ISSUE 937

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BWJBUJPOQJMPUTJO/FBSMZmWFEFDBEFTMBUFS XFPGGFSUIFCSPBEFTUMJOFPG
QBTTJWFOPJTFBUUFOVBUJOHBOEBDUJWFOPJTFSFEVDUJPOIFBETFUTJOUIFBWJBUJPOJOEVTUSZ
8FDPOTUBOUMZTUSJWFUPSBJTFUIFCBSGPSIFBETFUDPNGPSU RVJFUQFSGPSNBODFBOE
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XFSFOPUKVTUCVJMEJOHBOJDPOJDCSBOE XFSFQSPUFDUJOHBOJDPOJDMFHBDZ

For more information about the full line of David Clark headsets,
visit www.davidclark.com.

© 2023 David Clark Company Incorporated

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W W W. D A V I D C L A R K . C O M
 ISSUE 937 MAY 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFLIGHT

2 Next Great Flight

8 View From Above
10 Taking Off in Public
12 Point of View
14 Inbox
16 Ask FLYING
18 Chart Wise
20 I.L.A.F.F.T. On the cover
24 Aftermath Fred George flies the
26 In Depth Dassault Falcon 6X
in our cover story. We
honor the Boeing 747
(far left), and Matt
Moore takes us on an
aviation foodie journey
in search of his roots
(below).

FLYING STORIES

38 We Fly: Dassault Falcon 6X / Fred George

48 A Tale of Four Princes / Meg Godlewski
54 Butcher Block Flying / Matt Moore
62 Destinations: Dayton, Ohio / Jonathan Welsh
70 The Point Forecast / Scott Dennstaedt
76 Boeing 747: The Queen of the Skies / Eric Kulisch / Julie Boatman
86 Your First Home Sim / Peter James

LIFE IN THE AIR

90 Taking Wing / Sam Weigel

Courtesy of Dassault Aviation; Boeing; Matt Moore

94 Leading Edge / Ben Younger

98 Gear Up / Dick Karl
102 CFI Central / Meg Godlewski
106 Jumpseat / Les Abend
108 Unusual Attitudes / Martha Lunken
110 Technicalities / Peter Garrison
112 Sign Off

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608 FLYING (0015-4806) (USPS 504-930), May 2023, Issue 937. FLYING is published monthly by FLYING Media Group, 605 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 800, Chattanooga, TN, 37450.
(Canadian Registration Number 126018209RT0001) Periodicals postage paid at Chattanooga, TN, and additional mailing offices. Authorized periodicals postage by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment in cash.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FLYING Media Group, P.O. Box 1946, Merrifield, VA, 22116-1946; flyingmag.com/cs; 303-943-1226 or 800-678-0797. If the postal service alerts us
IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

1
 PREFLIGHT
N EXT G RE AT FL IG HT
Courtesy of Boeing
The flight deck of the Boeing 747-8 marries the iconic jumbo jet with technology from the 777.
 ISSUE 937 MAY 2023

Ed i to r - i n - C h i e f
Julie Boatman

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Pia Bergqvist

TECHNICAL EDITOR Meg Godlewski
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amy Jo Sledge
COPY EDITOR Amy Wilder
PHOTO/PRODUCTION EDITOR Theresa Petruso

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Les Abend
Jason Blair
Scott Dennstaedt
Peter Garrison
Dick Karl
Martha Lunken
Jason McDowell
Sam Weigel
Ben Younger

PUBLISHER AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Lisa deFrees / lisa@flying.media

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS AND AD OPERATIONS Andy Welch / andy@flying.media
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Roxanne Sweazey / roxanne@flying.media
DIGITAL COORDINATOR Aaron Will / aaron@flying.media
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Jaci Steib / jaci@flying.media

FLYING MEDIA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Craig Fuller
PUBLISHER AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Lisa deFrees
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Preston Holland
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Ola Gambari
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Fergus Caldicott
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FLYING Julie Boatman
MANAGING EDITOR, FLYING DIGITAL Kimberly Johnson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, FLYING Amy Jo Sledge
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amy Deal
COPY CHIEF, FLYING Amy Wilder
TECHNICAL EDITOR, FLYING Meg Godlewski
SENIOR TRAVEL WRITER, FLYING Jonathan Welsh
SENIOR REPORTER, UAS Jack Daleo
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Grace Carlon
OPERATIONS MANAGER Reis Costa

For customer service and subscription questions, such as renewals, address changes, email preferences, billing, and account status, go to: flyingmag.com/cs. You can
also email flyingmagazine@emailcustomerservice.com; in the U.S. call toll-free 800-678-0797; outside the U.S., 303-943-1226; or write to FLYING Media Group, P.O.
Box 1946, Merrifield, VA 22116-1946.

For content reuse and permissions, please email reprint@flying.media.

Copyright 2023, FLYING Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Email:
editorial@flying.media. Send all subscription correspondence to the Merrifield, VA, address. Please allow at least eight weeks for a change of address to become effective. Include both your old and your new
addresses and, if possible, an address label from a recent issue. Occasionally, we make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we think might be
of interest to you. If you do not want to receive these offers, please advise us at 303-943-1226. FLYING is a registered trademark of FLYING Media Group. Printed in the USA.

Subscriptions: Go to flyingmag.com/cs if you have a subscription question, or write to FLYING, P.O. Box 1946, Merrifield, VA 22116-1946. Subscription Rates: U.S. addresses - one year for $75.00, Canadian
addresses - one year for $100.00, and all other international addresses - one year for $120.00. Cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency.

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 LE T TER FROM THE EDITOR
VIEW FROM ABOV E

FLYING THE QUEEN

Quality simulator time in the iconic jet

was reserved for contract training the -200 sim was just a few years
to other a irlines, as noted by from decommissioning and easiest
Boeing 747 engineering test pi- to snag time in—so I felt fortunate
lot Curt Gottshall in our feature, to find myself on that same ap-
“Boeing 747: From the Flight proach into KSFO so I could write
Deck,” in this issue. effectively about Level D sims in
I could not have cared less it was the textbook. I almost turned in
“old”—in fact, I was fascinated by my application to United because of
the flight engineer’s panel—and those early dances with the Queen
I can still recall the Midwestern of the Skies in simulated form. And
basement sofa aromas the seat I fully understand what compels
emitted when I strapped myself in. pilots to long to fly her still.
FOR A COUPLE of years after col- Kevin set me up for the classic The very latest in another iconic
lege graduation, in the mid-90s, I in- ILS approach into Runway 28R model series—the Dassault Falcon
structed out of the Boulder Airport at San Francisco International 6X—gets a sneak peek from busi-
in Colorado. One of the other CFIs (KSFO). The visuals reflected the ness aviation guru Fred George,
on staff moonlighted there while nighttime environment that had who rejoins FLYING as a senior
keeping his day job (and nights too) been the state of the art in sims— contributor to FLYING Media
as a sim instructor at the United Air- sometime back in the late ‘80s. I Group and our revisioning of Busi-
lines Training Center at Stapleton. rec a l l crossi ng t he st r i ng of ness Air. George penned pilot re-
Aside from being the first person blinking white lights representing ports for FLYING in the 1980s and
to show me spins in a Cessna 152— a causeway along that part of the ‘90s—and few have flown as many
I’d done mine for the initial CFI in bay as I coaxed the imaginary beast types in the class. Welcome back!
a Piper Super Cub—Kevin was also down final, flying the ILS needles We also take you to Day ton,
the first to get me into the left seat for guidance over the dark-soaked Ohio, for a visit to two marvelous
of a real full flight simulator. bay. He coached me about the radar museums—featuring hometown
We met up before one of his altimeter callouts and the need to boys, the Wright brothers, and the
late shifts, and he parked me in flare about 50 feet higher than I U.S. Air Force. And Meg Godlewski
the captain’s chair in the unit no was used to in the 152. Still, it took tracks down a Pacific Northwest
one had reserved that night—a me by surprise when I successfully legend, the Student Prince, and its
Boeing 747-200 Level D sim just touched down on the runway— current owners.
past the apex of its career. Those braking heavily and using thrust Ready to jet forward into sum-
UAL crews in initial and recur- reversers to stop for the first time mer? We’re already there!
rent training used the 747-400 in my life.
devices, as those were the mod- By the time I had a chance to re-
els flown on the line at the time— visit the training center again in
United having transitioned to the 1998 while researching for Jeppe-
two-pilot glass cockpits by then sen’s new Guided Flight Discovery oatman
featured in the -400s. The -200 Instrument/Commercial Manual, n-Chief

} JULIE BOATMAN is a flight instructor with an airline transport pilot certificate and type ratings in the Cessna Citation
Mustang and the Douglas DC-3—but she finds true happiness flying low and slow. Follow her on Twitter: @julieinthesky.

8
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 L E T T E R F R O M T H E C EO
TA K IN G OFF
IN P UBL I C

DIVING DEEPER INTO

THE PISTON MARKET
With our ownership of Plane & Pilot, ByDanJohnson, and Aircraft for Sale
BY CRAIG FULLER

and formatted in a way that could and FLYING have been viewed
ruin the look of the new FLYING as competitors—and that is a fair
edition. By separating the content obser vation—but since buying
into two different publications our FLYING I have been a bit envious
subscribers get the benefit of both. of Plane & Pilot’s depth of coverage
We also made two acquisitions in the piston market. As a piston
in April, which expand the depth and recreational pilot flying mostly
of our content: ByDanJohnson, LSAs, I wanted to see FLYING go
the leading website dedicated to deeper into piston and recreational
WELCOME TO THE May edition the light sport aircraft (LSA) mar- flying coverage, particularly in our
of FLYING magazine (Issue 937). ket; and Plane & Pilot, the monthly print edition. But with a limited
We have been busy at FLYING magazine and online media site number of pages each month and so
Media Group, rolling out our newest that has served recreational pilots many things to cover from LSAs to
print product, Aircraft for Sale—a and the piston market for more than jets, we can’t dive in as Plane & Pilot
newspaper filled with classified 50 years. does in the light piston market.
ads focused on aviation, including Our goal for the ByDanJohnson However, now that Plane & Pilot
listings for aircraft, real estate, acquisition is to deepen our con- is under the FLYING Media Group
gear, equipment, and other related tent around LSA. The LSA market umbrella, we plan to expand our
products. And the cover is yellow— has historically been considered a coverage in this area. We plan to
chosen for its nostalgic value. niche with underperforming air- keep the Plane & Pilot monthly
Aircraft for Sale’s print edition craft. However, some of the most print edition and have earmarked
has the largest reach of any classi- important technological and air- additional financial resources to
fied newspaper in aviation, since we craft design advancements in gen- improve its digital platform and
send it to every FLYING subscriber eral aviation are taking place in the depth of coverage of pistons and
and FBO in our net work. The LSA space. The FAA is expected to recreational flying.
advantage of sending Aircraft for overhaul the regulations that govern Plane & Pilot’s subscribers will
Sale directly to subscribers is that this part of the industry through its receive copies of Aircraft for Sale
the ads reach both the active buyer MOSAIC (modernization of spe- ever y month a s pa r t of their
and the casual prospect. I know cial airworthiness certificates) subscription, resulting in in-
many pilots that weren’t looking for rulemaking, and that has the po- creased reach for Aircraft for Sale,
a new aircraft to add to the fleet, but tential to rapidly expand the capa- cementing it as having the largest
decided to do so once they fell in bilities of LSA aircraft. We will be audience of prospective aircraft
love with something—a powerful rebranding Dan Johnson’s content buyers. Over time, we plan to offer
tool for anyone selling an aircraft. to Affordable Aviation, and he will bundled subscription solutions.
Courtesy of Craig Fuller

You can find our online listings be joining the editorial team. We hope that you will see the value
at www.aircraftforsale.com We also made a huge announce- in having a subscription to both
We wanted to expand our cover- ment in late March with our acqui- FLYING, as well as to Plane & Pilot.
age and content to the used aircraft sition of Plane & Pilot, which has Our mission is to compel you to do
market, but also recognized that covered pilot-flown aircraft since so by providing the best content and
classified ads can be time-dated its inception. At times, Plane & Pilot coverage in the industry.

} CRAIG FULLER is CEO of FLYING Media Group and an active pilot of his ICON A5 and Tecnam Astore. Connect with
Craig on Twitter: @freightalley.

10
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 LE T TER FROM THE PUBLISHER
POINT OF VIEW

DREAMERS WANTE D
An industry built by dreamers

BY LISA deFREES

for Alan Klapmeier’s personal ex- brilliant minds behind the cre-
perience with a mid-air collision, ation of the James Webb telescope
would there be an airplane with a during a 2022 visit to Northrop
parachute? Grumman Space Logistics, I was
Learning to fly, building a kit- thrilled to see their recent win of
plane, starting a flying club, and the prestigious Robert J. Collier
sharing aviation with others is Trophy. It is no surprise that there
powerful. Advancing technology, are pilots among them.
making flying safer, and flying to Whether your bent is astronau-
low-earth orbit and back creates tical, aeronautical, or towards gen-
IT’S NOT A STRETCH to say that an inspirational ripple effect that eral aviation, all activity is deeply
manned flight was achieved because travels continuously through the rooted in what has seeded it—the
Alberto Santos-Dumont, Gustave minds of the next generation of science of flight.
Whitehead, and the Wright broth- dreamers. I’d gamble that there are So dare to dream. Aviation is an
ers were dreamers. Clyde Cessna, more dreamers within our pages industry built by dreamers. Today,
William T. Piper, C.G. Taylor, Leroy and among you than in most other the beacon of what’s possible is
Grumman, Olive Ann Beech, Jack communities, given what we know moving beyond cis-lunar, and we’re
Northrop, Bill Lear…also dream- about the liberating and empower- going with it. Space pilots? It’s only
ers. They are among the countless ing sensation of flight. And I am ex- a matter of time.
early pioneers who turned their cited to see what you do to advance How has aviation inspired you?
aspirations into great aviation aviation in the future. Having had I would love to hear. Email me at
brands that still exist today. the pleasure of meeting a few of the lisa@flying.media.
Dreaming is a valuable source
of inspiration for those who make
dreams a reality and lift those
around them in the process. Like
Amar Bose, Paul Poberezny, Bob
and Flo Ir w in, Belford “B.D.”
Maule, General Chuck Yeager, Burt
Rutan, Hal Shevers, Gary Burrell
and Min Kao, and Alan and Dale
Klapmeier. All have contributed
greatly, in one form or another, to
the activity of flight.
And for every known contribu-
NASA/Chris Gunn

tor, there are dozens more whose

names you might not recognize.
If not for their passion, vision, and
drive to succeed, where would we
be? To take one example, if not The James Webb Space Telescope undergoes testing prior to deployment.

} LISA deFREES, publisher and chief commercial officer for FLYING Media Group, is a student pilot and 28-year member of the
FLYING team. She resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her French bulldog, Chuck Yeager.

12
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©COPYRIGHT 2023 CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 PREFLIGHT
ASK F LY ING

In August 1958, the President signed the

Federal Aviation Act, which transferred the
Civil Aeronautics Authority’s functions to

After the May 1996 crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the

Florida Everglades, the FAA was criticized for the
possible part it played in the disaster, allowing for
cost-cutting to im pact safety. Some legal scholars
observed that the functions of protecting passenger
safety while promoting industry interests (includ -
ing all other civil aviation) weren’t compatible. So
Secretary of Transportation Frederico Pena called
for Congress to reexamine the FAA’s “dual mandate.”
Thus, in October 1996, Congress amended the Federal
Aviatio n Act, re m oving the la ng uag e “pro m oting”
aviation and adding more provisions emphasizing safety.

} MARTHA LUNKEN is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector, and defrocked pilot examiner. She owns and flies a Cessna 180,
and she loves anything with a tailwheel, from Piper Cubs to Douglas DC-3s.

16
 E1000
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© 2023 Epic Aircraft, LLC. All rights reserved. epicaircraft.com

 PREFLIGHT
C H ART W IS E

T R I- C IT IES/BR ISTO L I LS
OR LOC RWY 23
Whether you’re flying in for country music or a lap around the speedway

BY JASON BLAIR

A VISITOR TO BRISTOL, Tennessee—billed as the

birthplace of country music—might drop into the
museum focused on that fact, or perhaps for the several
A GLADE SPRING yearly NASCAR events at the Bristol Motor Speedway. D MISSED TO THE NDB
VOR IAF Nestled in a deceivingly mountainous locale on the Ten- The missed approach
A pilot might use the takes the pilot to the
Glade Spring VOR to
nessee-Virginia border, the approach plate hints at some BOOIE (BO) NDB. Do
transition onto the terrain in the area, especially to the south and east. you still have an ADF
approach, using the receiver that works in
210-degree radial your airplane?
outbound to intercept anymore with all three cons when flying this, For aircraft that
the ILS course of marker beacons: the and remember what color don’t have one oper-
230 degrees. A small outer marker (OM), blinking lights are asso- ational, you will need
note along the course, middle marker (MM), ciated with each marker to have a suitable IFR
though, indicates that and inner marker (IM). beacon (OM: blue; GPS to identify the
while no procedure turn This approach still has MM: amber; IM: white). missed approach point.
(NoPT) will be needed, two of them noted, the If you don’t, you tech-
the pilot will be ex- OM and the IM, which a C STEP-DOWNS BY nically wouldn’t be able
pected to be at 6,000 pilot might reference to CROSS RADIAL to start this approach,
feet on this leg. The identify passage of the Since this approach since you couldn’t fly
note above the 210 de- final approach fix at the doesn’t have DME to the entire procedure—
grees indicates that it OM (MOCCA) and an IM identify waypoints unless you have radar
is a 10.1-mile leg. That close to the missed along the approach, a assistance, as noted in
leg will require the pi- approach point. While pilot might choose to the briefing strip notes.
lot to be at or above the IM isn’t technically identify the FAF and an Be ready to transition
6,000 feet until they the missed approach intermediate step-down to the missed approach
can descend to the point when flying the waypoint (when flying it on this, from using the
lower 3,600-foot alti- ILS—that’s still at the without use of the glide ILS navigation source to
tude once established decision height just prior slope) at EAVER, using a GPS navigation course
inbound at KEIPY. This to the IM—it is a good cross radials from the in your nav system after
will keep a pilot away secondary indicator that HMV VOR to the south- passing the missed ap-
from obstacles in the you are reaching the west of the approach proach point.
area to the northwest runway area. It also might path. This might require Messing up this
while establishing onto be used when flying the tuning and twisting the transition has certainly
the final approach path. approach as a localizer- VOR and associated befuddled many
only approach. radials on a second NAV applicants on practical
B IM, WHAT’S THAT? Be sure to turn up the source while flying the tests, and certainly
There aren’t lots of volume on your audio primary ILS NAV source other pilots in their
approaches that we fly panel for the marker bea- along the path. real-world flying.

} JASON BLAIR is a flight instructor, an FAA examiner, and an author in the general aviation and training communities.

18
Reproduced with permission of Jeppesen. NOT FOR NAVIGATIONAL USE. © Jeppesen, 2020.
A

19
c

b
D
 PREFLIGHT
I . L . A . F. F.T.

SM OKI N ’ HOT J E T
Yes, jet engines do smoke…

BY ROGER JOHNSON

SEVEN DAYS AFTER my first solo in the iconic T-37 with its twin 1,000-pound thrust Continental jet en-
while in U.S. Air Force pilot training at Williams AFB gines—was a big responsibility. I took each flight, solo
in Chandler, Arizona, I found myself strapping in for my or with an instructor, as a very serious affair, and I felt
second solo flight. To be sure, I was excited. The T-37, extremely blessed to be training in jets in the USAF.
“Tweet” as it was affectionately called, was a small twin The T-37 was relatively small, possessed a mid-
engine jet trainer that’d been in the USAF inventory wing, and sat quite low to the ground. It had side-by-
since the late fifties. Maybe when it was brand-spanking side seating and a big plexiglass canopy, hinged at the
new, the crews that flew it were awestruck. But by the back, that allowed easy access to the cockpit. The two
time I began training in that little sucker in the early smallish jet engines that powered it were nestled in
‘80s, it was kicked around as the ugly sister to the more the fuselage, slightly below each wing, with the ex-
beautiful and much better-performing T-38 Talon. haust exiting behind and below the trailing edge of the
But, your first jet is always your favorite. OK, not re- wings right next to the fuselage. The instrument panel,
Joel Kimmel

ally, at least not my feelings about the Tweet. But I had compared to modern jet aircraft, looked as if someone
been flying a 150-horsepower Piper Super Cub for four took all the displays, dials, lights, knobs, and handles
years prior to entering the USAF, so to me, the T-37— needed to operate the aircraft, threw them against the

20
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 PREFLIGHT

I . L . A . F. F.T.

