Why We Fly

Did you learn to fly because you were excited about the challenge of levitating into the sky and...

Let’s cut right to the chase: there is a strong case to be made that many base-to-final accidents...

The view: An invitation to aviation The pilot: Tom Dorl The airplane: 1979 Cessna 172N The...

There I was, bouncing around in the backseat of a Cessna 172 as my friend tried to stabilize the...

A late February cold front arrived just in time to clear the crud that had been threatening my...

“To err is human, but to persevere in error is only the act of a fool.” —Cicero I had...

It’s never been easier to fly your own plane to Mexico A white Suburban, dust trailing,...

The view: A sunlit thunderstorm from FL280. The pilot: Charlie Tillett The airplane: Piper...

“Expect the Unexpected.” — Coach Paul “Bear “Bryant The light blue cardboard cover of my student...

2020 was an epic flying year for my son Daniel, his fried Theo, and me as we had the opportunity...

In most aircraft there is a composite of steam gauges and boxes with magenta lines. The magenta...

Forty years ago, I was a US Air Force flight engineer with a CFI. In addition to my commercial...

The view: South Texas brush fire, as seen from 6500 ft. The pilot: Dale Davis The airplane: Cessna...

Some years ago, having left England for my French retirement, I imported an Auster from the UK...

It was the spring of 1969, with graduation from Indiana University and the next step toward my...

Summer in Florida means thunderstorms, but often the cells are widely scattered and easy to avoid....

I have been extremely fortunate throughout my aviation career to have had the opportunity to...

The view: Flight over the beach in Claromeco, Argentina The pilot: Agustin Rubiños The aircraft:...

On December 3, 1971, India declared war against Pakistan, while I was posted to the 110th...

General aviation’s less-than-stellar environmental record has always been the elephant in the...

I was one of those lucky kids who grew up with a “flying dad.” Just about every Sunday afternoon,...

When ADS-B traffic uplink was announced, there were great expectations for what it could do to...

The view: Picking our way through thunderstorms at 10,000 MSL over Cambodia in the late fall of...

I don’t really need a reason to go looking for a general aviation flight when I am traveling or on...

“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.” At first, I was annoyed by the sound of the dreaded alarm because it was...