay click….HERE

Aviate, Navigate, and, What’s That Other One?

I’ll leave it to you this week to read the title of Alan’s essay and guess what it’s all about.  I’m betting you will get it right.  It’s called…. Aviate, Navigate, and, What’s That Other One? (Essay #481)

To read the essay click…. HERE.

The Stress of Flight

For some folks, flying is so stressful they just can’t bear to do it.  For others, it is a genuine source of stress relief.  That is the subject of Alan’s essay for this week…..The Stress of Flight (Essay #480)

To read the essay click…. HERE

How Much Fuel is Enough?

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a flight to make sure you don’t arrive somewhere near your destination with nothing but air in your fuel tanks.  Alan gives you some valuable guidance on that subject in this week’s essay…. How Much Fuel is Enough? (Essay #479).

To read the essay click….HERE

Know Your Systems

If you fly a lot of different airplanes, then you have to deal with a lot of different systems.  And there is little to no standardization in most of those systems.  Alan has some advice to help you deal with that in this week’s essay….. Know Your Systems (Essay #478).

To read the essay click….HERE

The Making of a Tailwheel Specialist

Alan started out learning to fly in a typical Cessna 150 as many of us “old” pilots did.  So how did he end up becoming a “tailwheel specialist”?  He tells us in this week’s essay…. The Making of a Tailwheel Specialist (Essay #477)

To read the essay click….HERE

Flying With Class “A” Explosives In the Universe in Which I Didn’t Get Killed

I think I’ll just let the title explain what this week’s essay is all about.  It’s called 

Flying With Class “A” Explosives In the Universe in Which I Didn’t Get Killed (Essay #476).  To read the essay click….HERE.

When’s The Last TIme….?

Long time pilots approach an airplane expecting their skills to be there, fresh as daisies, regardless of how long it has been since they have been at the controls.  They sometimes don’t stop to consider the fact that their skills might have acquired some decay as a result of a lack of use.  Alan discusses that in this week’s essay….. When’s The Last TIme….? (Essay #475)

To read the essay click….HERE

On Performance-Based Navigation

Alan reviews all of the electronic navigation aids that he has used during his flying career.  He calls this essay…. On Performance-Based Navigation (Essay #474)

To read the essay click….HERE

Fixing What’s Wrong

I’m pretty confident that most of us were not perfect students and that we’ve had one or more imperfect flight instructors who taught us along the way.  That means we ended up with problems that needed “fixin” in some way or another!  Alan talks about doing just that in….. Fixing What’s Wrong (Essay #473).

To read the essay click….HERE

A Day in the Life

Alan talks about how he spent his days as a flight instructor in his 20’s at Lakefront Airport.   He calls this week’s essay….A Day in the Life (Essay #472)

To read the essay click….HERE

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Sometimes Alan peruses his logbooks to get ideas for writing his weekly essays.  This week the logbook helped him relive his career transition path.  He calls it Time Flies When You’re Having Fun (Essay #471).

To read the essay click….HERE

Time Out, Time In, or What?

As the saying goes…. “It’s about time!”  And that is what Alan writes all about this week in Time Out, Time In, or What? (Essay #470)

To read the essay click…. HERE

A Privileged View From Spaceland

When we fly, we get to see things that folks on the ground will never see.  Alan talks about that in this week’s essay…. A Privileged View From Spaceland (Essay #469).

To read the essay click….HERE

Odds and Ends From COVID Confinement

Like most of us, Alan recently had a bout with a bit of COVID.  That gave him some time to round up a few thoughts in this week’s essay….  Odds and Ends From COVID Confinement (Essay #468)

To read the essay click….HERE

OK, I’ve Got My Ticket Now What?