“Hey, Ace!” came the

familiar voice...
panel and installed them where they hit it. Random is “T-37 Solo [not my actual call sign], your aircraft is
a word that comes to mind on the placement of some smoking,” said Ground in a casual tone and inflection.
of the lights, displays, knobs, etc. There was nothing “Roger ground, jet engines do smoke,” came my im-
ergonomic about that instrument panel, but, hey, it was mediate response, thinking this was a controller in
a jet, and I was strapping in to go on my second solo. training, and he’d not spent much time around jet air-
In as much as “Willy,” the nickname of Williams AFB, craft.
was a place where USAF pilots learned to fly, it was also, “Ahhhhh, T-37 Solo, be advised that your aircraft is
as we were told in our in-brief prior to the beginning of smoking much more than normal,” came a more author-
flight training, a place where the USAF trained its air itative voice from ground control.
traffic controllers. We were warned that sometimes the I’d begun to suspect something actually might be
controllers would make mistakes, and to be skeptical wrong, though I was not sure what, when another voice
and cautious if some ATC directives/clearances seemed came over the radio, and it was not ATC’s.
unusual or unsafe. You kinda had the blind leading “Hey Ace!” came the familiar voice, “Look over your
the blind at times when you had a solo student pilot left shoulder.” It was one of the instructors in my flight
being controlled by a controller in training; it was when (good grief). He was with his student taxiing behind me.
another more authoritative voice came over the radio to Since it was an instructor, and since he used the term
countermand a training controller’s more tentative in- “ace,” I felt compelled to do as he commanded; I looked
struction that you knew the Supervisor Controller had over my left shoulder.
taken command. “Holy Shit!!” was my first thought as I saw a thick
After strapping in and starting those extremely high- plume of whitish smoke being exhausted from the left
pitched, constant noise, variable thrust engines on the engine. It filled the sky behind my jet; bloody hell, no
Tweet, I was ready to taxi for takeoff. It was a fairly long wonder ground said my jet was smoking. All cockiness
taxi from where my Tweet was parked to the active run- immediately left me, a modicum of fear replacing it, and
way. During this period in its operational life, Willy was I told ground that I was going to stop and do an emer-
very busy. T-38s, T-37s, and F-5s were mixing in with gency ground egress, shutting down both engines before
each other daily as they either taxied for takeoff or tax- leaving the jet. I never waited for a reply or another word
ied back to their parking spots after landing, so you from the instructor, who was now taking another route
had to listen to the controller’s verbal taxi instructions to the active runway.
while being wary, wondering if their instructions were As the smoke rapidly dissipated and my nerves set-
tainted with some mistake. tled, I stood off the taxiway to the side of my little
I called ground with ATIS and told them I wanted to Tweet; I could hear the sound of “tinks” as hot metal
taxi for takeoff. They cleared me to taxi to Runway 30L, cooled and the last wisps of smoke vaporized in the
which was the normal T-37 runway; I had about a mile warm desert air. Other T-37s, T-38s, and F-5s taxied by
and a half, at least, to taxi to get to the assigned run- and the pilots looked over at this pathetic student, still
way. Since the air conditioner on the Tweet was not very wearing his helmet, standing by his disabled Tweet.
effective, we taxied with our canopy fully open; it was A few minutes after shutting down and wondering
early summer in the desert, so it could get quite warm. what in the hell happened to my jet, while also won-
I was nervous as I prepared for this flight, yet cocky dering if I’d “FUBARed,” a maintenance truck drove
too, as I taxied out. I’d done well on my first solo, get- up, along with an airport firetruck and a crew van. I
ting ‘excellents’ in all three areas in which I was graded. told maintenance what happened: “smoke,” and filled
Having broken the ice with that fledgling foray into the out the maintenance log with the same thing I told
wild blue of the western skies, I was looking forward to maintenance: “Smoke.”
breaking the bonds of gravity without some instructor
jumping on my ass about something I was screwing up.
About two-thirds of the way to Runway 30L, af- ROGER JOHNSON was a former banner-tow pilot, USAF
ter turning left onto another taxiway, ground control F-4 Fighter Weapons School instrcutor pilot, and is a senior
called. airline captain. He has published three aviation books.

22
 TRAIN SMARTER.

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Call +1.201.584.8262 today or visit FlightSafety.com

 PREFLIGHT
AFTE R M AT H

TWIN-ENGINE
TROUBLES
Nothing else is as good as control.

BY PETER GARRISON

IT HAS OFTEN been said, never more so than by to find a smooth place to crash. If they make a mistake,
FLYING’s erstwhile editor, Richard Collins, that a their situation is worse than that of the single-engine
single-engine airplane is a better bet than a twin if an pilot. The single-engine pilot begins the emergency
engine fails right after takeoff, because the chance of landing in control; the main requirement is to avoid
the pilot of a twin successfully handling the emergency stalling. The twin pilot does not even entertain the idea
is so small. This paradox applies, to be sure, to recips, of an off-airport landing until things have gotten out of
with their meager surplus power. Turbines have it control. By then, it may be too late.
easier. Still, the single-engine pilot has only one task: The crash of a Piper Twin Comanche in 2004
land. Twin-engine pilots have their hands full. illustrates how quickly things can go wrong even when
We generally don’t hear about the successful en- the pilot appears to be in a relatively good position as
gine-out emergencies unless in private conversations; the engine failure occurs.
most of them don’t come to the attention of the author- The airplane, manufactured in 1966, had a number
ities. Maybe there are more than we think. We hear of STC modifications, including tip tanks, 200-hp
about enough unsuccessful ones, however, to suggest IO-360 engines in place of the stock 160-hp IO-320s,
that the challenge can be overwhelming. and a STOL kit that increased its gross weight from
Adobe Stock

Expectation plays a role. Twin pilots expect to 3,600 pounds to 3,800 and lowered its single-engine
save both the airplane and themselves. Their object, minimum control speed from 78 to 70 knots. Although
consequently, is to execute the go-around correctly, not only two people were aboard, baggage and fuel brought

24
the airplane to just a few pounds under gross. The
National Transportation Safety Board, obliged to call
attention to every discrepancy, noted that the tip tank
STC required that any weight above 3,650 pounds be
carried symmetrically in the tip tanks, but, in fact, the
Power is good, altitude and
tip tanks were empty. Only if the crash had been due to
a failure of the wing structure, however, would that fact speed are good, but nothing is
have mattered. It had no bearing on the loss of control.
The weather was clear, the wind from 300 degrees
at 16, gusting to 22. The pilot, who had a total time of as good as control.
around 600 hours and 150 hours in the Twin Comanche,
took off from Runway 26. Witnesses reported that the
airplane became airborne, climbed to 200 or 300 feet,
and briefly banked left. One witness reported a sputtering the airplane turned 180 degrees, its ground speed was
sound, similar to that of a power reduction to idle, just 92 knots; it was 84 at the last recorded data point
before the first left bank. The airplane then leveled before impact. Subtracting rather than adding the wind
out and appeared to be flying stabilized before it again component now, it appears the aircraft did not accelerate.
banked left and descended until it hit the ground, still The windmilling propeller was the probable culprit,
within the confines of the airport, having turned more although it’s possible, if the pilot failed to feather the
than 180 degrees. Data retrieved from a recording en- prop, that he also failed to command full power from
gine monitor showed an abrupt EGT drop on all four the good engine. The fact that he turned from upwind
cylinders of the left engine. The magnitude of the drop, to downwind was not hazardous in itself, but close to
vastly in excess of that observed in an engine tested the ground, it can produce a distracting sense of flying
at the Lycoming factory by suddenly shutting off both sideways at excessive speed.
fuel and ignition, baffled the NTSB’s technical analysts. Why does the pilot of a twin-engine airplane, when
(Whether the EGT thermocouples on the accident air- he has one good engine and the necessary airspeed,
plane were of the same type as those used in the Ly- fail to cope successfully with the emergency? Lack
coming test is not revealed.) The NTSB dwelt at length of time is one reason. At 200 or 300 feet, the whole
on the possibility of water or some other contamination sequence—identify the failed engine, correct yaw,
in the fuel, but finally conceded that the reason for the control airspeed, feather, and bank into the good
loss of power could not be determined. In any case, the engine—must be executed swiftly and f lawlessly.
fact that the engine quit—dead—was never in doubt. Another could be mental or physical paralysis pro-
From the witness reports, it seems likely that the duced by the airplane’s failure to respond to the
airplane was still on the runway heading when the controls. He wanted it to turn right, but it kept turning
engine failed. When it began its final left turn, its left. People freeze. Thought stops. Panic takes the reins.
ground speed was 77 knots. Assuming that the headwind When a twin with an engine out slows and can-
component of the quartering 16-to-22-knot wind was at not be controlled, there is still one life-sav ing
least 10 knots, the airplane would have been indicating strategy left to the pilot: to power down the good
87 knots or more and had a margin of at least 17 knots engine and land straight ahead. It is the poten-
over VMC, the single-engine minimum control speed. In tial for loss of control that Collins thought made a
theory, it should have been in good shape. single safer than a twin. But rational thoughts are fleeting
The good engine, on the right, was the “critical in an emergency, and it might be hard to remember that
engine,” that is, the one with the more powerful desta- minimum control speed applies only when the good en-
bilizing tendency. But that did not matter because the gine is developing power. Power is good, altitude and
pilot failed to accomplish an essential step. He did not speed are good, but nothing is as good as control. }
feather the left propeller.
The flight manual procedure for power loss involves This article is based on the National Transportation
several steps—the same steps as apply, with variations in Safety Board’s report of the accident and is intended to
detail, in all engine-out situations in reciprocating-en- bring the issues raised to our readers’ attention. It is not
gine airplanes. The first was to fully open the throttle intended to judge or to reach any definitive conclusions
of the operating engine to maintain altitude and an air- about the ability or capacity of any person, living or dead,
speed of at least 84 kias, that being presumably the sin- or any aircraft or accessory.
gle-engine best rate of climb speed. The next steps were
to close the throttle of the inoperative engine, pull the
mixture to idle cutoff, and pull the prop control into PETER GARRISON taught himself to use a slide rule and tin
the feather position. (Closing the throttle increases snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan.
the drag of the windmilling propeller slightly, but if He writes a monthly installment of Aftermath for FLYING
the prop is promptly feathered, it’s not for long.) When online as well. He has contributed to FLYING since 1968.

25
 PREFLIGHT
IN D E P TH

JUST GETTING
STARTED
Only you can give yourself the confidence to achieve.

BY DAN PIMENTEL

W
E CAN ALL easily remember the first time the dream to
fly wrapped its arms around us and refused to let go. That
was Carole Hopson’s story. Becoming a pilot was to her not
a question, it was more of a challenge, and as a young Black
woman, the hurdles could have seemed too high to overcome.
Carole is not a person who saw those challenges as insurmountable.
Previously, as a corporate executive and journalist, she met every obstacle
with gusto. When she started training to fly, her quest to her current role
as a United Airlines Boeing 737 captain based out of Newark, New Jersey,
could have been derailed many times. It took a solid plan, years of work, and a
combination of brains, perseverance, and an infectious positive attitude to
make her dream come true.
And she is just getting started. In addition to launching the “100 Pairs of
Wings” program following the success of her biography of Bessie Coleman,
A Pair of Wings, Hopson is also a mentor in United’s Aviate Academy, through
Courtesy of Carole Hopson

which the airline intends to fulfill its promise of a more diversified workforce.

27
 Hopson (center, in uniform) shares her historical fiction book “A Pair of Wings,” with a cadre of pilots-to-be.

FLYING Magazine (FM): Explain your early interest to small airports and flight schools. Then we stuck to
in flying—when you first noticed airplanes—and how that the plan.
impacted your future.
FM: How did that plan work out?
Carole Hopson (CH): I have wanted to fly airplanes
ever since I can remember. But this was not a popular CH: What no one factored in was September 11th. That
career aspiration for a girl coming of age in the 1960s fateful day changed the lives of so many. Like others,
and ‘70s. It felt like a dream that I should keep to myself. Michael and I decided to have a family, and were fortu-
And so I did. But it was something that just wouldn’t nate and had two sons. They changed my life more than
leave me. Even though I pursued many remarkable I could have ever imagined. I never thought I would love
fields, I still wanted to follow this path. anything as much as flying, but my children changed my
point of view. I loved my infant and toddler more than
FM: Your husband, Michael, was instrumental in helping anything and stayed home for 14 years raising our boys
you move from being a corporate executive and journalist before getting the training and hours I needed to get to
to becoming a professional pilot. What did he do to help where I am today.
you?
FM: As an international airline pilot, as well as mother,
CH: The first thing that my husband Michael did was he author, public speaker, and philanthropist, what personal
listened. He never laughed at me, and then he put real skills, tricks, and habits do you use to balance everything?
money and enthusiastic support behind my training.
He bought me a discovery flight and paid for the initial CH: I call it the law of three because I can juggle three
lessons. He also helped me create what he called an balls at a time: Family. Flying. Book. And then there’s
“exit strategy.” We put together a financial plan with a grace. Try to be graceful, try to allow yourself grace, and
timeline to forge my dream into a goal. then pay attention to the task at hand and ask for help.

FM: Once you decided to train to become an airline pilot, FM: Explain what the goals of your Jet Black Foundation
what support system did you have in terms of family life are as well as the 100 Pairs of Wings Project, and tell us
as well as financially? why this is needed.
Courtesy of Carole Hopson (2)

CH: That exit strategy that I talked about was detailed. CH: Jetblackfoundation.org was founded to recruit and
Before I up and left my job, I took another position so train African-American female pilots. Less than one
that I could save the money for flight school. We mapped percent of our current pilot workforce is African-Amer-
out which flight schools I would attend and planned for ican and female. We have to begin to recruit from talent
the accelerated courses, as well as cost—both financial pools that we have never searched before. The 100 Pairs
and emotional. Then we bought a house and moved of Wings project will begin in 2025, with a goal to raise
from Manhattan to New Jersey so that I could be close funds to put 10 Black women through flight training

28
every year for the next 10 years. This is problem-solving QUICK
6
that is good for business and ultimately is workforce
development in its purest form.

FM: Why is it important that the aviation industry,

corporations, and high-net-worth individuals support
your foundation with their donations?

CH: Post-COVID travelers have returned with gusto.

Private aircraft acquisition and cargo flying have also
seen an increase in demand. Last summer and over
the 2022 holidays, we saw record numbers of flights
canceled because of staffing shortages, and those staffing Two actually, Bessie Coleman and my mom.
challenges will continue. We must begin to think about
how we solve business challenges in a different way.
Recruiting in brand-new arenas is a solid strategy, and
investing in people is the smartest business investment
we can make. I am thinking tall and small, so a Boeing 787 and a Pitts.

FM: What personal or aviation similarities do you share

with Bessie Coleman, who you wrote about in your book,
A Pair of Wings? The next one.

CH: It’s an honor to compare any part of my being with

Coleman’s legacy. But for sure I have learned from
studying her and have tried to adopt some key principles The jet engine!
that I have learned. Coleman gets lots of credit for
being beautiful and brave, and she did indeed have these
attributes in abundance, but what I learned from her is
that she took these raw materials and turned them into
problem-solving superpowers. From this observation, I Trust in yourself. Only you can give yourself confidence,
have learned that obstacles have opportunity. but anyone can take it away from you.

FM: In Michelle Obama’s latest book The Light We Carry

she explains her “When they go low, we go high” mantra.
As a woman of color coming up through the ranks in the
Spending time with my husband and boys!
airlines, did you ever have to employ that same philosophy?

CH: I smile as I write this: yes, every day! Learning how

to de-escalate and focus on the mission is key. I am
human, so an insult, a curt response, or a mean look can
be a distraction. But I don’t own that; someone else does.
I have a job to do and keeping my crew and passengers
safe is the only goal. Besides, it’s my decision to keep
my control or to give it away. I have decided to keep it.

FM: What is the one big message you want to share

directly with young girls and women of color that may read
this and become inspired to follow a career path similar
to yours?

CH: First, decide that if you love a thing, it’s worth the
pursuit. Secondly, find a mentor. And by this I mean a
guide, not necessarily a friend who rubber stamps your
every move—find someone who has been where you
want to go. Learn, teach, and never stop this process.
Being mentored—and mentoring someone else—is the
best way to continue to evolve. }
Concept Designs
H.K. ARCHITECHTS | Chattanooga, TN
Fro m a des ig n stan d po int ,
Cu m b e r l a n d Con te m p o ra r y
has emerged as the
architectural style of
Th e Fie lds. Cu m be rla n d
Co n te m p o ra r y i s d ef i n e d
as a mountain-modern
approach that is uniquely
inspired by the Cumberland
reg i on of Te nn essee, wh i ch
i ncl udes t he Sequ atchi e
Valley where The Fields is
located. Materials used to
achieve the style are natural
and sustainable, including
regionally sourced timber
an d ston e t h at appl y a
l uxu ry ru st i c aest h et i c wit h
hints of modern design
elements.

FLYTHEFIELDS.COM
INTERIOR INSPIRATION
Concept Designs
H.K. ARCHITECHTS | Chattanooga, TN
FLYTHEFIELDS.COM
1 AC R E LOT | 5 B R , 6 . 5 B AT H . | 570 0 S . F. | 65 ’ X 65 ’ H A N G A R

1 AC R E LOT | 3 BR, 3 .5 BATH. | 40 0 0 S .F. | 4 5’ X 4 5’ H A NG AR

 The Fields is a luxury fly-in
resort and community that
features an airpark with
hangar homes and outdoor
adventure activities.

• Tennessee is one of the

lowest-cost states in the
U.S. to live (No state in-
come or capital gain taxes)

• Located in the Sequatchie

Valley, Tennessee (30
miles from Chattanooga
and 90 miles from Nash-
ville)

• Lots with runway access

• Valley and mountain prop-

erties available, suitable
for smaller homes or large
estates

• Community to include
farm-to-table restaurants,
retail, spa and resort

• Outdoor activities to
include rock climbing,
equestrian activities,
vineyard/winery, 4x4,
hang gliding, kayaking,
plus boating and water
sports on nearby lakes

FLYTHEFIELDS.COM
Concept Designs
H.K. ARCHITECHTS | Chattanooga, TN
 EX PE R IE NC E T HE FI ELDS
To l e a r n m o re a b o u t l ot re ser vat i o n s a n d to
stay up -to - date on the late st, visit
flythefields.com
For those aircraft owners who live the aviation lifestyle, many find themselves
d re a m i ng of liv i ng w ith thei r ai rc raft a nd being ab le to pref lig ht , tax i, an d take off to
a d est i nat io n w i t hi n m inu tes of leav in g th e h o use. Whether it ’s a sin g le - day bu si ness
trip allowing for dinner plans at home to stay intact, or the entire family loading up to
visit friends in a neighboring state —living with your airplane unlocks opportunities.
For most, living in a fly-in community requires a trade - off between the amenities
expected from a master-planned development and those required by an operating
airport—to satisfy everyone’s needs in the household—and thus it remains a dream.

