mtrescott Humans are notoriously bad in forecasting the future. We tend to simply extend recent trend lines in whatever direction they’re currently headed, whether that be up or down. So it’s not surprising that there’s been some doom and gloom associated with the recent spike in gas prices and the twenty-five year decline in the pilot … Read more
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind–and very satisfying. Two weeks ago, I watched my oldest daughter graduate from college. Then, a week later, I was the commencement speaker at San Jose State University. The students in their Aviation Division requested me and I was only too happy to speak. I've uploaded ten … Read more
Last week, I wrote about the announcement of the Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit for the SR22, and how I had thought they’d be announcing the L-3 SmartDeck instead. My comments were prescient, as just two days later L-3 announced the availability of SmartDeck for the Cirrus SR22, though as a retrofit, rather than a factory … Read more
Today, Cirrus Design announced that the Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit–think Garmin G1000 Plus–is available as an option to their SR22 aircraft. This is big news for several reasons, and future SR22 buyers will want to consider whether to choose it or the current Avidyne Entegra glass cockpit. They will also want to think about buying Max … Read more
"Knowing Max for just a short time has opened my eyes to the fact that I truly miss teaching people how to fly myself." So says Rob Mark in the article he posted yesterday on his www.jetwhine.com blog. JetWhine has always been one of my favorite blogs, so when Mark contacted me a few months … Read more
"The world is constantly changing and in the process is creating new ways to enjoy learning about and staying in touch with aviation.” That’s the beginning of an article I wrote on podcasts, the latest way to download and listen to audio on virtually any topic, in the Fall/Winter issue of my free online Pilot … Read more
So says an AOPA website story from Friday, April 24. That is welcome news that’s been a long time in coming. It means that the stalemate in the Senate, over what method to use to fund the FAA for the next four years, appears to be over. There are still many steps needed before an … Read more
I was at Sun ‘n Fun last week, and several of the conversations revolved around keeping flying affordable. If you haven’t been to Sun ‘n Fun, put it on your calendar for next year. It’s the second largest air show after Oshkosh, and it’s always held in April at the Lakeland, FL airport. That’s a … Read more
Yes, those are the Thunderbirds! They’ve been roaring overhead all week, and if you can’t be in Lakeland, FL for Sun ‘n Fun, then you might be able to catch them live over the internet on Saturday. The FAA’s TV production studios are located right in the middle of the Sun ‘n Fun show, and … Read more
If you’re a pilot, Christmas comes twice a year in April and July. That’s when manufacturers trot out announcements of their new products at Sun ‘n Fun and AirVenture. Based on press releases by Garmin, Cessna and Diamond, Sun ‘n Fun—where I’ll be later this week—is off to a roaring start. First, Garmin announced their … Read more