So you wanted to learn to fly and you did… and then what did you do with that ability?  Al talks about a whole bunch of different answers to that question in OK, I’ve Got My Ticket Now What? (Essay #467)

To read the essay click….HERE

Adventures Aloft in the Middle and Late Winter

Alan discusses some of his airplane trips during cold weather in this week’s essay…..Adventures Aloft in the Middle and Late Winter (Essay #466)

To read the essay click….HERE

BLOG ARCHIVE

2022 Blogs

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate (Essay #465) To read the essay click…. HERE

When The Rubber Band Breaks Or Doesn’t (Essay #464) To read the essay click…. HERE

The Area of Reverse Command (Essay #463) To read the essay click…. HERE

A Few Frontal Considerations (Essay #462) To read the essay click….HERE

We Learn By Doing (Essay #460) To read the essay click….HERE

Blowing Smoke (Essay #459)  To read the essay click….HERE

The Eyes Have It (or Don’t) (Essay #458) To read the essay click…. HERE

Road Trip (Essay #457)  To read the essay click….HERE.

On Robotic Flying (Essay #456) To read the essay click….HERE

Living With The Laws of Learning (Essay #454)  To read the essay click….HERE

Who’s That Knocking At My Door? (Essay #453) To read the essay click….HERE

Free Flying (#452)  To read the essay click….HERE

Passages (Essay #451) To read the essay click…. HERE.

Opus 450 (Essay #450) To read the essay click….HERE

Aviation Museums I’ve Recently Visited or Not (Essay #449)  To read the essay click….HERE

The Ideal Instructor or Not (Essay #448) To read the essay click…. HERE

The Gone, The Unlamented ADF (Essay #447) To read the essay click….HERE

Decisions, Decisions (Essay #446) To read the essay click….HERE

About Flight Plans (Essay #445) To read the essay click….HERE.

Summer Rerun #2 (Essay #444) To read the essay click…. HERE

Summer Rerun (Essay #443) To read the essay click…. HERE.

When Full of Surprises (Essay #441) To read the essay click….HERE

On Controllability (Essay #440).  To read the essay click….HERE.

One Turning and One Burning (Essay #439) To read the essay click….HERE.

From Humble Beginnings (Essay #438) To read the essay click….HERE

Flyover Country (Essay #437).  To read the essay click….HERE

The Magic Number (Essay #436) To read the essay click….HERESome Problems on Solo Cross-country Flights (Essay #435) To read the essay click….HERE

On Dual Cross-country Flights (Essay #434) To read the essay click HERE.

The First Solo Flight (Essay #433) To read the essay click….HERE

Getting Linked Up (Essay #432).  To read the essay click HERE.

On Turning Back (Essay #431).  To read it click…HERE.

Immersed In History (Essay #430) To read the essay click….HERE

Back In The Saddle Again (Essay #429) To read the essay click….HERE

How Would You Design It? (Essay #428) To read the essay click…. HERE.

Everything Has a Price (Essay #427) To read the essay click….HERE.

Getting Ahead (Essay #426) To read the essay click… .HERE

About Checklists (Essay #425) To read the essay click….HERE

About Awards (Essay #424) To read the essay click….HERE

That’s My Gal (Essay #423) To read the essay click….HERE

Attitude Plus Power Yields Performance (Essay #422) To read the essay click….HERE

About Blind Landings (Essay #421) To read the essay click….HERE

A Job - What’s That? (Essay #420)  To read the essay click….HERE

Manage Your Risks (Essay #419) To read the essay click….HERE  1/13/22

2021 Blogs

Warbird Adventures (Essay #418) To read the essay click HERE 12/20/21

On Teaching and Learning Modern Normal and Emergency Procedures (Essay #417)

To read the essay click HERE.

Don’t Be a Fool About Fuel (Essay #416) To read the essay click HERE.

The Better-Than-New 172 (Essay #414) To read the essay click HERE

The Eyes Have It (Essay #413) To read the essay click HERE.

When The Winds Are Gusty (Essay #412) To read the essay click….HERE

Hurricane Hunted (Essay #411) To read the essay click HERE

The Thrill of It All (Essay #410) To read the essay click….HERE

Problems With Partnerships (Essay #409) To read the essay click….HERE

The Needles (Essay #408) To read the essay click HERE.

What is the Meaning of Flight? (Essay #407) To read the essay click….HERE

Dancing With Ida (Essay #406) To read the essay click HERE.

Background, Motivation and Ability (Essay #405) To read the essay click HERE.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate (Essay #404) To read the essay click HERE.

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) Essay (#402) To read the essay click….HERE

Keeping It Up (Essay #401) To read the essay click HERE.

Opus 400 (Essay #400) To read the essay click HERE.