At its core, The Fields has been developed to solve this dilemma. Designed by pilots
and keeping family, friends, and non-aviation residents in mind as a priority, The
Fields marries the best of fly-in community living with world- class amenities everyone
can enjoy. “We wa nted to design a development that has community at its core,
allowing for pilots to enjoy the advantages aviation unlocks while focusing on the key
aspects that make a new urbanist community attractive,” says Jon Ricketts, partner in
The Fields. “This concept is unique to aviation, as other developments don’t cater to
the non-aviation spouse or family. We wanted a community that our spouses would be
proud to call home and invite their friends to visit.”

In addition to the onsite amenities surrounding a 4 , 300 -foot runway, The Fields
is st rategically located in southeastern Tennessee. The area features a long list of
beautiful flying adventures nearby, close proximity to ma jor metropolitan areas, and
a tax-friendly state for residents. By pilots, for pilots—The Fields is the new standard
for fly-in communities.

FLYTHEFIELDS.COM
 WE F LY

DASSAULT
FALCON 6X
The first of Dassault’s next-generation business jets

BY FRED GEORGE
PHOTOS COU RT ESY O F DASSAULT AVIATION
“ BI GG ER IS BE TTE R”
is Dassault Aviation’s mantra for its next-generation business jets. And that was unmistakable
when I walked up to the new Falcon 6X at the company flight test facility at Istres-Le Tubé
Air Base (LFMI) west of Marseille. The aircraft looks positively plus-sized compared to its
svelte predecessors, including Dassault’s current Falcon 8X flagship.

The Falcon 6X is, by far, Dassault’s largest, heaviest, taller cabin than any other purpose-built private jet in
and most powerful business jet in the 60-year history current production and promises to have mid 40 dBA
of its business jet production line. super-low interior noise levels.
The 6X represents a sea change in Dassault’s This results in a nearly 38-ton aircraft at max
design focus. Falcons always have appealed to pilots, takeoff weight, so I wanted to find out if it still had
engineers, and technicians—lean, nimble, and hyper the famous agility of previous Falcon jets, ones quite
fuel-efficient. clearly inspired by Dassault’s famed Mirage and Rafale
Now, passenger comfort has become the top fighters. Or, considering its apparent heft, would it
priority. The latest Falcon jet offers a wider floor and handle more like a tour ’Bus from Toulouse?
 A

D B

SETTING NEW STANDARDS

For the record, the Falcon 6X actually grew to be big- Falcon 5X’s main competitors were the 4,200 nm
ger in cabin volume, heavier overall, and more powerful range, Mach 0.80 [459 ktas] Gulfstream G450; and the
than originally intended. Development began in 2009 as 5,100 nm range, Mach 0.82 [470 ktas] Bombardier
Falcon 5X when Dassault abandoned plans to develop Global 5000. Dassault targeted 5,200 nm with eight pas-
a new super-midsize aircraft in favor of a much larger sengers at 459 knots true for the Falcon 5X, enabling it
and longer-range next-gen model. The Falcon 5X was to fly from Los Angeles to Paris on the same fuel that a
announced in October 2013. Dassault planned to deliver G450 would need to fly from Los Angeles to Reykjavik.
the aircraft to the first customers in late 2016. Being a Falcon, it would be a technological tour-de-
Dassault’s design goals were to create a new stan- force, starting with its digital fly-by-wire flight controls.
dard in cabin comfort by offering business aviation’s Dassault pioneered FBW in business jets with its Falcon
widest and tallest cabin, to achieve 15 percent better 7X that entered service in 2007, borrowing heavily from
fuel-efficiency than competitors, and to preserve com- technologies it had used for 40 years in its fighter jets,
petitive speed and range. When launched in 2009, the including its Mach 2-class Rafale.

41
 F LY B Y W I R E

Stability and performance are classic trade-offs in Unlike the latest fighter jets, all Falcon jets are in-
both military and civil aircraft designs. The more ag- herently stable. But, as with its military aircraft,
ile performance, the more stability must be sacrificed. Dassault upgraded its newer Falcon jets with FBW
The Rafale that I flew 16 years ago is a classic example. controls to slash pilot workload, incorporate flight
It’s so frenetically unstable that without digital flight envelope protection, and improve passenger comfort.
controls, it’s nearly impossible for anyone other than Simply put, FBW makes the Falcons easier, safer, and
a skilled test pilot to fly. Fit a Rafale with FBW, and it more comfortable to fly.
becomes as docile as a Falcon 10. The Falcon 5X would have Dassault’s latest version of
Unlike the Falcon 10, though, the Rafale will main- FBW flight controls, integrating nose wheel steering,
tain its flight path if you let go of the controls, even plus slats and flaps. It also would be the first business
with changes in speed or aircraft configuration. The jet to be fitted with flaperons, trailing edge devices that
Rafale also has full flight envelope protection. Yank combine flap and aileron functions. When deflected
and bank until you nearly black out. If you reef back in harmony with the ailerons, flaperons increase roll
the stick to the stops, you can’t overstress it, stall it, control authority, thus improving controllability at low
or cause it to spin. Dassault’s term is “carefree han- speeds. When the flight spoilers are used, the flaperons
dling.” The pilot is free to concentrate on higher prior- deflect downward while the ailerons deflect upward to
ity tasks, such as navigating around threats, checking increase drag, minimize buffeting and unload the out-
six for bandits, delivering ordnance on target, or shoot- board wing sections. Note to self: The flaperons could
ing down the bad guys. make it lither than it looks.

The Falcon 6X is impressively agile, in large part because it utilizes flaperons as primary flight control surfaces .

42
 TRANSFORMING TECH

Two enabling technologies were the keys to the it in the running with the updated Global 5500 and
Falcon 5X’s success. First was Dassault’s unmatched clean-sheet G500.
ability to build lightweight, low-drag airframes. The By the end of 2017, Dassault found an engine for the
Falcon 5X’s empty weight would be 5,000 pounds less Falcon 6X. It was the 13,500 lb.-thrust Pratt & Whit-
than a G450 and 12,000 pounds lighter than a Global ney PW812D turbofan, essentially a scaled-down ver-
5000. Second was Safran’s new 11,450 lb.-thrust sion of the PW814GA Pure Power engine used on the
Snecma Silvercrest turbofan engines, which promised Gulfstream G500. Of prime importance, PW800 series
15 percent better fuel efficiency than competitive engines were a low-risk choice, as they use the same
engines, along with considerably lower emissions. high-pressure sections as Pratt & Whitney’s geared
The Silvercrest would be Safran’s first fully home- turbofan engines. In airline use, the GTFs have logged
grown civil aircraft turbofan. The challenges proved more than 18 million hours of fleet time. The engine
too daunting, especially in developing the core or core has proven to be rock-solid reliable.
high-pressure section. After Silvercrest failed to meet The PW812D produces 2,000 pounds more thrust
a series of performance benchmarks, causing unac- than the Silvercrest engine, but a pair add 900-plus
ceptable delays in the Falcon 5X certification cam- pounds of installed weight. Dassault countered this
paign, Dassault fired Safran as engine supplier and weight by stretching the Falcon 6X fuselage 20 inches
halted the Falcon 5X program in late 2017. ahead of the wing and adding an extra cabin window
Safran subsequently settled with Dassault for €250 on each side. The stretch makes the cabin 4 percent
million. But, Dassault had already invested several longer, affording passengers more comfort.
million more euros in the Fal- Dassault also added 5,590
con 5X, so it wasn’t about to pounds more belly tank fuel ca-
cancel the program entirely. pacity to boost maximum range
It swiftly moved to morph the by 300 to 5,500 nm. However,
Falcon 5X into a new model, that’s at Mach 0.80 or 459 ktas,
soon to be launched as the Fal- compared with Mach 0.85 for
con 6X. the competition. The Falcon
Time was of the essence, as 6X’s range at Mach 0.85 drops
Bombardier planned to replace to 5,100 nm.
the Global 5000 with the faster The PW812D engines, fuse-
and more fuel-efficient Global lage stretch, and bigger belly
5500, and Gulfstream was DASSAULT FALCON 6X tanks boost the Falcon 6X’s
about to drop the dated G450 empty weight by 2,700 pounds.
for the 30-knot faster, higher Price (as tested, estimated): With extra fuel, max takeoff
f ly ing, roomier, and more $56 million weig ht is i ncrea sed 7, 860
fuel-efficient G500, first of the High Cruise Speed: 505 ktas pounds compared to the 5X. The
G-VII family. Bombardier also Max Mach Number: 0.90 MMO considerably more powerful
added more fuel capacity to NBAA IFR range (2 crew + 4 pax): Pratt & Whitney engines en-
the Global 5500, stretching its 5,570 nm dow the Falcon 6X with a bet-
range to 6,000 nm. The Gulfst- Takeoff Distance, 1,000 nm/NBAA ter thrust-to-weight ratio than
ream G500 could fly 5,400 nm, IFR: 2,915 ft. the Falcon 5X with Silvercrest
1,200 nm more than G450. The Landing Distance, Unfactored/NBAA turbofans, so the aircraft still
competitive landscape obvi- IFR: 2,460 ft. is a strong performer. Even
ously had undergone a revo- Max Operating Altitude: 51,000 ft. though wing area remains the
lution in the years since the Length: 84 ft., 3 in. same and wing loading goes
Falcon 5X was announced. Wingspan: 85 ft., 1 in. up 11 percent, the Falcon 6X
To prevent its next-gen Fal- Height: 24 ft., 6 in. takeoff distances at max take-
con from becoming an al- Cabin Length*: 40 ft., 4 in. off weight are very close to
so-ran in the race with the Cabin Width*: 8 ft., 6 in. those of the competition. On
Canadians and Americans— Cabin Height*: 6 ft., 6 in. more t y pica l 2-hour trips,
or worse yet, a still-born—Das- Maximum Payload: 3,803 lb. the Falcon 6X needs less than
sault needed to find a suitable Payload, Full Fuel: 1,753 lb. 3,000 feet of pavement when
replacement engine without Pressurized Stowage: 155 cubic ft. departing a sea-level, stan-
delay. It also needed to give Aft Cargo Stowage: 76 cubic ft. dard-day airport. That’s on par
the aircraft more range to keep *preliminary figures with a Beechcraft King Air 360.

43
 SUITING UP TO FLY

I traveled to Dassault’s flight test facility at Istres-Le bags, plus plenty of catering and beverages. For my
Tubé to fly the Falcon 6X a few months before it was demo flight, I would fly left seat, Dassault’s chief test
slated for FAA and EASA certification. A visit to Le pilot Phillipe Duchateau would be in the right seat as
Tubé is always a treat because you’re up close to the my instructor, and Fabrice “Tom” Valette—lead Falcon
Mirage 2000, Rafale, and C-135 air refueler operations. 6X test pilot—would occupy the jump seat as safety pi-
The day I flew the Falcon 6X, we had to share the run- lot. As the aircraft was still in experimental status, the
way with Rafale pilots in the “bounce pattern”—field uniform of the day would be blue Nomex flight suits for
carrier landing practice in preparation for carrier qual- the three of us.
ification. The demo was also the 54th test flight, so we care-
Serial Number 4, the aircraft I would fly, is intended fully briefed the maneuvers on the test card [aka “the
to be a customer demo aircraft, so it was equipped with dance card”]. The main purpose of the mission was to
a whole raft of options, including the FalconEye wide provide me with the opportunity to evaluate the air-
field-of-view HUD and combined vision system, one craft’s stability and agility.
of the best with which I’ve yet flown; optional Iridium Filled with 17,000 pounds of jet-A and accounting for
and KA-band SATCOM for high-speed WiFi and VOIP start and taxi fuel burn, our computed takeoff weight
mobile phone calling for the passengers; cabin humid- was 59,000 pounds. That was enough fuel to fly from
ifier; HEPA air conditioning filters; extended galley, Istres-Le Tubé to Gander, Newfoundland, or Dubai,
and several other items that added 1,237 pounds to UAE. If the aircraft had been full of fuel and with eight
its empty weight. Even so, the tanks-full payload was passengers aboard, we could have flown from Le Tubé
1,750 pounds, enough for eight passengers and their to Seattle, São Paulo, or Ho Chi Minh City [aka Saigon].

R EA DY TO TAXI
Using the normal slats and f laps 2 position for puters. Dassault takes special steps to avoid pilots hav-
takeoff, our V speeds were 117 knots for the V1 takeoff ing to ask, “What’s it doing now?”
decision speed and VR rotation speed, 121 knots for the To start the engines, I needed only to move the throt-
V2 one engine inoperative climb speed, and 151 knots tles to idle and turn one central knob to “start.” That
to retract slats and flaps. Those comparatively low would automatically initiate start, first for the right
V speeds are worth noting because the Falcon 6X has engine, then for the left. For this flight, though, we
the highest wing loading of any current production overrode the automatic two-engine start feature and
purpose-built business jet. Without Dassault’s signa- started one engine at a time to allow the ground crew
ture full-span leading edge slats, those V speeds would to make some post-start checks related to flight test.
have been at least 20 knots higher. Once the main entry door was closed, I was im-
Belting into my seat, I was immediately impressed pressed with the low interior sound levels. Releasing
with the size of the flight deck windows and room for the parking brake, it took just a little thrust to start
pilots. The window area is a third larger than in the Fal- the aircraft moving. All the FBW Falcons do away with
con 8X. I’ve not flown a business jet with bigger win- steering tillers. It’s all done through the rudder ped-
dows or better visibility outside of a Cirrus Vision Jet. als, with nose wheel steering progressively increasing
Dassault’s flight test ground crew already had the APU with pedal movement and decreasing with taxi speed. I
running, so everything up front had electrical power found the brakes to be a little touchy, but my technique
when we entered the flight deck. Duchateau was busy got better with practice.
programming the aircraft’s EASy IV [enhanced avionics EASy IV, similar to Gulfstream’s Symmetry avion-
system, fourth-generation] computer with crew weights, ics package, provides 2D airport moving maps and 3D
fuel load, and allowances for spares and stores. synthetic vision of the airport environment, including
The 6X has much shorter checklists than previ- signposts for ramps, taxiways, and runways; depictions
ous Falcons because several systems are more auto- of buildings; and, eventually, ADS-B In images of prox-
mated. But the flow pattern of checks and flight deck imate aircraft and ground service vehicles. Upgraded
layout closely resemble those of its predecessors that EASy also supports Sirius XM weather and Honeywell’s
I’ve flown. There just are fewer switches, buttons, and Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System.
knobs that need to be touched during normal opera- These aren’t gimmicks. Every pilot with whom I’ve
tions. When necessary, however, it’s easy for pilots to spoken raves about Sirius XM satellite weather as a
intervene and exercise adult supervision over the com- strategic planning tool. ROASS warns pilots of landing

44
fast, touching down long, or braking too gently. And im- spotting risks. Aircraft attitude, flight path trajectory,
portantly for me, taxiing between ramp and runway in heading, and bank angle, among other essentials, all
poor visibility and/or darkness is much more challeng- are displayed 1:1 with the outside world, so the HUD
ing than flying it from takeoff to touchdown. Dense fog promotes situational awareness using basic visual ref-
increases the risks of getting lost on the ramp, rolling erences. You only have to glance down occasionally
off the pavement, or having to slam on the brakes. EASy to check fuel quantity, engine instruments, and sys-
IV’s 3D airport moving maps take a lot of the stress out tems status. The FalconEye also has multi-spectral in-
of ground maneuvering. frared and visible light sensors that provide certified
For flight, in contrast, I like to spend most of my time enhanced vision system credit, along with synthetic
looking out of the aircraft, not head down, hawking the vision, enabling the crew to earn approval to fly down
instrument panel. That’s when the optional FalconEye to 100-foot ceilings on instrument approaches. For me,
HUD showed its value. All imagery is focused at infin- the HUD is the greatest safety breakthrough since the
ity, so it enhances distance vision that’s so critical to advent of the windshield.

ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL

Once cleared for takeoff, we used a FOD prevention When Duchateau called “V1, Rotate!”, mild back pres-
technique to reduce the chance those pricey PW812Ds sure on the sidestick was all I needed to set 15 degrees
would swallow debris that could damage them. I ad- nose up. With a positive rate of climb, we retracted the
vanced thrust to 52 percent N1 fan speed, waited un- gear. As the FBW system uses path-stable pitch control
til the aircraft was rolling at 45 kias, and then pushed law, I didn't need to move the sidestick as the 6X accel-
forward on the power levers to the stops. At our rel- erated, automatically trimming the horizontal stab. At
atively light weight, the aircraft’s weight-to-thrust V2 + 30 knots, we retracted the slats and flaps, turned
ratio was nearly 2:1. Acceleration was a whole lot toward the Mediterranean, engaged the autothrottles,
sportier than the Falcon 8X I last flew a few years ago. and settled into a 250-kias climb to 15,000 feet.
 IM PRESSI VE LY AGIL E
Once leveled at 15,000 feet, it was time to begin the we should lower the nose and recover. We kept the side-
big dance. This would start with baby steps, progress- stick firmly against the stops as the aircraft stabilized
ing to break dance moves. I first used gentle sidestick at VMIN, the highest angle of attack allowed by the FBW
pressure to roll the aircraft into a left 30-degree an- system, which is just a few knots above aerodynamic
gle of bank and then reversed it to the right. With a stall. Nose attitude eased down to just below the hori-
light touch, the Falcon 6X moved with the uber-soft zon and the VSI plunged.
restraint. If passengers had been aboard, there was no With the sidestick fully aft, I started rolling the air-
chance of rattling silverware, shifting china plates, or craft 30 degrees left and right. In spite of the abuse, the
spilling that 2010 Chateau Dassault St. Emilion. Falcon 6X sank as gracefully and obediently as with a
Then, I started making more assertive sidestick in- dozen other Falcons I’ve flown. High alpha maneuver-
puts, rolling the aircraft rapidly between 60 degrees ing is as dramatic as in a Piper J-3 Cub.
left and right. Healthy springs inside the sidestick Next, we configured the aircraft for landing with
control boxes prevent pilots from making such spir- gear down and slats/flaps extended, stabilizing it
ited moves inadvertently, but if you muscle this aircraft at the 125-knot VREF landing reference speed, plus
around at 250 knots like a 25-year-old Rafale pilot, it 10 knots padding for maneuvering.
responds with alacrity and aplomb. Starting with gentle banks, I progressed to full sides-
Slow-speed agility usually is more of a challenge for tick deflection rolls to 40 degrees left and right. Whoa.
a large-cabin jet. I disengaged the autothrottle and let That’s when the flaperons revealed their true roll con-
the airplane decelerate until the sidestick was on the trol power. The Falcon 6X may look plump on the ramp,
backstop. The outboard slats automatically extended, but in the air I found it as impressively agile as older
and we were alerted by aural and visual warnings that Falcons.

CRI SP, PRECIS E, CON FI DE NT

After our stability and control checks, it was time to re- finesse. Duchateau commented that it’s nearly impos-
turn to Istres-Le Tubé for abbreviated pattern work. To sible to embarrass yourself by crunching down in this
hasten our descent, I pulled the air brake lever back to aircraft, even for newbies.
position 1 [AB1]. The ailerons deflected up and the fla- We reconfigured on the roll for a touch-and-go and
perons deflected down, creating plenty of drag without flew around for a second landing. This time, Duchateau
changing nose attitude significantly. There was almost had me offset 500 feet to the right of centerline. About
imperceptible airframe buffeting. Dassault plans to 1,000 feet above touchdown height, he had me make
certify the use of AB1 with gear, slats, and flaps ex- an aggressive alignment maneuver to centerline. The
tended to stabilize aircraft descent rate for steep ap- aircraft responded crisply, precisely, and confidently.
proach approval, needed for London City and Lugano, At 500 feet, we were stabilized on centerline and VASI
Switzerland, airport operations. I’ll wager it will be glidepath. Using the same landing technique as before,
just as valuable for flying into Aspen, Colorado, with its the aircraft touched the runway as though I had logged
6.49-degree or 6.59-degree final approach glide paths. 2,000 hours in type, not two.
If maximum drag is required, say for an emergency The Falcon 6X, as with all other aircraft, has its de-
descent, pulling the lever back to AB2 causes all four sign trade-offs. A 5,500 nm trip flown at the Falcon
spoiler panels on the wings to extend, resulting in a 6X’s Mach 0.80 long-range cruise speed takes 45 min-
high rate of descent. Normally, the spoilers only are utes longer than one flown in a competitor cruising
used during landing roll to dump lift, thus improving at Mach 0.85. Push it up to Mach 0.85, and the range
main wheel traction and braking effectiveness. All the drops to 5,100 nm, still sufficient for Paris to Portland,
trailing edge high lift devices also deflect upward on London to Tokyo, or Beijing to San Francisco.
landing to enhance lift dump. Unrefueled short-haul missions are this aircraft’s
As we approached the airport, we noted a 20-knot strong suit because of its comparatively high max land-
overshooting left crosswind on Runway 33. Not a prob- ing weight. Depart Van Nuys for a five-leg trip to Tuc-
lem in this aircraft. I just crabbed into the wind until son, El Paso, Salt Lake City, Portland, and back to Van
50 feet above the concrete, where I pulled the thrust to Nuys, and you’ll never tap the fuel truck until you’re
idle, held the nose attitude relatively flat, pushed in a back in Southern California.
little right rudder, and settled in for a feathery touch- You can also fly from Washington, D.C., to Teterboro,
down. That surely was a reflection of the aircraft’s then on to Rome—across the pond—without refueling.
long-travel, soft oleo main landing gear, not my flying That's a nice flight plan to consider.

46
 The dimmable skylight in the for ward galley floods work areas with light by day and a view of the stars at night.

CRÈME D E LA C R ÈME

Passengers, not pilots, buy most large-cabin airplanes. The standard 12-seat floor plan includes a typical
Along with speed and range, comfort and convenience four-chair club section up front, a four-seat conference
weigh heavily on the purchase decision. Falcon 6X’s grouping in mid-cabin, and a three-place sofa sleeper
high wing loading and flexible wing structure, along plus single chair in the aft cabin. There are power
with the stability controls built into its FBW system, outlets throughout the cabin for tablets, laptops, and
should make it tops in class for a pillow-soft ride. phones. The optional satcom WiFi system provides
The cabin has 30 windows, each about 10 percent big- dozens of channels of audio/visual entertainment and
ger in area than on older Falcons, that flood the cabin full-time broadband connectivity.
with daylight and that make it feel larger than it mea- Quite clearly, the Falcon 6X delivers a crème de la
sures. Just ahead of the galley, there’s a crew lavatory crème passenger experience befitting a Comtesse de
and swiveling third crewmember seat. Champagne. Up front, I’ll wager that pilots will find
The 10.2 psi pressurization system assures cabin al- that it provides that it tops any Falcon they’ve previ-
titudes at or below 4,800 feet at typical cruising alti- ously flown for handling ease, situational awareness,
tudes. The 155 cubic foot aft baggage compartment is and low workload. As Dassault’s first foray into ul-
fully accessible in flight. There is another 76 cubic foot tra-large private jets, the Falcon 6X retains top hon-
unpressurized compartment for golf clubs, skis, snow- ors as one of the nicest flying airplanes ever to wear
boards, or mountain bikes. rouge, blanc, et bleu. [

47
Oregon Aviation Hist
 A TALE
OF FOUR
PRINCES
Rare airplanes in the Pacific Northwest

BY MEG GODLEWSKI

The word ‘rare’ is defined as seldom occurring or uncommon . When used to describe
airplanes , it is of ten applied to designs that are fe w in number—such as the Student
P rince, an open-cockpit biplane briefly manufactured in Oregon in the late 1920s to
early 1930s . The Student P rince was the first airplane to be commercially built and
certified in Oregon—the second was the Van’s Aircraft RV-12 , built in Aurora , Oregon .
Van’s would b egi n turn in g ou t t h e 91 2is-po w ered SLSAs i n 200 9 .

49
 Fred Zimmerly with the first Student Prince. The Zimmerly brothers used the trainer in the mid 1930s .

The powerplant of the aircraft varied. The one-off

Adcox Student Prince had an 85 hp Cirrus Mk III, later
a 90 hp Ace engine. The Kinner K-5 also became a
popular choice.
. Unfortunately, the Great Depression was underway
at the time of its inception, and the airplane market
School near Portland in 1929. According to Bowers, was soft to nonexistent—the lack of customers and
the airplane was built on contract for Jerry Wildman, flooding from winter rains closed the factory down.
a Portland-area pilot who financed the project. “Less than six of the aircraft were produced and only
The design was such a hit that Adcox decided three were certified. Number 101, 102, and 103. Those
Oregon Aviation Historical Society

to mass-produce the aircraft. A factory was built were the last three that were built before the economy
outside of Portland, on Swan Island along the tanked,” says Tim Talen, a pilot and aircraft restorer
Willamette River. from Springfield, Oregon. Talen, the founder of the Or-
The Student Prince is not a terribly complicated egon Aviation Historical Society, has been restoring
design. The fuselage and tail surfaces are welded steel vintage aircraft since the 1970s, “taking them from
tubing, and the wings used wooden spars and wood- basket case to award winners,” he says. Talen owns
truss ribs at first. Pressed sheet aluminum was later Student Prince No. 101: “The prototype for the certified
used for the ribs. The fuel tank, fitted in the center airplanes,” says Talen. “The Student Prince was the first
section of the wing, holds approximately 22.5 gallons. certified production airplane built in Oregon.”

50
 STUDENT PR IN CE NO. 1 01

Talen had heard stories about a Student Prince in Missing parts are often part of the challenge when re-
the Pacific Northwest, and he went looking for it. He storing a vintage aircraft, says Talen, and the restorer
learned about Skeeter Carlson, a vintage aviation pilot often finds themself searching for an airplane of the
with a Student Prince in Spokane. Skeeter told him he same make and model to take measurements.
had another Student Prince that was a basket case and A Student Prince was operated by Bert and Fred
asked Talen if he would be interested in a trade. Zimmerly, who opened a flying service in 1934 in
“A few years later, I had a Fleet airplane and I asked, Lewiston, Idaho, according to a story in the April 1941
‘How about trading the Fleet for the SP?’” says Talen. issue of FLYING. The brothers used the airplane as a
Unfortunately, the airplane was without an engine. “I trainer while they developed their commercial opera-
was trading for a complete airplane and engine, but no, tions serving the community along with a seven-place
Skeeter said just the airframe, so I had to go out and find Zenith. The pair moved operations to Clarkston in
my own engine. I got a Kinner.” 1938. Turns out, this was Student Prince No. 101.

CHARLIE BROWN, SERIAL NO. 102

Now, Student Prince No. 102 certainly belongs to them they were made on Swan Island near Portland,
Charlie Brown of Sandpoint, Idaho. Brown, an Oregon.” According to Brown the instrument panel is
octogenarian pilot and aviation mechanic, estimates basic, “A tachometer, a compass, airspeed, oil pressure
he’s restored around 23 aircraft. He also acquired his and temperature, and that's pretty much it.” He notes
Student Prince from Skeeter Carlson. It was one of his airplane sports a 145 hp Warner, more powerful than
many projects left unfinished after Carlson's death. the other Student Princes.
“He had a lot of airplanes," said Brown. "He bought Brown’s Student Prince is orange, which is a creative
[the Student Prince] in 1947. He had taken it apart choice, he says. “I have seen some original 1930s pic-
some 35 years ago so he could recover it, and basi- tures of the Student Prince and I think they were all
cally it didn’t happen. After Skeeter died, his fam- silver back then,” he said, adding that it is difficult to tell
ily wanted to get rid of the airplane stuff and I found since the images are in black and white.
it in his barn. I acquired it in 2016—it was about During the restoration, Brown, like Talen, sought
90 percent there. It took about four years to restore it.” out a fully intact Student Prince for reference—that
Brown notes it had the original seats. “The seats are Student Prince No. 103, belongs to Summer Martell of
Naugahyde and tall and narrow, and it’s stamped on Port Townsend, Washington.

Charlie Brown chose orange and yellow for his Student Prince. He believes the original color was silver.

Courtesy of Summer Martell

 SUMMER MARTELL , STUDENT PRINCE NO. 103

Summer Martell is a 15,000-hour ATP-rated corporate Prince, soloing at 16. A year later, after her father’s
pilot and designated pilot examiner from Port untimely and non-aviation-related death, she inherited
Townsend, Washington. According to Martell, her the airplane.
airplane was the last one the factory finished before She put herself to work as a modern-day barnstormer
it shut down. She's been flying the airplane since her as she built her hours and became a professional pilot.
teen years—it belonged to her father, who was known There’s still nothing she loves more than giving rides
as “Flyin’ Bryan.” at airshows and fly-ins.
Martell’s parents were divorced and she was living W hen other Student Prince owners need in-
with her mother in Palmer, Alaska, when her father was formation on a part, it’s Martell’s aircraft that is
learning to fly. He started in tricycle gear airplanes but photographed and measured.
soon made the transition to tailwheel. “It underwent a complete restoration in 2009,” she
“He saw the Student Prince in a hangar at an air- says, adding that she learned to buy and hoard Kinner
port, and he said it smiled at him, and he knew he had parts whenever she could. Recently, she added a Kinner
to have it,” she says. Her father sent her photographs starter to the airplane.
of himself next to his newly acquired Student Prince, “I’ve been hand-propping that plane since I was 16.
and it wasn’t long before Summer joined her father in The convenience and safety a starter will add out-
Washington and started taking flying lessons in the weighs the nostalgia of hand propping,” she explained.
antique open-cockpit biplane, which her father chris- Martell flies the airplane about 50 hours a year,
tened “Lady Summer.” mostly in the summer.
Father and daughter would spend the summers barn- “My father used to tell me that flying was my inheri-
storming. Summer’s job was to haul cans of gas, and tance. His words proved to be prophetic, and the Student
collect the money while her dad gave rides. Prince has been the key to that kingdom. It has affected,
When she was 16, she learned to hand-prop the air- influenced, and shaped my life more than anything or
plane to get it started as it doesn’t have an electrical anyone. When it comes to the two of us, I will always be
system or starter. Martell learned to fly in the Student the student, and it will forever be my Prince.”

Summer Martell commutes in her Student Prince to give check rides , here at Pierce County/Thun Field.

Marcus Butler
 The Adcox Special Student Prince sits at the fuel pumps decades ago.

AD COX SPECI AL ST UDE NT P RIN C E

The rarest of the rare, the Adcox Special Student During his final year with United Airlines in 1988, he
Prince N10471, also resides in Washington state, used part of his retirement to purchase the airplane
owned by Keith Dyson, an AP/IA and commercial back, and it has been back in the family ever since."
pilot. Aviation runs in the family, as it was Dyson’s father The senior Dyson flew west in 2012, leaving his son
Hank who found the Adcox parked at the Kennewick, to care for the antique.
Washington, airport in 1957. “I am currently putting N10471 back together
“It had been modified by having the original following rebuilding new floorboards. Fortunately
American Cirrus engine removed and replaced by a for me, the Adcox has not required another full-on
Kinner B-5 that had swallowed a valve,” says Dyson. restoration, and I’ve not had to deal with anything
“Dad trucked it home, removed the Kinner and replaced other than routine maintenance.”
Oregon Aviation Historical Society

it with a Continental W670, which it still has. It was given The best part of being the caretaker of the Adcox
a full restoration—back in the air in the early 1960s.” Student Prince—because no one really ever owns an
It was in that airplane that Keith Dyson, age four, took antique airplanes, they are simply caretakers—says
his first airplane ride. “The event forever hooked me Dyson, is “knowing I’m working on a piece of history
into the world of aviation,” he says. “Dad kept the air- that has been touched by so many extremely talented
plane until 1968 when he traded it for building materials people that loved antique open cockpit biplanes. I plan
and construction equipment to build a very large home to hold onto this great old bird as long as I can.
on the family homestead near Eatonville, Washington, "I was so incredibly fortunate this great airplane
but he always kept track of where the Adcox traveled. chose me!” }

53
BUTCHER
BLOCK
FLYING
W he n t h e ae ria l j ourne y str ings toget her st orie s
f r o m y o u r c u l i n a r y h e r i ta ge

STORY BY MATT MOORE

PHOTOS BY ANDREA BEHRENDS
 s my mother was told, in the fall of 1941, my
grandfather Abraham Samuel Dennis was in his
early twenties while stationed at Kessler Field in
Biloxi, Mississippi, serving as a mess sergeant in the United States
Army Air Corps. As the fall season brought about a welcome drop
in sticky Southern temperatures, so too came rumors which would
soon deploy my grandfather’s unit to a base little known to most
Americans.

Its name was Pearl Harbor.

 The author enjoys an appropriate inflight snack between points on the butcher-fueled sectional chart.

FLYIN G FOR MEAT

On this early spring day, I’m at 7,500 feet in my 1976 are strong, perfectly perpendicular to Runway 18/36. I
Piper Cherokee Cruiser with photographer Andrea give Andrea a quick briefing, letting her know that we’ll
Behrends. It’s our first journey for what will become go around as needed for safety, casually letting off some
my fifth cookbook, our third together. of the self-induced pressure by sharing that her baby-in-
While the purr of the Lycoming has served as a womb is sneaking in some solid early right-seat time.
soundtrack to most of our travels, Andrea has told me Fortunately, the landing is unremarkable, thanks
months prior that she is expecting her first child, a baby to the forgiving low-wing attributes of the Cherokee,
boy, with her husband Christian. Inevitably, this ‘book and after tying up the airplane for the evening, we
writing season,’ as we call it, will certainly be different. make our way into Cambridge City, Indiana, to meet
As I pick up the AWOS at Mettel Field (KCEV) out- with butcher Jerry Rihm and the family behind Rihm
side of Connersville, Indiana, I notice the crosswinds Foods.

57
 On final for barbeque at the next stop in the author's Piper Cherokee.

THE N EXT ADV ENTU RE

Like any pilot, an author is always searching for the Abe primarily took up the duties of butchering
next adventure. So, after spending the last decade in house—sides of beef made their way weekly into the
writing books on all things barbecue (The South’s Best store from the Amour Brand food truck that sourced its
Butts) and grilling (Serial Griller, featured in the May dry-aged beef from Kansas City. David, a man of many
2020 issue of FLYING), my publisher suggested I com- talents, would make sausages on Saturdays and tend
bine the two subjects into one, something akin to a to the additional in-store eccentricities, including a
best-of-hits compilation. hobby shop. On Fridays, Mary would make her relish
Frankly, I despised the idea altogether, as any true of mustard, Vidalia onion, and tomatoes to serve on top
Southerner will tell you that barbecue and grilling of hot dogs wrapped in wax paper for those that craved
are two entirely disparate subjects—e.g. takeoffs and a quick repast.
landings. While I’ve known of such stories, writing this book
So, after mulling around for months, I decided to opened a new opportunity to share our family pride,
start at the beginning—at a butcher shop—and my own and recipes like kebabs and kibbe nayyeh, in a time
family story. when so many are trying to better understand the
When my great-grandfather Jim left Beirut, he source—and the personalities behind the food we
traversed through France, eventually making the consume and enjoy.
journey through the halls of Ellis Island to settle in As you read this, you are perhaps thinking of that
south Georgia. Jim’s fruit stand, built from humble butcher in your family, or the one on the local block
beginnings, eventually morphed into a food and gas where you grew up. So in my new book, Butcher on the
establishment with living quarters for his family, Block, we travel from Chinatown in San Francisco to
including my grandfather Abe. They slept on the Antibes in the south of France.
wooden floors in the back of the building as they Meat, game, seafood, and yes, vegetables, too, are
persisted through the Great Depression. all part of the butchering fabric around the world.
Hard work, perseverance, and the formidable And whether grilled, barbecued, raw, roasted, or
American dream served our family well. When Abe and fried—I aim to track down not only my grandfather’s
David returned from the war, they built a full-service legacy, but the trade that so lovingly contributes to the
grocery store with their sister Mary, which became the nourishment of our communities. Flying often serves
model of the supermarket to follow. as the means by which I can do so.

58
 ON THE BUTCHER’S TRAIL
Back to Cambridge City. The Rihm patriarch Jerry is sourced from pork. Among many a cold beer and Rihm
part of a third generation of butcher immigrants who house charcuteries like venison sausage and Braun-
built a local empire in the meat and processing busi- schweiger, Jerry opines on one dish that’s not in front
ness. Upon arrival, I meet with Jerry’s son Joseph, the of my eyes.“Cutting meat, sometimes we save the best
next generation, who opens a smoker to unveil a few pieces for ourselves, like the tail trimmings of strips
hog heads smoking on the grate. “Growing up in this and ribeyes.
family, nothing goes to waste. Besides, these will make “Most folks don’t want to pay for that extra weight,”
great tacos,” says Joseph. he continues, “so we trim it on the line, using our bon-
The Rihm family comes together that evening to ing knife to cut out the little pearl of meat at the end.
share a spread honoring their traditions. I’m just After a soak in Worcestershire, we eat that all day with
glad to be a hungry witness. A ‘County Fair Burger’ some toasted bread.”
made with house-ground pork, jowl bacon, and bar- I only have to ask, and Jerry runs back to the shop
becue sauce makes me wonder why all burgers are not to give me a taste.

A modest sign points to a treasure trove of well-prepared viands and other tasty treats at Rihm's Meats.

59
One of Indiana’s best kept secrets is one of the simplest—the pork
burger. Frankly I’m not sure why subbing out beef patties for pork
hasn’t caught more national attention, but one bite of this delicious,
juicy burger will convince any burger purist. The Rihm family
makes their patties in house, combining ground pork and their
famous jowl bacon to produce a meaty, moist, and smoky base to
this classic. I pressed both Joseph and Jerry Rihm as to why it’s
earned the 'county fair' moniker, and both tell me that's because
you eat them at the county fair. I can’t argue with that! You can
dress up this burger as you wish, and it’s most often served with
either mustard or barbecue sauce—no mayo or ketchup, please.
 In digging through family stories for his latest book, Moore found a deeper connection to his heritage—and reasons to fly.

CH AN GIN G WEI GHT AND B AL ANC E

As pilots always seeking the next mission, chefs seek sure we are safe for takeoff. I’m especially glad, mid-
the next flavors—and in my journey of writing cook- flight from Cambridge City to Nashville, to indulge in
books, that change-your-life dish comes at rare and some venison jerky sticks as an in-flight snack.
unexpected times. This was the time, and this simple Our journeys continue for a year, across the U.S. and
dish of soaked raw beef stops me in my tracks—it’s why the Atlantic, with a newborn that joins the force some-
I keep flying and writing. where in middle America. As always, the destinations
As we depart Cambridge City the following day, Jerry prove to be worth the journey, and on some occasions,
loads me up with a cooler of meats so heavy that I’m the joy of flying myself to the fun makes good on the ad-
forced to recalculate the weight and balance to make age that you can have your steak and eat it too. [

61
 DESTIN AT IO NS

DAYTON,
OHIO
Aviation’s birthplace still buzzes 120 years later.

BY JONATHAN WELSH
P H OTOS B Y ST E P H E N Y E AT ES

Dayton has been on my radar for a long time. With its rich aviation histor y
and one of the world’s best militar y aviation museums , there’s a lot for a pilot
to love. Wright Brothers Airport (KMGY, at left) is one of se veral non-to wered
fields close to Dayton In ternational (KDAY ).

63
W
hen I was a kid, my Uncle Dennis recog- in the Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton,
nized my aviation obsession and began along with other rarities like the Convair B-58 Hustler,
feeding it with a steady stream of books. I committed to a visit.
He would visit from New York on holidays and hand Decades later, my wife and I were leafing through
off the latest aircraft encyclopedia or a decades-old, real estate listings when we came across a lovely Queen
out-of-print aviation reference guide packed with Anne house labeled as the “steal of the week,” located in
history, photos, and specifications. Dayton. This was around the 100th anniversary of the
One included a section about the North American Wright Brothers’ first powered flight, and the city was
XB-70 Valkyrie, a nuclear strike bomber prototype enjoying an uptick in national attention.
designed in the 1950s to fly long distances at Mach 3 The experience reminded me that I had yet to
above 70,000 feet. I considered it the ultimate aircraft, visit the museum or other attractions in town—and
and when I read that the single surviving example lives rekindled my interest in making the trip.