About Hanging It Up Part 2 (Essay #399) To read the essay click HERE.

About Hanging It Up (Essay #398) To read the essay click HERE

Flying Blind (Essay #397) To read the essay click HERE.

Spaceship Earth (Essay # 396) To read the essay click HERE.

Roads Not Taken (Essay #395) To read the essay click HERE.

Reflections of Past Triumphs and Tribulations (Essay #394) To read the essay click….HERE

Air Space Blues (Essay #393) To read the essay click HERE.

The First Ride (Essay #392) To read the essay click HERE.

What’s Your Relationship With Your Stuff? (Essay #391) To read the essay click….HERE

Hitting the Mark (Essay #390) To read the essay click Here.

John Peterson essay The Mystery of the OX-9 (Essay #9) To read the essay click HERE.

Some More Odds and Ends (Essay #388) To read the essay click….HERE

How Soon We Forget (Essay #386) To read the essay click….HERE

An Unusual Pilot History (Essay #385) To read the essay click….HERE

Wordsmith (English Nerd) - (Essay #384) To read the essay click….HERE

The Pilgrim’s Progress (Essay #382) To read the essay click….HERE.

A Totally Safe and Legal Trip to Aunt Hattie’s (Essay #381) To read the essay click….HERE

Grand Canyon Adventures (Essay #380) To read the essay click….HERE

The Eyes, Part II (Essay # 379) To read the essay click HERE.

A Career Well Spent (Essay #378) To read the essay click HERE.

What I Was Born to Do (Essay #377) To read the essay click….HERE

Don’t Forget Your Checklist! (Essay #376) To read the essay click HERE.

On Scattering Ashes (Essay #375) To read the essay click HERE.

The Straight and Narrow (Essay # 374) To read the essay click HERE.

Gliding in a Straight-Tail 172 (#373) To read the essay click HERE

Milestones (#372) To read the essay click HERE 

The Eyes Have It (#371) To read the essay click HERE  1/13/21

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

2019 Blogs

On Travel in the Modern Age (Essay #321) 12/20/19

License to What? (Essay #320) - 11/29/19

Push Me Pull You (Essay #319) - 11/21/19

Different Strokes (Essay #318) - 11/14/19

The Early 70’s (Essay #317) - 11/7/19

Learning By Rote (Essay #316) - 10/31/19

How Safe Do You Need to Be? (Essay #315) - 10/23/19

The Flare (Essay # 314) - 10/18/19

The Master/Slave Relationship (Essay #313) - 10/10/19

Air Shows (Essay #312) - 10/3/19

The Roaring 20s (Essay #311) - 9/26/19

Don’t Think It to Death, But Do Keep It Within Gliding Distance of the Runway - #310 - 9/20/19

Where Were You on 9/11? - #309 - 9/12/19

A Close Call - #308 - 9/4/19

On the Deaths of Fellow Airmen - #307 - 8/29/19

A Swing to the Left - #306 - 8/23/19

Weather Machines - #305 - 8/13/19

Out of Sight of Land - #304 - 8/1/19

Career Paths #304 - 7/26/19

On Packing - #303 - 7/18/19

Jumpers and Wuffos #302 - 7/11/19

Back To Basics Again - #301 - 7/4/19

Opus 300 - Essay #300 - In this essay, Alan lists the titles of all of the essays he has written.  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.