The Museum of the United States Air Force is an impressive sight; modern avionics enable cross-country flight.

64
 GETTIN G THE RE

It took a while, but I recently loaded the Commander Soon I headed for the Air Force museum, a much
114B and took off toward Dayton, which has gained larger, busier place with an airport environment to
steadily in appeal as a destination in recent years, match. The museum is next to Wright-Patterson,
especially for aviation fans. We flew first to Dayton/ which is next to Dayton International. For a pilot
Wright Brothers Airport (KMGY), where a small accustomed to largely non-towered airports within
museum houses a collection of artifacts linked to the northern New Jersey, upstate New York, and New
Wrights and the earliest days of controlled, heavier- England, the notion of taking off from Wright
than-air flight. Brothers and immediately calling Columbus Approach—
It made sense to stop at the museum first because because I was already crossing the 20-mile mark—
it is open for just a few hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, seemed daunting. The radio traffic was so thick that I
and Saturdays. The non-towered airport also provided had to circle before I could reach the controller.
a good place to collect my thoughts before plunging into I felt more secure after receiving a squawk code,
the busy airspace around Dayton International (KDAY) but the radio never quieted down, and that distracted
and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. me just enough to mistake the Air Force base for my
The museum’s main attraction is a replica of the destination. You might think the row of C-17 transports
Wright Model B aircraft developed several years after parked on the ramp would have given it away, but no.
the famous 1903 Wright Flyer. The B illustrates how Lucky for me the controller was patient and assured
aircraft design changed as early aviators, self-taught me that if I looked to my left I would see that I
and dependent on trial and error, gradually figured out was indeed on a left base for 24L at Dayton. The
what worked best. 7,285-foot runway helped mask the excess speed I
For example, the two-seat B has wheels—an obvious carried to touchdown, and the long taxi to the FBO,
advantage over its predecessors. Its elevator sections Wright Brothers Aero, was uneventful (the Wright
are mounted on its tail instead of forward-mounted, as name pops up often in Dayton). I asked the ground
on earlier models. In short, it looks more like today’s controller for a progressive, but it was an easy straight
image of an airplane. shot on Charlie. Everything worked out fine.

65
 WORT H T HE WAIT

In about 15 minutes after topping off, I was walking into

the Air Force museum—something I had looked forward
to for decades. Though I missed out on the experience
as a child, that did not seem to matter because I imme-
diately felt like a fourth-grader upon entry. I had not felt
that thrillingly overwhelmed tingle since my first day at
the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in 1976.
Back then I wanted to run from one end of the place to
the other in order to see everything before closing time.
It can take several days to see everything in a
museum like this, and since I had only hours, I had to
work from a short list of must-see items that included
the Convair’s B-36 Peacemaker, Boeing’s B-47 Stratojet
and B-52 Stratofortress, and the aforementioned B-58
and XB-70. While I would have taken the 450-nauti-
cal mile trip just to see the Valkyrie, I was treated to an
immersive look at the evolution of military avia-
tion, from the earliest kite-like aircraft that Wright,
Curtiss, and other manufacturers first sold to the
armed services to the stealthy F-22 Raptor.
I like being able to get close to the aircraft, and the
folks at the museum seemed to understand this need.
Looking up into the bomb bays and wheel wells of an-
tique airplanes is a rare treat. Walking underneath the
XB-70 gave me an appreciation not only for its size but
for the smoothness of its beautifully crafted parts. It is
a breathtaking machine with an impressively smooth
finish to it. While I was almost always close enough to
touch the exhibits, museum staff appeared to trust that
I would only look.
The Air Force museum's collection is vast and varied.
The exhibits unfold in chronological order, which helped
to mitigate my concerns about possibly missing some-
thing, But as I looked for items on my mental list I was
continuously drawn to aircraft I knew only from pho-
tos or simply had never seen, like the Curtiss O-52 Owl.
The Owl had a high, strut-braced wing, radial engine,
and main landing gear that retracted into the fuselage,
leaving the wheels and tires partially exposed. It looked
like the offspring of a Grumman Wildcat fighter and a
Piper J-3 Cub. Another surprise was the fleet of pres-
idential aircraft, including Independence, the Douglas
VC-118 that carried Harry S. Truman. It is a military
version of the DC-6 airliner. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s
Columbine, a Lockheed VC-121E that you might call a
Super Constellation, is also on display. So is the Boeing
VC-137C, or 707, that transported eight sitting presi-
dents over 36 years before a modified 747 replaced it.
Topping off the experience, visitors can walk through
the presidential airplanes and see their interiors
through acrylic glass. I had a wonderful time compar-
ing the interior decor of the piston aircraft with the
later 707 version of Air Force One. They all seem rather
modest next to modern business-jet cabins.
 OTHER ATTRACTIONS

As with many smaller cities across the U.S. that are “first pilot’s last home.” And this might be cheating,
revamping their images, there is plenty to do in but a 20-minute drive north of town will get you to the
Dayton, from exploring the life and work of poet Waco Air Museum, which will celebrate 100 years of
and author Paul Laurence Dunbar, another famous the aircraft company from September 15 to 17.
Daytonian, to visiting galleries, entertainment I felt a bit sad leaving Dayton when I knew there was
venues and a variety of restaurants, or taking in Minor more to see, but the trip home turned out to be another
League baseball games. America’s Packard Museum highlight. After delays for rain storms and low ceilings,
is a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in the I flew back to New Jersey in ideal sunny and clear condi-
development of automobile transportation. tions. I also received on-the-job training in talking with
There is also more aviation history to explore in ATC as the Dayton Tower switched me to Columbus
places like the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Approach, who handed me off to Indy Center. From
National Museum, National Aviation Hall of Fame, and there, I talked with Cleveland Center, Pittsburgh
the National Aviation Heritage Area, which includes Approach, Johnstown, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, and
the building that housed the Wright Brothers’ bicycle New York, before being released to my home airport in
shop. The buildings that housed the Wrights’ original Sussex, New Jersey (KFWN).
airplane factory were damaged in a fire that broke out By the halfway point, I felt comfortable with the
during my visit to Dayton. Preservation and city offi- rhythm of radio calls and began to enjoy the back-and-
cials are assessing the damage and looking at options forth. I no longer worried about possibly saying the
for the factory complex, which is listed in the National wrong thing on the air. All that practice also wiped away
Register of Historic Places. any apprehension I might have felt about calling New
Visitors to Dayton can also tour Hawthorn Hill, York Approach out of the blue or requesting clearance
the mansion where Orville Wright lived following his through any Class B airspace I happen to encounter.
success in aviation. The house is sometimes called the Airborne excursions will be easier from now on. [
Dayton is dotted with historic sites and tributes related to the Wrights , including their bicycle shop.

69
 THE POINT
FORECAST
The TAF may contain the most
difficult predictions to make.

BY SCOTT DENNSTAEDT

As a flight instructor and former National Weather

Service (NWS) research meteorologist, I’ve accepted

that pilots like to rag on meteorologists for issuing bad

forecasts. Even so, once I got the full backstory behind

the pilot’s dissent for a majority of these cases, there was

nothing inherently wrong with the forecast; it was how the

pilot was trying to use the forecast that was often problem-

atic. This is not to imply that meteorologists are always

accurate in every forecast they issue, but pilots tend not to

Adobe Stock

appreciate the hard limitations these forecasts demand.

 A terminal aerodrome forecast, simply known W hen you think of a TAF, size matters. This
as a TAF, is perhaps the most difficult forecast any forecast is difficult because of the relatively small
meteorologist will ever make. Think about the diameter of the area they are attempting to cover.
challenge these forecasters face. A TAF is essentially The U.S. definition of a terminal area is the region
an hour-by-hour forecast for conditions significant to within five statute miles of the center of the airport’s
aviation at an airport over the next 24 or 30 hours. This runway complex. Thus, meteorologists refer to a TAF
includes a forecast for details such as wind speed and as a “point forecast,” and it’s critical to understand its
direction, cloud coverage, ceiling height, prevailing limitations and how they affect the forecasts general
visibility, and precipitation type. aviation pilots ultimately use every day.

The terminal area way complex, as

shown by the red circle around the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (KCLT). The terminal area’s vicinity (not shown) is
the donut-shaped region from 5 to 10 statute miles and does not include the terminal area itself.

THE TERM IN AL ARE A

A five statute mile area is a tiny region to get all thunderstorms during the summer, again, I’d bet your
forecast elements right over a given period. In fact, answer would be that there’s a 100 percent chance.
the terminal area is often smaller than the resolution Now, how about the chance of a thunderstorm being
of the forecast guidance they are using to issue the reported on July 14 at the Oklahoma City airport at
TAF. It’s like placing a coin on a sidewalk and asking 8 a.m.? Well, once again, there’s a pretty easy answer;
someone at the top of a five-story building to iden- you’d likely say it’s a zero percent chance.
tify if the coin is a nickel, dime, or quarter using their When you narrow down the time and the loca-
naked eyes. tion, you can see the swing from a near guarantee at
Here’s a way to visualize why it’s so hard to issue 100 percent to a near guarantee at zero percent. Fore-
these forecasts. Let’s pretend for a moment that you casting for a small five statute mile area is incredibly
are the forecaster and someone asks, “What are the difficult, if not fundamentally impossible at times,
Courtesy of Scott Dennstaedt; FLYING graphics

chances there will be a thunderstorm reported some- but meteorologists at the local weather forecast
where in the conterminous U.S. in the month of July?” offices are asked to carry out the impossible every
Certainly, there are a lot of thunderstorms in July, day. They need to determine if that coin is a nickel,
and the conterminous U.S. encompasses a huge area. dime, or quarter.
Your forecast would likely be that there’s a 100 percent There’s no doubt that TAFs are used by all pilots
chance. And you would be 100 percent correct. because of the significant detail they provide. Everyone
That was an easy forecast, and you didn’t even need from general aviation pilots to commercial air carriers
a meteorology degree to get it right. Now, how about utilize TAFs to anticipate weather conditions in the
a slightly different question? What is the chance of a airport terminal area. Without question, TAF content
thunderstorm reported sometime during the month can have a strong impact on fuel loads, the need for
of July in the state of Oklahoma? Given a month is alternates, and other operational aspects because of
a long period and Oklahoma is a state with lots of their stringent regulatory nature.

72
 The colored regions on t ecast office in each of these
areas, and meteorologists located at these facilities are responsible for issuing the TAFs for airports that fall within their CWA.

SCHEDULING TAFS

Each weather forecast office in the conterminous airlines can cause the TAF to be quite different than
U.S. is typically responsible for issuing a TAF for up an area forecast.
to ten airports within its region of coverage called Scheduled TAFs are issued four times daily (every
a county warning area or CWA. For example, the six hours) at 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z. In most circum-
Greenville-Spartanburg forecast office in Greer, South stances, the TAF is transmitted between 20 minutes
Carolina, is responsible for preparing TAFs for six and 40 minutes prior to these times. Moreover, for
local terminal areas, including the Charlotte Douglas high-impact airports such as Atlanta, Chicago and
International Airport (KCLT). New York, TAFs may be routinely issued every three
It’s important that the TAFs are prepared and issued or even two hours. For now, those off-schedule issu-
by local forecasters instead of forecasters sitting in ances will still be released as amendments. So, if you
some Washington, D.C., office. They often consider see an amended forecast in these regions, it may not
sub-synoptic local effects, and they are tuned into the be because of a poorly aligned forecast with respect to
local weather patterns since they deal with them ev- the weather—it may be a new and improved forecast.
ery day. The difference between a low IFR ceiling and Precipitation events, especially thunderstorms, give
a clear sky can be just a matter of 10 miles at times. meteorologists the most trouble. Forecasting convec-
Therefore, the size of the terminal area is a point tion in the terminal area is all about quantifying the
(pun intended) that should not be overlooked. The TAF uncertainty of the event. Even in reasonably dynamic
may or may not always be representative of an area or situations with traveling weather systems, meteorolo-
zone forecast. Additionally, locally derived forecast gists can find it challenging to predict when convection
rules and outside pressure from the FAA or even the will impact the terminal area over the forecast period.
Courtesy of Scott Dennstaedt; FLYING graphics

DE ALI NG WIT H U NCE RTAINTY

Unfortunately, forecasters do not have a convenient uses PROB30, although you may see PROB40 in in-
way in a TAF to quantify their uncertainty. In the public ternational TAFs or TAFs issued by the military.
forecast, you’ll see something like “a 30 percent chance So, what can a forecaster do when there’s a chance
of thunderstorms.” of thunderstorms in the public forecast, but the un-
Sure, forecasters can throw in a PROB30 forecast certainty is high? In most cases, the forecaster will
group into a TAF, but by NWS directives, PROB30 leave out any mention of thunderstorms given that
groups are not allowed to exist in the first nine hours it is just too uncertain and the likelihood is small
of the forecast period. By the way, the NWS only that a thunderstorm will roll through that tiny fore-

73
cast region. Forecasters are also pressured by the instead of thunderstorms. Showery precipitation is
airlines to avoid placing thunderstorms in a TAF in these inherently a convective process. It’s not unusual to see
situations. A forecast for thunder may require filing an forecasters include one of these two precipitation fore-
alternate, and the need to take on more fuel. casts into the TAF when the uncertainty of thunder-
Perhaps in this uncertain situation, these are just storms is high. Essentially it becomes a placeholder for
the scattered variety of afternoon pulse-type thun- thunderstorms. When conditions eventually begin to
derstorms. In this case, the forecaster has two pos- evolve and it becomes clear thunderstorms will impact
sible solutions, neither of which will appear in your the terminal area, the forecaster will likely amend the
aviation textbook or ground school. First, they can add TAF to replace SHRA or VCSH with TSRA (rain and
rain showers (SHRA) or showers in the vicinity (VCSH) thunderstorms within the terminal area).

Each area forecast discussion has an aviation section like the one shown here. It is written in plain English and allows forecasters
to quantify their uncertainty concerning the TAFs they issue. The rest of the discussion may be a little technical at times, but well
worth the read, especially when thunderstorms, fog , or freezing rain is a concern.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSIONS

Second, foreca sters may of ten ex pla in t heir of thunderstorms.” The AFD isn’t something you’d get
reasoning in the area forecast discussion or AFD. No, in a standard briefing, but it certainly should be part of
it’s not a discussion about the aviation area forecast your preflight brief. I’ve always said that if you are not
Courtesy of Scott Dennstaedt; FLYING graphics

that was retired in 2018. Instead, it’s a discussion about reading the AFDs, you are missing half the forecast.
the weather expected in the local county warning You can find the full AFD for each county warning
area (CWA) for that weather forecast office. Every area by visiting the weather.gov website. If you visit
AFD contains an aviation section that discusses the weather.gov, in the upper-left corner, type in a location
TAFs for airports within that CWA. It is in the AFD such as an airport, city and state, or Zip code,
that a forecaster can explain, contemplate, brood over, and you will be presented with a forecast that in-
or even complain about why they didn’t include a fore- cludes a link on that page labeled “Forecast Discus-
cast for thunderstorms, fog, or freezing rain. sion” that is valid for that town or airport. That link
In fact, most forecasters will do a pretty good job will contain the entire discussion that includes the
trying to quantify their uncertainty. In the case of aviation section. The AFD is also included in some of
thunderstorms, you may see words in the AFD like “in- the heavyweight aviation apps or using my EZWxBrief
cluding light rain showers to cover the unlikely threat progressive web app.

74
 LOCAL KNOWL EDGE

So, the next time you pore over the TAFs along your important. TAFs can tell you if they are likely to be good
route, remember these two points. First, never assume alternates if you need one.
the weather forecast at one airport applies to a nearby Lastly, keep in mind that a precipitation forecast in a
airport. On some occasions when the weather is TAF defines the type of precipitation expected to reach
homogeneous across a region, it very well may be that the surface. For example, a forecast for –RA (light rain)
a TAF is representative of the weather at airports close or –DZ (light drizzle) doesn’t imply there’s no chance of
by. Forecasters have local knowledge and often make running into FZRA (freezing rain) or FZDZ (freezing
forecasts that take into consideration how terrain or drizzle). The precipitation forecast is based on what’s
the previous day’s weather can impact the weather at expected at the surface. If the temperature is forecast to
any particular airport. be a degree or two above freezing at the surface, you will
Second, TAFs are not an area or zone forecast and see a forecast for rain (or drizzle), but you may find that
should never be used as such. It’s often easy to look just 500 feet above the surface, there’s a nasty freezing
at all of the TAFs along your route and make a hasty rain (or freezing drizzle) event waiting for you. [
decision. Just because the three or four TAFs along your
proposed route do not mention thunderstorms doesn’t SCOTT DENNSTAEDT, PH.D., resides in Charlotte, North
mean you won’t encounter them during cruise. Use Carolina, and flies regularly throughout the Mid-Atlantic and
TAFs for what they are intended to show. Therefore, if Southeast U.S. He is a CFI, former National Weather Service
you have an emergency and need to land, knowing the meteorologist, the author of The Skew-T log (p) and Me: A
potential weather at those airports along your route is Primer for Pilots, and the founder of EZWxBrief.
iStock
BOEING 747
The Queen of the Skies
THE LAST 747

An iconic delivery to mark a legendary career in air transport

BY ERI C KU LISCH
 THE LAST BOEING 747 has rolled off Boeing's Flying the 747—as well as flying on the 747—was an
production line, but the iconic jumbo jet still has plenty experience that no other aircraft offered, with a stair-
of history to make. case to the upper deck. It was so culturally and econom-
Atlas Air took delivery of a 747-8 freighter on Janu- ically significant, and had such a unique figure, that it
ary 31, 2023, marking the end of an era for an iconic air- had its own nickname: Queen of the Skies.
craft that transformed air travel and made it accessible Air Force One, which has carried U.S. presidents
to the average person. From the 747-100 to the 747-400, around the world for decades, is a special version of the
and then the modern 747-8, The Boeing Company built 747 with the military designation VC-25. The jet was
both passenger and freighter versions, and many used regularly seen on TV ferrying the Space Shuttle for
747s that began in passenger configurations were con- NASA to Florida for launches.
verted to freighters by third-party engineering firms. On June 4, 2007, the Dreamlifter, a specially modi-
A live webcast of the delivery ceremony took place fied 747-400 used to transport major assemblies of the
that afternoon. Thousands of people—including current all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, gained type certifica-
and former employees as well as customers and suppli- tion from the FAA.
ers—were on hand at the factory in Everett, Washing- Boeing began deliveries of the 747-8 freighter a de-
ton, to mark the historic occasion. cade ago. The latest model is 18.3 feet longer than the
Most pilots may not realize that the 747 was originally 747-400 and accommodates four additional main-deck
designed—by the legendary aerospace engineer Joseph pallets and three lower-hold pallets. The same type of
Sutter and his team—with freight in mind, unlike most engines power it—the General Electric GENX-2B—as
airplanes built for passengers with a cargo variant. those on the 787 Dreamliner.
The jumbo jet globalized trade in terms of range, size, Although Boeing will no longer manufacture new
and economies of scale it offered. The unique nose door 747s—and most passenger versions are retired in favor
allowed for long and outsized loads, and many of the of more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets—the 747-8s are
main-deck pallets common today were developed in sure to grace the skies for several more decades, stead-
direct response to the introduction of the 747. fastly contributing to the global economy.
Courtesy of The Boeing Company

The last production 747-8 completed its journey down the line in the first quarter of 2023 .

79
 THE FINAL CUSTOMERS

All-cargo airline Atlas Air will operate the final pro- port in Calgary, Alberta, and fell in love with the 747 at
duction 747 freighter for global logistics giant Kuehne an early age. “All three major Canadian carriers flew
+ Nagel under a dedicated contract. The airplane bears the 747s into my city, and I would plane spot with my
the livery of Apex Logistics, a Hong Kong-based air- binoculars to see these giants coming and going,” he
freight forwarder that K+N acquired in 2021. In total, said in Atlas Air’s Tailwinds blog. “To say I was in awe
Atlas received the final four 747-8s produced by Boe- of the size and grace of these aircraft would be an un-
ing. Two are assigned to Kuehne + Nagel, and one is derstatement. And it is something I still feel to this day
flying under the control of Cainiao, the logistics arm every time I see a 747.”
of e-commerce platform Alibaba. Today, Graham works with shippers who need the
Atlas Air, based in Purchase, New York, is the largest 747 for airlift. “Knowing the capabilities and perfor-
operator of 747s in the world. As of the time of deliv- mance of these incredible aircraft makes my job to
ery, it will have 43 747Fs, including nine -8s. All told, place these planes that much more enjoyable,” said
it has 50 jumbo jets, including the seven 747s it flies Graham, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with
as passenger charters for the military, sports teams, Atlas in September. “It is a source of pride to know that
and other airlines, according to the FlightRadar24 we operate the largest fleet of B747s in the world, and
database. our customers value this from us.
Other airlines still operating large 747 cargo fleets “A lot of [Atlas’] success and attitude to win was de-
include Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Kalitta Air, Korean veloped on the back of the B747 itself. We should all be
Air, and Singapore Airlines. In passenger service, air- very proud of that and very thankful for this incredi-
lines include Lufthansa, Air China, Asiana Airlines, ble aircraft that changed aviation forever. Luckily, we
and Max Air at the time of publication. And Korean Air will see our latest deliveries flying for the next 30 to 40
has operated 10 of the model 747-8, configured with years, so our success will continue well into the future.”
six seats in first class, 48 in business class, and 314 in No matter where the last flight takes place of the 747,
economy. there’s no doubt it will be long in the future, as it con-
People hold fast to their memories and impressions tinues to function as a valuable part of the global sup-
of the 747. Graham Perkins, a senior vice president for ply chain. The jumbo jet's impact on connecting the
sales and marketing at Atlas Air, grew up near the air- world cannot be overstated.

Courtesy of The Boeing Company

The Boeing 747 celebrated its first delivery in 1970 , to Pan Am, after rolling out of the Everett plant in 1968 .

80
 56
AGE— BOEING STARTED PRODUCTION IN 1967

1 , 5 74
N UMBE R MAN UFACT UR ED

4
N UMBE R OF E NG I N ES

1 00 +
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS

1 1 8 MIL LIO N
NUMBER OF COLLECTIVE FLIGHT HOURS

2 .

DAYS IT TOOK TO SELL OUT OF THE LIMITED EDITION

“BOEING 747 FOREVER INCREDIBLE” COMMEMORATIVE COIN

3
THE NUMBER OF WORLD CUP SOCCER FIELDS THE 747- 8 CAN TRAVEL IN ONE SECOND

6
T H E 747- 8 ’S TAI L IS AS TA LL AS AN AVE RAGE SI X- STORY BU ILD I NG

3 0 3, 70 0
PAY LOAD IN P OUN DS O F T H E 747- 8 F RE I GH T ER

10 , 7 67
THE NUMBER OF SOLID GOLD BARS FROM FO RT KNOX THE 747- 8 FREIGHTER CAN CARRY

16
PERCENT FUEL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT OF THE 747- 8 FROM THE 747- 400 FREIGHTER

24
EXTRA METRIC TONS OF PAYLOAD THE 747- 8 CAN CARRY VERSUS THE 747- 800
 FROM THE
FLIGHT DECK
Pilots reflect on flying the 747 in flight test and passenger and cargo service.

BY JULIE BOATMAN
 THE LAST BOEING 747—a 747-8 model—left the pro- Waddell, Boeing’s chief test pilot who took the first 747
duction line for its inaugural flight on February 1 this on its initial flight on February 9, 1969.
year. The crew traced a unique pattern in the sky: a Sutter and Waddell are no longer with us, though
queen’s crown underlaid by the numbers “7-4-7.” their legacy lives on in Boeing's engineering corps. On
Pilots have long held a deep connection to the air- the event of the final production unit’s departure from
plane that Joe Sutter and his team built. I for one de- the factory at Everett, I sought out two of the pilots who
voured the legendary engineer’s book, 747: Creating the know the airplane intimately from a more recent view-
World’s First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures, and wit- point within flight test operations. I spoke with them
nessed from afar the genius woven into that airplane. about one of the greatest airplanes of all time—and one
I would have loved to have talked with Sutter, or Jack that will still ply the airways for decades to come.

THE HANDS OF FATE

Curt Gottshall, current engineering chief pilot for at the time. But that degree led him to an internship
Boeing’s 747-8 program, and Kirk Vining, a former en- and then a full-time role with local OEM Learjet as an
gineering project pilot on the 747-8 freighter and in- engineering flight test pilot. There he had his first con-
tercontinental passenger programs, both had an early tact with FLYING too: “I hold a world record with Mac
connection with the airplane that would play out in in- McClellan. He and I and Pete Reynolds flew the Lear-
credible ways over their careers. jet 31A from Aspen, Colorado, to Washington, D.C.,
For Vining, it was on his first flight lesson, just after [featured] in the November 1994 FLYING magazine.
takeoff with an instructor out of Anchorage Interna- I have a little cameo in there—you can see my picture
tional (PANC), seeing the 747 on climbout come under in the flight deck leaning forward trying to get my face
the wing as he tried his first left turn. For Gottshall, in the photo.”
it was during his freshman year at Embry-Riddle The experience in Part 25 certification testing set
Aeronautical University, when he set the lock code to his him up well to join Boeing in 2005. “The Learjet,
briefcase to “7-4-7.” though it’s small, the performance isn’t all that differ-
Vining took the desire to become an airline pi- ent than a 747,” says Vining, who noted that a couple
lot with him to Wichita State University in Kansas, of airlines have flown Learjets in the past with flight
where he studied aeronautical engineering in pursuit decks set up like that of the 747 to use in training their
of the four-year degree required to fly for the airlines pilots.

FIRST CONTACT WITH THE QUEEN

Vining recalls well his first flight in any 747 model: oversteer required—even though it’s longer, bigger, and
“[It was] actually in the Large Cargo Freighter (LCF, with a higher stature—wasn’t quite as much as that
also known as the Dreamlifter), the one that carries required on the DC-10” to line up accurately on the
around parts for the 787. The pilot mentoring me on my runway centerline.
first takeoff said, “Don’t worry, the LCF flies just like During his tenure with JAL, he also operated the 747
a 747”—but at that point, I hadn’t even flown a 747, so into airports that required a circling approach, such as
how was I supposed to know? After gaining more expe- Fukuoka International (RJFF), which at the time only
rience, I found the Large Cargo Freighter did fly like a had an ILS to one runway end. “Most folks with trans-
747-400. When we built the 747-8, we dialed it in to fly port category type ratings have a ‘no circling’ limita-
like the models before it as well.” Vining conducted the tion,” says Gottshall. “That wasn’t good enough for the
Courtesy of The Boeing Company

first flight of the second 747-8 to roll out of the factory. [Japanese Civil Aviation Board] because they actually
Gottshall came to the 747 Classic models from the used [the circling approach]. So we had to go set up a
operations side before coming to Boeing. As a con- syllabus to do the training. I believe it was in Wash-
tract pilot for Japan Airlines, he transitioned from the ington Dulles where we could actually do an approach,
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 as a captain, noting the keep it in sight, and do the whole FAA demonstration so
differences between the DC-10 and the -100s, -200s, that we didn’t have that limitation on our license when
and -300s that JAL was flying at the time. “With the we went back to Japan.” Gottshall recalls that the 747
implementation of body gear steering [in the 747], the handled the approaches quite well.

83
 The 747 has been the platform of choice
for Air Force One since its first use as the
source of presidential lift in 1990 .

Korean Air is one of the last airlines to

use the 747 in regular passenger ser vice.

The "747 customer that never was ," Arik

Airlines , of Nigeria, was originally slated
to take the last 747-8 , but ceased its long-
haul operations and took delivery of 787s .

The Dreamlifter is the largest of the 747

models , and it was used extensively in the
initial production of the 787 Dreamliner.
Courtesy of The Boeing Company

A hometown favorite, Boeing's own

747-8F wore the "12th Man" livery of the
Seattle Seahawks for the 2015 season.
 GRACEFUL FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

Indeed, pilots who have flown the 747 relate that she’s verability to make corrections and make them fairly
a gentle giant, with relatively benign handling charac- aggressively. With the exception of the last thousand
teristics at low speeds, as well as surprising maneuver- feet on the approach; you don’t want to be aggressive—
ability for an aircraft with such mass and such a long you want to stay in that stabilized approach criteria.”
wingspan—225 feet for the 747-8. The primary difference between the flying that test
“I tested high speed and low speed in the 747-8, and pilots do against what pilots flying the line experience
demonstrated full aerodynamic stalls,” recalls Vining. lies in the exploration of the flight envelope—on pur-
“It stalls at full aft stick even better than a Cessna 172. pose. Gottshall compares it directly to his operational
It’s an amazingly light and flexible airplane for its size, flight time. “When we go out and do things with flight
so we designed the fly-by-wire ailerons [in the 747-8] test—especially post-production—we test to make sure
to automatically help dampen out any vibrations and that everything works, all of the relief systems work,
smooth out the ride.” all of the indication systems work, and things like that,
Gottshall agrees. “The 747—even at that large of a which are [procedures] that we try very hard to stay
mass—is very maneuverable, so you have quite a large away from in operations. [In normal ops] you don’t
operational window. People think that you have to plan want to hear the overspeed warning come on, or you
hundreds of miles in advance—it is true that if you want don’t want to see the load relief on the flaps. You plan
to have a perfect, steady trajectory, you need to think and operate in a manner to try and stay away from all
ahead. But it does have the capability and the maneu- those things.

TRULY FOND MEMORIES

Gottshall notes that while the 747 is no longer in pro- “There’s so many things,” he says, “but whether it’s
duction, his role on the program continues, with work the feeling that you’re taxiing around in a three-story
on continuous improvements to the 747-400 and 747-8, apartment building, or just the stall characteristics. It’s
including a checklist of updates on the horizon. just such amazing performance, gentle behavior—and
The first jumbo jet will continue to fly on with the what a capable machine.
regular work made by the engineering teams to im- "I’m just so privileged to have been able to share
prove it. those years with it,” he concludes. To a pilot, the fond
As to what stands out to him the most about the 747, feelings for the 747 remain—and the opportunity to fly
Vining sums it up well. the jet goes on, we hope for decades to come. [

THE 747 AND THE LAST FLIGHT ENGINEERS

THE LACK OF A GLOBALLY connected, extensively reaching supply chain during the height of the 747’s operation in the 1980s and ‘90s meant
that the flight crew’s navigator/engineer was an engineer in the British sense—a maintenance chief critical to keeping the aircraft engines and
other systems healthy during its long-haul trips to Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Capt. Stephen Yeates, who flew the Classic -100, -200, and -300, and the -400 for British Airways during that period, recalls regular in-
stances when the engineer truly enabled the show to go on.
“We lost a windshield piece to a bird strike over Pakistan and made an emergency landing in Karachi, which was an outstation at the time
with little on-site maintenance capability. If we didn’t have the engineer on board, we would have been waiting far longer to get back underway.”
Advances in technology also have played a significant role. “Nowadays, you have Rolls-Royce or GE monitoring engine performance from the
ground, as opposed to the engineer along with you, always fiddling with the engines to keep them running perfectly,” says Yeates with a fond-
ness for the incredible knowledge those engineers possessed.
Indeed, respect for the engineer runs across the board of those pilots we interviewed. Something’s lost, says Gottshall, in not having the
deep knowledge that the engineer provided, and the extra mind to put to the task in the event of a complex abnormal or emergency situation. As
it was with British Airways, “in Japan, there were professional flight engineers,’ recalls Gottshall. “They had been in that position for 20 or 25
years and knew every single possible piece of that airplane, right down to the nuts and bolts.”
 YOUR
FIRST
HOME
SIM
A simple guide to get you started gaming.

B Y P E T E R JA M ES
I LLUSTR AT ION B Y CL A R E NI C HOL AS

IF YOU'RE BEGINNING to entertain the idea of

purchasing your first airplane, you likely have dozens
of aircraft reviews and buyers guides bookmarked in
your browser. You’ve probably learned how important
it is to match an airplane’s capabilities to the sort of
f lying you expect to do most often. And if your
daydreaming has evolved into analysis, you might
have already begun to narrow your choices down to a
handful of potential candidates.
So you decided to get into a flight sim and may not
know where to begin. Although an abundance of online
guides and videos exist, I find them often overblown—
too lengthy and filled with fluff. I would prefer to just
give you the facts, introducing you to Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2020 and what is needed to run this program
well enough to have you saying, “Wow,” “OMG,” and “I
can’t believe it is this realistic.” If it weren’t, I wouldn’t
be as addicted to it as I have been the last 20-plus years,
nor as bullish in telling other pilots how beneficial
it is to your chosen career, proficiency, and overall
situational awareness.
MSFS 2020 needs a solid, powerful laptop or desktop
to run well. The good news is most of these can be easily
obtained for between $1,000 and $2,000 off the shelf
today. Naturally, the more you spend, the more capable
the PC you’ll have, but with the refinements, MSFS
2020 has gone through since its introduction more
than 20 years ago, you’ll be able to run it well on most
new, gaming-style PCs and laptops.

86
87
PC Requirements Once I started flying virtually with this, it became so
Gaming PCs come with the proper video card and much more enjoyable and realistic.
CPU combinations, hassle-free, and I highly recom- Whichever controls you decide to use, they can be set
mend this approach. Most online and brick-and-mortar up easily by plugging them into the USB ports—Windows
stores sell these. If it’s not called a “gaming PC,” don’t will configure them automatically, in seconds.
get it. I use an HP Omen laptop with a 17-inch display
for all my virtual flying, as I travel as a pilot and need Installing the Simulator
something portable. The laptop is strong enough to run The new MSFS 2020 can only be installed through
MSFS 2020 on the highest detail settings at 50 FPS. a high-speed internet connection. If you do not have
Yes, a laptop can now run MSFS 2020 as well as any high-speed WiFi, Ethernet, or so forth, then you will
desktop setup. not be able to run MSFS 2020 at all. Although this is
Specifically, you want an Intel i7 or i9, or AMD RY- a departure from the norm of years ago, the sim uses
ZEN 7+ processor, plus a NVIDIA GeForce 3060 series live-streaming photorealistic world graphics, terrain,
or higher graphics card, a 1TB SSD drive, and 6 GB of airports, weather, and traffic. The disk space required
RAM, or more. I find Intel CPUs superior in perfor- for this would be enormous. The sim will push updates
mance and reliability when it comes to any flight sim, automatically for itself and any purchased add-ons,
as opposed to AMD, but others may disagree. Do not with less hassle than keeping track of all this yourself.
get anything less than these specs. However, I must stress that without high-speed inter-
net you will not be able to run this sim—or if you try,
Controls & Hardware you may have performance issues. Investing in a good
This is the portable setup I use for travel. I highly rec- internet is a must for this hobby.
ommend this as the best entry-level option with high My recommendation is to purchase and install this
performance for MSFS 2020. I use the HP laptop, via the Steam gaming service online. It is safe, easy,
Thrustmaster Airbus sidestick, Xbox Elite controller, and reliable. The Microsoft Store also offers it, but
mouse, and Thrustmaster Airbus throttle quadrant. it seems the highest satisfaction comes from those
You can get the Airbus controllers together for less who use Steam at www.store.steampowered.com.
than $200 at Sporty’s. The Xbox controller can easily It may take an hour or more to install the first time,
be found online or in electronic stores. depending on your connection.
For the grand setup for a home, one good choice is
Sporty's (3)

the Flight Sim Starter set for $599, also from Sporty’s Preparing To Run MSFS 2020
dedicated flight sim store. The Honeycomb system is Once the controls are plugged in and MSFS 2020 is
reconfigurable for any type of aircraft you want to fly. installed, you’ll run it for the first time. Depending

88
on your PC strength, the program will determine time to go through each of these menus to customize
your graphics settings. In most cases, you can go into what you like. “Saving Custom Camera” and “Load
General Options/Graphics/Global Rendering Quality to Custom Camera” can be accomplished now as well. It
see what is chosen for you. If you have a new gaming PC, is not overly complex but takes some time. Once you do
go ahead and set this to “Ultra,” save, and exit. this, you’ll be able to keep these and rarely need to tin-
ker again with them.
Setting Up the Pilot Cameras and Views I have customized my setup to be CtrAlt+1 through 9
This is one of my biggest things to emphasize. Try- to save nine different viewpoints. Save Custom Camera
ing to move and view with a mouse or joystick hat will is the entry in the sim. For instance, to save and lock
lead to frustration. Using the function within the sim, in the pilot’s view, use Ctrl-Alt-1; then copilot, Ctrl-
find General Options/Controls Options/Keyboard/ Alt-2; left view snap, Ctrl-Alt-3; right snap, Ctrl-Alt-4;
Translate Cockpit View Right, Left, View Forward, etc.—however you like. Using your controller to “grab”
View Backward, and give each one of these a com- these views, assign custom “Load Custom Camera” to
mand you like. I have named each of those entries, a joystick or controller button, or keyboard option. I
[Right], [Left], [Up], and [Down], corresponding to use buttons on my joystick or yoke to allow smooth
the arrow keys. Then find Cockpit Camera/Increase viewing, snapping to import views, instruments,
Cockpit View Height, name it [Right Shift] + [Up], and systems, etc. These will automatically save per air-
then Cockpit Camera/Decrease Cockpit View Height, craft.
and name it [Right Shift] + [Dn]. Combining two com- I hope this quick course in initial PC setup and
mands works. assigning camera commands helps get you started with
So now you can “move” easily around in the cockpit; MSFS 2020. There is much more to cover as we move
the first step in setting cameras. Once you place your forward in this series. In the meantime, if you conquer
eyeball view in the virtual cockpit where you want it, this, you’ll be able to start assigning key commands
you must lock it into place. and functions throughout the sim, and deleting many
Next, set up your pilot views or cockpit cameras. of the defaults you’ll never use. The beauty is that all
There are nine views you can select by pre-position- this is saved automatically. In the 2.5 years I have used
ing your favorite viewing spots, to recall instantly in- MSFS 2020, nothing has been changed, deleted, or
stead of using the mouse or joystick hat switch to look corrupted. It’s a game-changer. ]
around. This will take a bit of time, but will last for-
ever on each aircraft. You can also customize the com- PETER JAMES is an experienced Part 135 business jet pilot
mands to save each view, 1–9. Go to Controls Options/ with a passion for simulators and how they blend in with the
Keyboard. Your controller will be listed here—take the real world.

89
 LIFE IN THE AIR
TAK IN G WI N G

LIFE’S A BE ACH …
…when you’re a very good boy

BY SAM WEIGEL

T
HE TANG OF SALT on an insistent, scouring sea breeze, the forlorn cry of wheeling
gulls, the glint of September sun on a long line of combers unbroken to the distant
horizon—all these are utterly familiar to me in an almost unsettling way, my adopted
sensory home base, stage directions for deep-seated sea dreams that wash away on waking. This
tableau could well be a stand-in for heaven, or purgatory, or hell in a Swedish arthouse flick. But
no, here is my wife Dawn with her dark hair blowing wildly around her, there is my Lab-mix
pooch Piper bounding joyfully across the moist sand, and there is our blue-and-neon-green
Stinson standing proudly (and somewhat incongruously) just below the high water line with a
small collection of other GA aircraft. This is my first time at Copalis State (S16), the Lower 48’s
Sam Weigel

only public beach airport, and we’re all enjoying our unique Labor Day outing—perhaps our
rambunctious pup most of all.