Partnerships I Have Had - 6/19/19

On Buying An Airplane - 6/11/19

Oh, Please Hold Me Darling! - 6/5/19

How Many Ratings are Enough? - 5/23/19

Paint Jobs - 5/15/19

The Death of an Airplane - 5/7/19

What is it About Flying? - 5/2/19

An Aviator's Perspective - 4/24/19

Modeling Reality - 4/18/19

The High Performance Checkout - 4/4/19

Ice is a Major No-No - 3/28/19

FMQ - 3/21/19

On Risking Life and Limb to See a Basketball Game - 3/11/19

The Twin Beech - 3/5/19

.How Much Room Do You Need? - 2/26/19

A Clipper Honeymoon - 2/17/19

Student Attitudes - 2/8/19

By The Numbers - 2/4/19

The Single Engine Class - 1/24/19

A Little of This and a Little of That - 1/15/19

Levels of Learning - 1/8/19

2018 Blogs

The Santa Bust - 12/26/18

An Impressive System - 12/19/18

Pilots and Robots  - 12/13/18

Rehabilitation in Seaplanes - 12/6/18

End of the Year Hodgepodge - 11/29/18

A Walk in the Weeds - 11/22/18

Hazardous Attitudes That Affect Aeronautical Decision Making - 11/16/18

On Stress - 11/7/18

More About Multitasking - 10/31/18

Excuses For Going Flying - 10/24/18

Where the Heck Are We? - 10/15/18

Multiple Approaches Are a Bad Idea - 10/5/18

How Far Should We Go in Private Training - 9/27/18

The Initial Solo - 9/20/18

Good News/Bad News - 9/13/18

TWO MORE BOOK REVIEWS  9/8/18

SAMMY WHATLEY  9/8/18

TAILWHEEL TALES  8/27/18

CRAZY EIGHTS  8/27/18

CAJUN WARPLANES  8/12/18

THE EMERGENCY TAKE-OFF  8/12/18

STORIES FROM A LONG FRIENDSHIP  8/12/18

WHAT DO YOUR EXPECT TO GET OUT OF IT?  7/29/18

ON MASS AND WEIGHT  7/29/18

YEAH, BUT WHAT IF.....  7/13/18

A SHRUNKEN PERSPECTIVE FROM THE AIR  7/6/18

AREN’T THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE....  6/25/18

CAJUN WARPLANES  8/12/18

THE EMERGENCY TAKE-OFF  8/12/18

STORIES FROM A LONG FRIENDSHIP  8/12/18

WHAT DO YOUR EXPECT TO GET OUT OF IT?  7/29/18

ON MASS AND WEIGHT  7/29/18

YEAH, BUT WHAT IF.....  7/13/18

A SHRUNKEN PERSPECTIVE FROM THE AIR  7/6/18

AREN’T THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE....  6/25/18

ON AMATEURISM  6/17/18

BY GEORGE, I THINK I’VE GOT IT  6/8/18

SOME MORE ODDS AND ENDS  6/4/18

RISK MANAGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING  5/12/18

THE FIRST POST-AIRPLANE TRIP  5/6/18

ABOUT LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS  5/5/18

THE MASTER PILOT  5/5/18

OPUS 243  4/6/18

AT THE PINNACLE OF THE FAA PYRAMID  3/31/18

KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES  3/28/18

DON’T STIFF YOUR INSTRUCTOR  3/28/18

REFLECTIONS OF FT. SILL  3/28/18

HOW MUCH AIRPLANE DO YOU NEED?  3/14/18

ON HANGING IT UP  2/22/18

SPECIAL DELIVERY  2/16/18

ON MAGNETISM  2/11/18

A PROBLEM WITH MULTI-ENGINE SYLLABUS  2/11/18

SOME FOLLOW-UP ODDS AND ENDS  1/24/18

THE END OF AN ERA  1/8/18

ON FRAMES OF REFERENCE  1/4/18

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

194 HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A STEP BACK TO BASICS

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)