90
 Piper has led an exceptionally charmed, adventurous
dog’s life by air and sea in his eight years with us. We
acquired our first airplane, a 1953 Piper Pacer, while the Piper has led an exceptionally
canine Piper was but eight weeks old. A fortnight later,
he had his first airplane ride in my brother Steve’s lap. He
bore it well enough, but followed up by puking all over my charmed, adventurous dog’s
truck’s back seat. His stomach soon became acclimated to
flight, and various aerial adventures followed over Piper’s
first two years of life. life by air and sea...
But then we sold the airplane, our house, and every-
thing Piper had hitherto known, and decamped to a
42-foot sailboat named Windbird, on which we subse- of our Nissan Xterra SUV. The rear seat makes a perfect
quently lived for nearly five years and sailed over 12,000 perch for Piper to watch the landscape pass by, and it’s
nm throughout the Bahamas, Caribbean, and U.S. East easily removable for expeditions requiring a dog bed and
Coast. To this new, rather jarringly different lifestyle, camping equipment.
Piper adapted admirably well. He quickly learned to ne- Piper’s first GA flight in six years was an admittedly
gotiate our steep companionway ladder, found his sea legs shaky affair. We quickly figured out it was the noise that
on oceanic passages, and soon discovered a clear delight was bothering him, as the Stinson is even louder than
in dinghy rides and beach outings. His gregarious per- our Pacer was. We ordered Piper a pair of Mutt Muffs
sonality won him friends among island dogs, locals, and (safeandsoundpets.com), and after a bit of getting used
sailors from Nantucket to Grenada. Piper’s seaborne life to them, they seemed to greatly alleviate his aerial jit-
inspired Dawn to start a nautical-themed dog treat com- ters. After a few successful shorter flights, it was time to
pany (“Ruff Seas Treats”) soon after our return to land. plan our first extended trip in the Stinson over Labor Day
Alas, Piper’s nautical exploits have come to an end, but weekend.
lately, his aerial adventures have resumed where they left Our initial itinerary was a camping tour of the Cascades’
off in 2016. The apparent dog-friendliness of our 1946 mountain landing strips, from Lake Chelan (Stehekin
Stinson 108 was one of the factors that attracted us to it. State, 6S9) to Rimrock Lake (Tieton State, 4S6) to Ranger
The cabin is agreeably utilitarian, not unlike the interior Creek (21W). This was prevented by a renewed outbreak

The author’s Stinson 108 looks right at home at Copalis State airport in Washington, which also happens to be a beach.

91
 The runway at Copalis State is only usable at half-tide or lower—and flying high-wing aircraft minimizes salt and sand damage.

of forest fires, with accompanying smoke and TFRs. In airplane for a few circuits, practicing soft-field take-
fact, the smoke was thick enough to keep us strictly local offs and landings. His technique was excellent, though I
for the first few days of Labor Day weekend. winced every time he retracted the landing gear—I think
But then, on Labor Day itself, the skies cleared between I would have left it down until I had a chance to hose it off.
us and the coast, making a day trip to Copalis State an Soon a Carbon Cub approached from the north, inquir-
enticing option. I’d heard Copalis was a neat place to fly, ing on the radio about runway conditions. I got a good
but before buying the Stinson a month prior, I couldn’t chuckle out of a Centurion driver convincing a CubCraft-
take the Cherokee I was renting and didn’t want to abuse ers guy that his airplane could handle the beach.
my neighbor Ken’s generosity in lending me his Super Our little gaggle of airplanes attracted quite a bit of
Cub. As a sailor, I am fully aware of the destructiveness attention from holiday beachgoers. Copalis State has
of saltwater. If I’m going to land on an ocean beach, it’s been an FAA-approved airport (summer months only)
going to be in my own airplane (with a good hose-down for many years, but quite a few onlookers didn’t know
to follow). I now had a few hours in the Stinson, and was about it and, intrigued, came over to look at the airplanes
feeling pretty good about my landings. I reasoned that I and talk to the pilots. Our Stinson’s blue-and-neon-green
could go take a look and drag the beach and only land if I paint scheme (chosen by the previous owner) garnered
was comfortable. The last question was one of tides, for particularly appreciative comments from the Seahawks
Copalis is only usable at half-tide or lower, and best if still faithful. Personally, I think our colors will look great for
falling. The ideal three-hour period started around noon search and rescue responders if they ever have cause to
on Labor Day. It was settled. come looking for me.
Before we went, I watched YouTube videos of A few hours after our arrival, the sun was starting to
Copalis landings. The “runway” changes and is very dip and the distant surf had reversed its retreat. Piper
loosely marked, but the approved landing area is at least was resting in the cool sand after a couple hours of
easy to find thanks to a nearby inlet and a permanent running his little heart out. It was time to go. We all
windsock. Approaching from the northeast, we spotted loaded up, taxied to the south end of the beach, made
it easily, even before seeing the airplanes on the ground. sure beachgoers were clear, and took off. I couldn’t resist
Next, I made a low pass. The retreating tide had left a dis- another low approach to show off our pretty Stinson, then
tinct strip of dark, moist-but-not-wet sand. I decided to climbed toward the Olympic Mountains and our home
make a wheel landing on my next approach, reasoning strip, 45 minutes away. Piper slept in the back seat, no
that if the sand was softer than expected, I would have doubt dreaming about chasing seagulls. Dawn squeezed
the energy to either go around or just add power and my arm and rested her head on my shoulder as the slant-
“drag” the strip with my mains before coming around for ing sun turned the smoky skies golden. Our outing to
another try. I needn’t have worried; the sand was more the beach was a small trip early in our ownership of the
akin to concrete than our grass airstrip, and the landing Stinson. But it was a nice preview of the adventures this
was a complete non-event. classic taildragger will open up to us—and our pooch—as
As soon as we shut down and extracted Piper from the we explore our adopted home state and surrounding area
back seat, he tore off down the beach at a gallop, chasing in the coming years. [
seabirds with tongue flying and a grin on his face. The
beach is still very much his happy place. One of the other
pilots had brought along two large German Shepherds SAM WEIGEL began flight lessons at 13 and worked his
in his Cessna 210, and Piper soon made new friends. The way up to flying for a major airline. His new online series, V1
210 pilot left the dogs with his girlfriend and took the Rotate, explores the world of the professional pilot.

92
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
L E A D I NG E D G E

MISSES , NE AR
AND FAR …
Human error is alive and well.

BY BEN YOUNGER

“NOVEMBER 1750 WHISKEY, copy this number down and call when on the ground. Possible
pilot deviation.”

Yup. The dreaded words, and just a couple of weeks asked tower to confirm my climbing left turn to 253. I was
before the 10-year anniversary of getting my private told, “affirmative.”
certificate. It happened earlier this year, departing Van T his c al me d me , a nd I was g i ve n a ta ke of f
Nuys (KVNY) in California. c le a r a n c e o n [Ru n wa y] 16R (16L ut ili z e s t he
Courtesy Ben Younger

Below is an excerpt from my ASRS report: climbing left turn). I was immediately handed off to
[My] first time departing KVNY, and I was given the SoCal approach and seeing that the left turn took me over
CANOGA 3 departure. I misread the chart for my given the parallel runway, I asked again if my left turn was the
runway and believed the initial turn was a climbing left to correct one. The controller told me it was incorrect and
a 253 heading. It was a climbing right turn to 213. I had had me turn back to the right. There was no other traffic
a feeling something was off while still on the ground and around, but the controller gave me a number to call.

94
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
L E A D I NG E D G E

It’s fairly obvious what happened here, what I should begin with. The hard part is admitting/recognizing
have done and will do to remedy the mistake moving something creeping up on you—not noticing something
forward, so I’ll spare you the mea culpa. What I’d like to that already has your attention. Using my example, I
talk about is how it snuck past both myself and the tower was sitting on a taxiway, having just flown in congested
controller. How did I misinterpret the chart, and how airspace in IMC. The airports I was flying between are
did he not catch my blunder when asked? The answer is all within minutes of one another and are all in Class
age-old: Human beings are highly prone to errors. D and C airspace, with Class B right above them. I was
To hammer the point home: there have been no about as busy as I’ll ever be in an airplane without
less than three major incidents at JFK, Boston introducing some sort of emergency. It was tiring and
Logan, and Austin in as many months. These all involved gratifying.
professional pilots flying big iron. All three have human I flew a SID departing Burbank and was in the clouds in
error at their core. no time. Next, an RNAV approach into Camarillo where
The January 13 event at KJFK involved two airliners. I flew the missed and went right back into the clouds. I
An American Boeing 777 crossed the wrong runway, and then flew a new-to-me ILS into Van Nuys. I was tired. Not
an already-departing Delta Boeing 737 had to haul on so tired that I would call off a flight back to the airplane’s
the brakes to keep from plowing into the taxiing 777. home in Burbank, seven nautical miles away.
This could have been a major catastrophe with hundreds So, what then? What should have happened? It’s
of casualties. The controller caught it in time, but he about noticing the slightly different feeling I had
could just as easily have taken a sip of coffee and missed sitting on the taxiway. I wasn’t exhausted, but I
it. In my view, the American pilots appear to be at blame. was fatigued. Had I used the I’M SAFE checklist,
What was happening in the cockpit at the time? Idle I w ou ld h a v e br e e z e d r i g ht t h r ou g h a l l s i x
chit-chat? Fatigue? Clearly a distraction of some sort. criteria. What happened is more nuanced than that. It’s
In Boston on February 27, a Learjet took off after being more akin to noticing a vibration coming from up front.
given, and even reading back correctly, an instruction I’m tuned into my engine at all times when it’s running.
to line up and wait. That is an error only a human could My sensitivity to any change in that Continental feels
make. The approaching JetBlue captain saw the Lear super-human. I feel like I can detect variations in its
and went around. They came within 530 feet of one an- operation that even a mechanical instrument could
other. Reading back instructions correctly, then doing not. My passengers never notice the slight frequency
something else entirely, illustrates the highest level of changes I am describing. To me, they feel/sound like
distraction. Was it internal or external in its inception? fog horns at close range.
The Austin incident on February 4 seems to be an In this example, that “engine vibration” was me
air traffic controller error in which two aircraft were asking the tower to confirm the direction of flight on a
cleared for the same runway. A FedEx Boeing 767 departure procedure. The red flag should have waved
attempted to land while a Southwest 737 prepared right there. That is simply not a question I should have
for t a keof f. T he Fed E x pi lot abr upt ly pu l led been asking. That is a vibration that should have made me
up as the Southwest 737 had already ta ken the check my body’s engine monitor, followed immediately
r u nw ay. T he 767 de s c ende d t o ju s t 15 0 fe et by the chart for the CANOGA 3 departure.
before initiating the go-around. Close calls, all of them. What were the pilots and the controller in those other
We humans are flawed machines. Full stop. Our incidents feeling or thinking in those moments just
training has tried to make us aware of these limitations, before their decisions were made? Could it have been
but we are as complicated as we are flawed. All that confirmation bias, or expectation bias? Marital issues?
stuff we learned in class about fatigue and mental state A slight cold? Only they can tell us, and it’s fully possible
seemed so silly to me at the time. I breezed past it like that any one, or all, of them weren’t even feeling off in
a driver’s ed remedial course after getting a speeding the slightest. Sometimes we just make mistakes apropos
ticket. Who really stops themselves before a flight and of nothing. At times we just fumble the ball.
goes through the I’M SAFE checklist? If you do, con- I spoke to ATC when I landed. The gentleman was
grats. The rest of you can read on. from New York, and his accent made me feel like things
I have never done it and doubt I ever will. If would be okay. They checked the tapes, and I was
I’m heading to the airport, I’ve already made a cleared of any penalty or wrongdoing, but I still filled
decision about my well-being and ability. It may not be out the ASRS report. Felt like penance. Reprimanded
a great decision, but it’s a decision nonetheless. Going or not, I made a mistake, and I’d very much like not to
through that checklist before you leave the house makes do it again. }
more sense, but who is doing that in their living room?
Let ’s speak plainly here. Unless something is
obviously wrong with your physical or mental state, you BEN YOUNGER is a TV and film writer/director, avid mo-
aren’t going to be running through that check- torcyclist, and surfer—but  it’s  being a  pilot that he treats
list. A nd if something is substantive enough to as a second profession. Follow Ben Younger on Instagram:
grab your attention, then you don’t need the list to @thisisbenyounger.

96
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
GE A R U P

The author begins his quest for the next airplane in his life—one idea from readers is to check out the experimental or light sport categories.

SELLING AN
AIRPL ANE
Irresistible forces cause unexpected pain.

BY DICK KARL
Stephen Yeates Photography

U
NTIL NOW, SELLING an airplane for me has been a matter of making hangar room
to accommodate and getting money to pay for a newer, faster, cooler airplane. Not this
time. The insurance industry and the FAA’s good doctors of Oklahoma City have seen
to that. I hope they are pleased with their work.

98
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
GE A R U P

Since single-pilot jet operations in our Cessna The next morning I awoke to dense fog, delaying our
Citation CJ1 were no longer doable, my wife Cathy and I morning. I met Brian. He was a nice, knowledgeable,
decided we had to sell our best airplane. Fortunately, our agreeable pilot kinda guy. We checked the oxygen and
good friend Mike Shafer of JetVx agreed to broker this nitrogen bottles. Hector checked the tires. The airplane
surrender and oversee our misery. Soon glamour shots had not flown in almost a month, a travesty in its own
were taken, blast emails were sent, and advertisements in right. Airplanes belong in the air. On the ground, they
multiple outlets were placed. The hot market was cooling look awkward and forlorn.
by the time I finally faced facts and consented to sell. The weather lifted to a 4,000-foot overcast. We taxied
At first, things were eerily quiet. A few offers came in, out using my old Part 135 CJ checklist. We had an easy
but they were risible. Low-ballers appeared quickly and rapport; I felt like I’d flown with Brian before. There was
disappeared almost as fast. Some didn’t even wait for a a short kerfuffle as two airplanes tried to land in oppo-
counteroffer. Mike kept at it. A potential buyer arrived in site directions at our non-towered field. After taking
his Eclipse, but disappeared soon after. Another couple, off, we cleaned up and were cleared up to 12,000 feet.
whom I liked instantly, came to inspect it. I arrived at I selected heading and flight level change on the mode
the airport just as Mike was showing the airplane. All control panel to keep our airspeed at 200 knots until we
the hatches were open and the flaps were extended. It were safely in Class B airspace. Brian said, “I like the
looked as if the airplane was being carefully probed and way you fly. I have a hard time getting guys to use FLC
felt like when your AME starts feeling your abdomen. [flight level change, an autopilot mode].” I felt better,
“Hey! What are you doing??” Airplane ownership and even if just a little. We burst out on top, and both agreed
pride are personal matters. that it is a sight that never gets to a sell-by date.
Our airplane has been maintained by Tampa Jets’ Brian wanted to climb to Flight Level 290 to see if the
inestimable Hector Flores. Hector is that rare find: He’s airplane would attain maximum pressure differential
a true professional of vast experience and connections, (it did). He wanted to see engine and wing deice heat
possessed of an easy and reassuring countenance, and and tail deice boot function. This was not his first rodeo.
knows jets. My relationship with him is so warm that any All was good. By then, it was time to head down on the
possible shortcomings found by potential buyers were arrival into KFXE. I made a smooth landing.
bound to elicit strong defensive feelings on my part. Brian met with the maintenance folks at Banyan,
As I was beginning to wonder about our timing and and I ran to catch an Uber to get to the Fort Lauderdale
pricing, things heated up. A buyer from California made airport (KFLL) to take Silver Airways back to Tampa.
a reasonable counter to my counteroffer, and a price This never happened—the flight was five hours late, so
was agreed upon. That left the matter of the pre-buy I rented a car and drove home. On the drive I was silent.
inspection and terms of closing. The buyer wanted an I did not listen to music. I did not phone anybody. I just
impartial inspection done by Banyan Air Service in Fort wallowed in my loss. This was the one. The airplane of
Lauderdale, Florida. my life—gone.
I knew Banyan, located at Fort Lauderdale Executive The pre-buy went quickly. The corrosion was min-
Airport (KFXE), to have a good reputation for fair and imal. A new standby battery was $6,804, and there
expert work. Corrosion was the major concern. If the was a chance for rebate once the core was inspected.
inspection went well, the buyer wanted to avoid Florida All told the damage to the sale price was way less than
sales taxes by closing in Charleston, South Carolina. I expected—a testimony to Hector’s meticulous care of this
was to pay for any discrepancies found by Banyan that 23-year-old sylph of the skies. The owner’s accountant
required repair for the airplane to be “airworthy by and tax people agreed to take possession the next day.
manufacturer’s specifications.” On that Thursday morning, Cathy and I sat at home
I went to lunch with Mike and Hector. “What should and signed various “DocuSign” documents. An escrow
I expect to pay for ‘discrepancies?’ I asked. “Might be agent at an Oklahoma agency (but actually sitting in
as much as a Doc 10,” they answered, implying tens of Montana) had the funds in hand. When they had been
thousands of dollars. Okay, I thought, at this selling transferred to our bank, Brian could start back to
price, I can manage that, I guess. California. So, we waited.
The buyer’s representative (I’ll call him Brian, not his Once we corrected the account numbers, the money
real name) arrived on a Monday afternoon. Hector and showed up in our ledger. It was the largest amount I had
Mike stayed late to show the airplane and the maintenance ever seen—even for a house closing. Everybody said I
logbooks. I got a text stating that things looked good—the should be happy with it, but I wasn’t. No amount would
only complaint was that the standby gyro battery was not make up for my forced exit from single-pilot jet flying.
testing as it should. I was rich and poor at the same time. There was money
Because the airplane was still mine and under my in the bank and a hole in the hangar, not to mention my
insurance coverage, the test flight would be flown on heart. }
the way to KFXE, and I would be the PIC. The buyer was
typed and current in the Cessna CE-525 model and had DICK KARL is a retired cancer surgeon and Part 135 pilot
been added to my insurance policy. who sold his Cessna Citation CJ1—and seeks a new airplane.

100
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
C FI C E NT RA L

WHEN VFR TURNS

INTO IFR
The importance of having experience in actual

BY MEG GODLEWSKI

I
LIVE IN THE Seattle area, where we have so much moisture the AIRMET for mountain
obscuration is as common as a Starbucks on every corner. For this reason, when I pursued
my instrument rating all those years ago I insisted on having at least 15 hours of actual
Adobe Stock

IFR logged before I would take the check ride. I pursued the IFR rating as an exercise in risk
management, and it didn’t make sense to me to get the ticket without ever going into the clouds.