2015 Blogs

102 PARTIAL PANEL (1/5/15)

103 A COUPLE OF BAD IDEAS (1/12/15)

104 ALTERNATE REALITIES FOR WHEN YOU CAN’T TALK TO ATC (1/19/15)

105 ADVENTURES IN BOBBY’S 180 (1/26/15)

106 MY CO-NONPILOT (2/2/15)

107 ON CONTROLLERS (2/9/15)

108 SOME INTERESTING CHARACTERS, VOLUME 3 (2/16/15)

109 ON COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS (3/2/15)

110 THE ESSAY I’VE BEEN DREADING (3/9/15)

111 IT’S A GOOD THING FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU (3/16/15)

112 ON QUICKIE COURSES (3/23/15)

113 MAINTENANCE BLUES (3/30/15)

114 MAINTENANCE BLUES PART II (4/6/15)

115 WHEN THE RUBBER BAND BREAKS (4/13/15)

116 SUN ‘N FUN 2015 (4/20/15)

117 USE IT OR LOSE IT (5/4/15)

118 ON SWITCHING TANKS (5/11/15)

119 PSEUDO IFR IN A CESSNA 150 (5/18/15)

120 ON MAINTAINING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (5/25/15)

121 ON TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE FARs (6/1/15)

122 ON BUYING AND FLYING A USED LUSCOMBE (6/8/15)

123 ON HAVING TO GET THERE (6/15/15)

124 ON SIMULATORS (6/22/15)

125 ON THE USE OF CHECKLISTS (6/30/15)

126 ON THE EFFICIENCY OF SOME GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS (7/6/15)

127 ON HYPOXIA (7/13/15)

128 WILL FLY FOR FOOD (7/27/15)

129 THE 2006 TETON TRIP (8/3/15)

130 SOME ODDS AND ENDS (8/10/15)

131 BIG SKIES AND LITTLE AIRPLANES (8/17/15)

132 A DAY IN THE LIFE (8/24/15)

133 THE BOULDER MILK RUN (8/31/15)

134 WHAT MAKES AIRPLANES FLY? (9/7/15)

135 ABOUT VORTICES (9/14/15)

136 FLYING HIGH (9/21/15)

137 THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF FLIGHT TIME (10/12/15)

138 LAND AT YOUR OWN RISK (10/19/15)

139 WHERE YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING (10/12/15)

140 LAND AT YOUR OWN RISK (10/19/15)

141 DIFFERENT PLANES – PIPER CLIPPER (10/26/15)

142 DIFFERENT PLANES – MOONEY (11/9/15)

143 DIFFERENT PLANES – WARRIOR (11/16/15)

144 A COUPLE OF CHICAGO MILK RUNS (11/30/15)

145 FERRY FLIGHT IN THE LUSCOMBE (12/7/15)

146 MY FAVORITE AIRPLANE (12/14/15)

147 THE CHRISTMAS MILK RUN TO HUNTSVILLE (12/21/15)

2014 Blogs

51 FROM THE HIGH KEY POSITION TO THE GROUND (1/6/14)

52 ON THE USE OF THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WHEN

LEARNING CROSS-COUNTRY FLYING (1/13/14)

53 THE “C” AND ME (1/20/14)

54 MOMENTS OF SHEER TERROR (1/27/14)

55 HOW DO YOU CLIMB? (2/3/14)

56 THE YIN OR THE YANG? (2/10/14)

57 ON FLYING AT NIGHT (2/17/14)

58 ON MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD A GOAL (2/24/14)

59 ON GETTING WEATHERED IN (3/3/14)

60 THE COST OF OPERATING A CESSNA (3/10/14)

61 THE ACCELERATED STALL (3/17/14)

62 “A” LA BAS! (3/24/14)

63 THE WHENS AND WHERES OF AUTOPILOT TRAINING (3/31/14)

64 ON UNCONTROLLED AIR SPACE (4/7/14)

65 THE FIRST CHECK RIDE I SHOULD HAVE FLUNKED (4/14/14)

66 ON FLYING WITHOUT AN ENGINE (4/21/14)

67 ON FLYING JUMPERS (4/29/14)

68 LEARNING A NEW GPS SYSTEM (5/6/14)

69 THE UPGRADE (5/12/14)

70 PI TRACER PILOT REPORT (5/20/14)

71 THE QUEEN OF THE FLEET (5/27/14)

72 THINGS MY STUDENTS TAUGHT ME (6/2/14)

73 I AM NOT D.B. COOPER (6/9/14)

74 ON FBOs (6/16/14)

75 ON KILLING TIME ENROUTE (6/23/14)

76 METER READERS’ SHANGRI LA (6/30/14)

77 FLYING AND PHYSICS (7/7/14)

78 ON BEING CRITIQUED (7/14/14)

79 THE MONTGOMERY MILK RUN (7/21/14)

80 HOW FAR CAN WE GO? (7/28/14)

81 Checking One Off the Bucket List (8/4/14)

82 A TRIP BY AIR TO ALBANY – OR: TIME TO SPARE GO BY AIR! (8/11/14)

83 MY LAST CHECK RIDE (8/18/14)

84 ON FEAR OF FLYING (8/25/14)

85 ON FLYING AT NIGHT (9/1/14)

85 A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT STALLS (9/8/14)

86 ON TRANSFER OF TRAINING (9/15)

87 ON SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (9/22)

88 THE ESSENCE OF LEARNING (9/29)

89 ON TALKING TO THE WEATHER MAN (10/6/14)

90 RUNWAY BEHIND YOU, ALTITUDE ABOVE YOU, AND GAS IN THE TRUCK (10/13/14)

91 MYSTERIES OF AVIATION (10/20/14)

92 ON MOTIVATION (10/27/14)

93 ON LYING WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S BRIDE (11/3/14)

94 TO STOP OR NOT TO STOP: THAT IS THE QUESTION (11/10/14)

95 IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME (11/17/14)

96 ON MAKING DECISIONS (11/24/14)

97 TWO OLDIES BUT GOODIES (12/1/14)

98 BACKGROUND AND ABILITY (12/8/14)

99 LUSCOMBE REPORT #5 (12/15/14)

100 OPUS 100 “ON PROFESSIONALISM” (12/22/14)

101 A BIRD IN THE HAND (12/29/14)

2013 Blogs

1 ON TAKING OFF IN A MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE

2 ON FORCED LANDINGS

3 THE STABILIZED APPROACH

4 OUTMODED AVIATION PRACTICES (2/6/13)

5 ON DECLARING EMERGENCIES (2/13/13)

6 ON DEALING WITH SYSTEMS (2/20/13)

7 USING PERSONAL MINIMA TO KEEP YOU ALIVE (2/27/13)

8 ON VMC (3/4/13)

9 ON SPINNING (3/13/13)

10 ON ZERO-ZERO TAKEOFFS (3/18/13)

11 ON ZERO-ZERO LANDINGS (3/25/13)

12 LUSCOMBE REPORT #6 (4/1/13)

13 ON NOT RUNNING OUT OF GAS (4/8/13)

14 MY FOUR SOLOS (4/15/13)

15 ON MANEUVERING SPEED (4/22/13)

16 THE STORY OF MY LIFE (4/25/13)

17 HOW MUCH TIME YA GOT? (4/29/13)

18 ON FLYING SOLO (5/6/13)

19 ON BEING IN A HURRY (5/12/13)

20 LUSCOMBE REPORT #4 (5/20/13)

21 ON PRETEST JITTERS (5/28/13)

22 A MEMORABLE DEMO JUMP (6/3/13)

23 THE MAGIC NUMBER (6/10/13)

24 THE GLOOM FEAR (6/17/13)

25 FLYING FLOATS (6/23/13)

26 THE HOMEBUILT FROM HEAVEN (7/1/13)

27 THE HOMEBUILT FROM HELL (7/8/13)

28 CHARLENE (7/22/13)

29 AIRCRAFT OWNERS I HAVE KNOWN (7/29/13)

30 TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS (8/5/13)

31 WHY IS THERE AIR? (8/18/13)

32 ABOUT MAPS AND MODERNITY (8/26/13)

33 ON SEVERAL YEARS AS A DESIGNATED EXAMINER (8/31/13)

34 ON CHECKING ONE’S OWN WORK (9/9/13)

35 ON EXAMINER INTEGRITY (9/16/13)

36 ON PREPARING A HOWGOZIT (9/23/13)

37 ON CLEARANCES (9/30/13)

38 THE OLFACTORY ALPHA APPROACH (10/7/13)

39 MY FIRST TWO HUNDRED AND A HALF APPROACH (10/14/13)

40 A FLIGHT FROM NEW ORLEANS TO SAN DIEGO AND BACK (10/21/13)

41 THE LEARNING CURVE (10/18/13)

42 GOING VISUAL (11/4/13)

43 THE CLIPPER (11/11/13)

44 EPISODE FROM THE QUOTIDIAN TIME TRAVELER (11/18/13) (flight to Jack Edwards)

45 SITTING ON THE GROUND, WAITING FOR THE WEATHER (11/25/13)

46 HOW LOW SHOULD YOU GO? (12/2/13)

47 ON FRAMES OF REFERENCE (12/9/13)

48 EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT TURBOCHARGING (12/16/13)

49 MALONE’S FANTASY FLYING SCHOOL (12/23/13)

50 OPUS 50 (12/30/13)

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