102
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 LIFE IN THE AIR
C FI C E NT RA L

Logging time in actual conditions isn’t a requirement The inversion illusion begins during an abrupt change
for the certificate. Nowhere in FAR 61.65 does it say that from climb to straight-and-level flight, which can create
the applicant is required to register time in real instru- the sensation of tumbling backwards, causing the pilot to
ment meteorological conditions—it can be either IMC push the nose of the aircraft down.
or simulated IFR under a view-limiting device—but I The elevator illusion happens during abrupt vertical
wanted the experience of actual IFR without a view- acceleration, such as when the aircraft encounters an
limiting device. Most people don’t fly that way, except updraft, creating the illusion the aircraft is in a climb.
within the training environment. The pilot may push the nose down.
For this reason, you may want to invest in a view- As the PHAK notes, “A pilot can reduce susceptibility
limiting device that is easy on, easy off—the type that to disorienting illusions through training and awareness
flips up to allow you to see outside as well as the panel and learning to rely totally on flight instruments.” In
without removing your headset are best. short, learn to read those instruments, know what they
are telling you, and act accordingly.
The Disorientation Factor Learning how to properly scan and interpret the
The first time you fly into a cloud, there is a bump— instruments is a skill. To be able to do it without the
you are going from an area of relatively warmer air into benefit of a view-limiting device is a discipline. Practice
cooler air. It sort of feels like tripping when going up a this by getting a CFII, opening an IFR flight plan, and
flight of stairs. Then the cockpit gets darker, and the going in and out of the clouds sans the view-limiting de-
horizon disappears. vice. It will be disorienting (at first), but it will do won-
Focus on shifting your gaze—not turning your ders for your confidence.
head from outside to inside—and focus on the flight One of the maneuvers to practice in the clouds is the
instruments. Aircraft loss of control often happens in 180-degree turn. At the appropriate altitude, trim the
those first few seconds when outside visual references airplane for level flight, then—using your feet only—
are stripped away, and the pilot falls prey to spatial make a left turn (obstacle permitting) at half standard
disorientation and inflight illusions. rate using rudder only. Begin by noting the aircraft’s
heading, then start the turn. Focus on maintaining
Inflight Illusions half standard rate all the way around. The turn will
The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge has happen faster at full standard rate, but it can also lead
details on these illusions. Some may overlap or feel to over-controlling as the bank angle increases, then
similar—all can lead to serious spatial disorientation. there is a loss of lift, and the aircraft begins an uncom-
The leans—the most common illusion during flight— manded descent.
is caused by a sudden return to level flight following a
gradual and prolonged turn. Leveling the wings can The Challenge for CFIs/CFIIs
create an illusion that the aircraft is banking in the opposite Although possessing an instrument rating is a require-
direction than the original turn. The pilot tries to correct ment to be a flight instructor under FAA regs, some CFIs
for this by leaning in the direction of the original turn. have logged very little actual instrument time. This is
You may have to remind yourself to sit up straight. particularly true if they were trained in accelerated pro-
The somatogravic illusion happens during rapid grams geared toward taking several check rides in a short
acceleration, such as during takeoff, where the disoriented time—or they fly in an area where actual IMC is a rarity.
pilot thinks the airplane is in a nose-up attitude and The first time they take a learner into the clouds, it
pushes the airplane into a dive, or pulls back on the can be a wake-up call for the instructor to be in the right
throttle to stop the acceleration. Don’t do this. seat, sans view limiting device, focusing on the instru-
The Coriolis illusion occurs when the pilot has been ments and the learner at the same time. Also, CFIs may
in a turn long enough for the fluid in the ear canal to find it challenging to maintain their IFR proficiency
move. When the turn is stopped, the fluid continues to because most of their flying is done with learners in
move, creating the illusion of turning or accelerating on a VFR conditions.
different axis. Trying to correct this illusion, the pilot Some schools recognize this and do not charge their
may apply a correction that is the opposite of what should CFIs for the rental for currency and proficiency.
be done. For example, the airplane is in straight and level It is often said that the instrument rating is the most
flight, but the pilot thinks it is in a banked turn and when challenging to get but also the most useful. Make the
they ‘straighten the airplane out,’ they put it into a bank. most of yours. }
The Coriolis illusion may happen when the pilot reaches
down in the cockpit for a dropped item.
The graveyard spiral happens when the pilot is flying MEG GODLEWSKI has been an aviation journalist for more
in a prolonged, coordinated, constant-rate turn and than 20 years and a CFI for more than 18 years. If she is
begins to feel that the aircraft has stopped turning. When not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. She
the pilot stops the turn, there is a sensation that the is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at
airplane is turning in the opposite direction. EAA AirVenture.

104
 LIFE IN THE AIR
JUMPSEAT

Twin brothers Kip and Koby McClelland have both pursued careers in aviation maintenance.

SEEING DOUBLE
The positive aftermath of an in-flight engine problem.

BY LES ABEND

K NOCK ON WOOD; I’ve been fortunate not to have experienced an in-flight mechanical
event of any consequence with any of the airplanes I’ve owned. Until recently. And
despite the seriousness of the event, the aftermath included positive aspects.

With my Piper Arrow loaded to its full capacity of four for flight following just moments prior, I informed the
people (including me, two journalists, and an environ- controller that we had an engine problem and would be
mental executive director), the Lycoming IO-360 engine returning to our nearby departure airport of Waycross
decided it no longer wanted to participate at full power. (KAYS) in central Georgia. The controller seemed
Instead, the engine protested by shaking the airplane indifferent to our plight and simply acknowledged my
with a pronounced vibration barely five minutes into the intentions, instructing me to squawk VFR.
Courtesy of Les Abend

climb out. As though to scold me, the digits of the engine Meanwhile, passenger intercom chatter had gone
monitor display began to flash high EGT and high CHT silent. In my best airline captain voice, I informed my
numbers on the number-3 cylinder. I cringed. passengers that we would be returning to the airport out
Although I would find out later that the damage was of an abundance of caution. Limiting my use of the throttle
done before I reduced power, it seemed an appropriate in the descent while pointing the airplane directly at
course of action. Having contacted Jacksonville Center the runway threshold, disregarding any semblance of a

106
normal traffic pattern, we arrived back on terra firma With cell phones to our ears, Koby and I shopped for
without incident a mere 10 minutes after takeoff. I refurbished cylinders. The task became problematic
apologized for the abbreviated flight. The passengers because of the apparent short supply. Fortunately,
responded with gratitude, grace, and understanding. one shop could have a cylinder completed and shipped
Taxiing toward a parking spot, I inquired via the within the week, which I skeptically predicted would
unicom frequency as to the location of the maintenance actually be the following week. Unfortunately, I was
shop. The reply: “We don’t have a maintenance shop proven correct.
on the field, but I’ve got a couple of numbers for local A nother aspiring airline pilot, Zach Ballard,
mechanics.” attempted to assist with temporary lodging for the sick
Having failed my policy of packing an overnight airplane in one of the hangars in which his boss based
bag for such contingencies, I shook my head. The first a King Air operation, but the daily price offered was
mechanic said that he was no longer operating freelance more conducive to tying the airplane down on the ramp.
and had taken a full-time position for a flight department Shortly after my rescue posse arrived via retired United
in St. Simon’s Island. Despite his new employment, the Airlines captain Kage Barton’s Mooney, the airport
mechanic took 15 minutes to assist me in troubleshoot- lineman who had been tolerating my tale of woe for most
ing. The second call yielded a willing and able A&P, Kip of the day offered an unoccupied T-hangar leased by a
McClelland, who offered up his more available A&P local pilot. The local pilot refused any compensation, not
brother, Koby, but not before attempting to troubleshoot even a bottle of wine.
as well. Koby wasn’t available until late afternoon. Once the new cylinder was installed, not quite two
Beggars couldn’t be choosers. weeks later, I returned to Waycross with Kage and his
Following the troubleshooting guidance, I started the Mooney. Knowing that I would be meeting Kip this time,
engine. A magneto check was normal, with the engine I did a double take when he hopped out of the Cessna 150
monitor indicating noticeably colder EGT and CHT he flew from his home base of Douglas Airport (KDQH).
temperatures on the number-3 cylinder. Toward the end The McClelland brothers were identical twins with
of my engine run-up test, the pilots of a Falcon 900 crew identical careers.
parked nearby walked rapidly toward the Arrow. One of It wasn’t until that moment it occurred to me that I had
the pilots, who had an A&P certificate, described white met them both at another Georgia airport during a fuel
smoke flowing out of the oil breather tube. Not good. stop where a faulty fuel servo that was later replaced was
I called Savvy Aviation’s breakdown service for addi- making my hot start technique irrelevant. The brothers
tional advice. With the footwork already accomplished offered diplomatic advice, which eventually got the
in locating a mechanic, the phone conversation involved engine started. Gotta be a small world when you meet
a final troubleshooting step, pulling the prop through a twin A&Ps twice. The name on their company shirts
couple of rotations. This step revealed low compression, should have clued me in: Twin Aviation Repair.
a symptom of a sick number-3 cylinder. The problem was A former airline colleague, Boeing 777 check airman
becoming more expensive. and designated pilot examiner Jay Smith, braved the
While commiserating with me, aspiring airline pilot one-hour mission home to Flagler with me, but not
and Marine vet James Kidd revealed that he was flying before we flew a 30-minute test flight, circling above
back and forth via a well-seasoned Cherokee 140 between Waycross Airport.
Waycross and of all places, Flagler Executive Airport Savvy Aviation remained involved, analyzing data
(KFIN)—my home turf. James was building flight time from the engine monitor. I was concerned that my opera-
to qualify for a potential Spirit Airlines interview. He was tional habits led to the piston and cylinder destruction. It
departing shortly but would return later in the afternoon. did not. An admired engineer friend noticed a slowly de-
Although my airline buddies had already promised a creasing fuel flow in the data analysis graphs during the
rescue flight, it was great to have another option. climbout. Combining that observation with finding no
Approaching noon, the very sympathetic and hospita- magneto, spark plug, or fuel flow issues, the most likely
ble Waycross FBO staff offered me one of the crew cars. cause of cylinder detonation was momentary blockage of
I sampled additional southern hospitality in the form of the fuel injector. An engine shop that I consulted agreed.
lunch at a local restaurant. Fried chicken isn’t high on my All things considered, the aftermath experience was
dietary list, but when in Waycross… relatively painless. Compassionate and accommodating
Koby McClelland arrived on the ramp earlier than people made the difference. That said, I could only
promised. He had a cheerful demeanor as he described imagine the possible outcomes had the intended
his troubleshooting plan of attack. A brief engine run-up, environmental observation flight continued over the
more white smoke, the removal of a very wet spark plug, Okefenokee Swamp. Fortunately, the checkbook balance
and a borescope video revealed that the number-3 cylin- was the only casualty. }
der had experienced a destructive event. The valves were
seated properly, but the top of the piston and cylinder LES ABEND is a retired 34-year veteran of American Airlines,
walls indicated that something melted, most likely the attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the
rings. Great. lower flight levels without the assistance of a first officer.

107
 LIFE IN THE AIR
UNUSUAL ATTITUDES

MAYBE BIG IRON

BREEDS BIG EGOS
When your uniform makes the upgrade along with you

BY MARTHA LUNKEN

T
HE FLEDGLING AIRLINE Lake Central Airlines, like others of that era, took flight in
the late 1940s with a single Beech Bonanza on a scheduled route between Indianapolis
Weir Cook Airport (now International, KIND) and Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport
(KLUK). And its founder was the accomplished, famous, and oh-so-flamboyant Roscoe Turner
(alas, without his pal Gilmore the Lion).

I knew some of the guys who flew for Lake Central crackers in the cabins of DC-3s which rarely climbed
Courtesy Lake Central Airlines

Airlines through the 1960s and ‘70s as the CAB-subsi- above 3,000 feet over the Midwest in stifling heat and
dized airline grew and acquired larger, more sophisti- toe-numbing cold. DC-3 cabin heaters are famously less
cated equipment. When my sister Mary was hired as an than dependable. After college at Our Lady of Cincin-
LCA stewardess in the early 1960s, they had graduated nati (yeah, really), she spent two years teaching and—
from the Bonanza to Douglas DC-3s. Now, if you knew with me—earning her private pilot ticket in an Ercoupe.
Mary then (or now), you’d wonder how a tooth-achingly We were both airplane crazy, so I was off to be a TWA
sweet and innocent (unlike her little sister) lady enjoyed hostess based in Chicago, and Mary stayed with Lake
passing out powder-mixed Tang beverages and cheese Central for several years in Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

108
 The charming thing about her airline career—in a time
when crews were known for some pretty wild hijinx—was
how the guys looked out for her. And some became life-
long friends as their airline was absorbed by Allegheny,
then US Air, and into retirement. One in particular
He still says, “That was the
was born to a coal mining family in Hazard, Kentucky:
Bobby Gene Strunk. We became good friends then…and best job I ever had.”
it lasted a lifetime.
While my TWA training involved six weeks of class-
room and practical experience in Kansas City, Mary’s
happened in an unused passenger lounge at Weir Cook
Airport. It lasted about two weeks with an instructor
who was a little “spacey” from prescription antide-
pressants. Her boyfriend had recently been killed in an worldwide freight carrier started by a guy named
automobile accident. Connie K. Kev joined the big airline world after 22 years
Many of the Lake Central captains were experienced with the Part 135 Miami Valley Airways, which was
ex-military guys, but by the late 1950s they needed more dying a slow but inevitable death in the mid-nineties.
pilots, starting as copilots (today’s first officers) for the The market for hauling large, heavy cargo in DC-3s
DC-3s. Bobby Strunk had earned his ratings at Spartan was drying up. A large part of the success of “Hogie
in Tulsa on the GI Bill, and was instructing at Lunken Air” (aka Miami Valley Air after an ugly bout with the
Airport when he got the call. Part of the hiring process FAA) was because of Kev’s skill and dedication, which
was a check ride in the ‘Goon, which can be pretty was contagious. He trained the pilots he hired and the
intimidating to a guy whose total multiengine experi- morale and spirit he engendered in flight and mainte-
ence was in Piper Apaches. He told me the chief pilot nance crews was something to see. In those 22 years,
finally said, “Son, just pick a number and see if you can Kev flew more than 19,600 hours—mostly in DC-3s and
hold it.” I’ve said that to myself more than once. Beech 18s, and later Lears and a Falcon. He still says,
Some of the pilots were real characters and one who “That was the best job I ever had.”
sticks in my mind is a guy (now long gone) named Eddy Well, at the Part 121 freight carrier, Kev began as a
Vaughn. Bob was Eddy’s copilot on a morning schedule trainee and then an FO on Boeing 747-100s. And he flew
that left Cincinnati with intermediate stops at several as a “2 boarder” (shoulder epaulets) for several years
airports. Then there was a three-hour layover back in until his upgrade to captain. Even after extensive
Cincinnati, before resuming the afternoon schedule of upgrade training, new captains officially assume that
return flights. status after a number of observed initial operating expe-
Eddy suggested to Bob that with that long layover he rience or “IOE” rides—flying regular schedules as PIC but
might like to ride with him into the city to kill some time. with a check airman on board. And Kev wore only the two
Eddy was a likable character and as proud of his captain epaulets until the day the check airman signed him off.
wings as he was of his large purple Cadillac convertible. They were overnighting in Beirut, and Kev being Kev,
But Bob was rather surprised when they pulled up at the sewed on his three captain epaulets with his two FO
Greyhound bus terminal in downtown Cincinnati. They boards. He said he looked stunningly impressive—at
parked and, in full uniform, strode in the entrance to the least a “Generalissimo” or an “Air Commodore.”
shout-outs from nearly everybody working there, “Hey, So he waited until he was sure his crew had assem-
Eddy, good to see ya—how’s things going?” He strutted bled downstairs before descending in the elevator and
around, chatting with people he obviously knew and striding across the lobby to their bewildered stares.
then hopped up in the shoeshine chair for some work on There was a moment until they understood this was Kev
his already shiny “pilot jodhpur boots.” at his best and cracked up with laughter. Unfortunately,
When they got back in the Caddy, Eddy explained that an Atlas Air crew, also waiting for transportation to the
before he became an airline pilot he’d been a Greyhound airport, had no idea what this was about.
bus driver and had been waiting for an opportunity to I call any retired airline captain I know “Captain.”
show up in his snappy Lake Central uniform. Yeah, I’m kind of a hero worshiper, but I truly believe
Another Lake Central/Allegheny/US Air guy I knew anybody who earned and accepted that responsibility
caused much eye-rolling when he’d introduce himself deserves the title.
to a table (especially of girls) or at a party with, “Hi, I’m But I refuse to call Kev “Generalissimo.” }
Captain Tom—I’m an airline pilot.”
I’ll be the first to admit I’m awed by “seasoned” airline
guys in uniform but a good friend with a unique sense MARTHA LUNKEN is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector,
of humor handled his metamorphosis into “captain and defrocked pilot examiner. She owns and flies a Cessna
status” a little differently. I promised not to use his real 180, and she loves anything with a tailwheel, from Piper
name or the airline for which he flies but Kev flies for a Cubs to Douglas DC-3s.

109
 LIFE IN THE AIR
TEC H N ICAL I T IES

THIRD THOUGHTS
On the predecessor to Oshkosh

BY PETER GARRISON

F
LYING’S NOVEMBER 1969 issue contained an article about Rockford, a name which
at that time meant what “Oshkosh” means today. “Rockford—Some Second Thoughts”
it was called, and its author—“a youthful iconoclast in training for curmudgeonhood,” as
the blurb called the then 26-year-old me—deplored the stagnant state of airplane homebuilding and
the hobby’s collective failure to live up to the literal meaning of the word “experimental.” The EAA
was shirking its pastoral responsibilities as the megachurch of the low-income airplane-obsessed.

I—or rather we, since for some reason I used the asked an indignant John Nugent of Grandview,
editorial, or royal, we throughout—took no prisoners. Missouri. Edward Pease of Mystic, Connecticut, drolly
Biplanes, Pietenpol parasols, taildraggers, wooden hoped that enough of “this unhappy man” could be sal-
airplanes, steel-tube-and-fabric airplanes, any Ray Stits vaged “to enable him to live out a normal life and sup-
design—all came under the acid spray of my splenetic port his family.” On the other hand, EAA’s founder and
pen. “The less challenging a design,” I railed, “the more pontifex maximus, Paul Poberezny, perhaps recognizing
cranks, goofs, and simpletons will try to build it.” in my savagery the salutary impulse of the young to dis-
Magazines love to get reader mail, even hate mail—I’ve miss their elders as fuddy duddies, diplomatically al-
never yet seen an editor shed a tear over a “cancel my sub- lowed that the article was “thought-provoking”—he did
iStock

scription!!” letter—and this article brought in a bunch. not specify what kind of thoughts; homicidal ones, per-
“Peter Garrison? Who in the hell is Peter Garrison?” haps—and somewhat enigmatically counseled readers

110
to “review their own activities.” “We will look forward
to seeing Peter Garrison in his homebuilt at Rockford
next year,” he concluded, knowing full well how many
incipient projects never reach completion. It was, in-
These were not airplanes
deed, not until 1974 that Melmoth turned up at an EAA
Fly-In, by then no longer at Rockford but at Oshkosh. intended to go far, as their
I can’t back it up with statistics, but my impression
is that in the 1960s, the bulk of the EAA’s membership
consisted of older, often retired men who had the free purpose was not to travel.
time and the spare change to build a toy airplane just big
enough to carry them and perhaps a reluctant spouse. At
the time, the common estimate was that such a project pages of the EAA’s monthly magazine, Sport Aviation.
would take 3,000 hours and cost $3,000. Engines Later, it was industrialized by homebuilding’s own
could be had for a few hundred dollars, war-surplus version of Amazon, Aircraft Spruce & Specialty.
instruments for a song. Most of the airplanes that those By the mid-1970s, two revolutions were in the offing.
builders made relied on the technology of the 1930s. One was the introduction of composite construction,
They had wood or welded steel-tube frames and engines notably in the Rutan Aircraft Factory and Glasair
of less than 100 horsepower. These were not airplanes designs. In this, the world of amateur-built airplanes
intended to go far, as their purpose was not to travel, but finally surpassed the industrial state of the art, at last
just to get high above the ground and play there. living up to the promise of the name “experimental.”
As a young Turk with grand ideas about speed, range, Rutan’s approach to plans was experimental too: rather
and payload, I viewed that hypertrophy of model- than blueprints, buyers received a thick instruction
airplane-building with contempt. Aviation, to me, book heavily illustrated with cartoons.
was progress incarnate. “Upward” was a metaphor for The other revolution was the invasion of the kit,
striving, not stewing in comfortable mediocrity. If which I suppose may have started in earnest with Jim
you were going to sink 3,000 hours and dollars into a Bede’s BD-5. The Barnum-like Bede thought he detected
project, why not strive for something better than what in the EAA’s membership a subset of dreamers prepared
had gone by long before? to dish out money for sexy looks and wild perfor-
Actually, the breakout I was clamoring for had al- mance claims. He was right. Unfortunately for many
ready begun. Metal semi-monocoque construction, thousands of the would-be builders who paid up front,
then the accepted standard of the industry, had gained the BD-5 project crashed and burned. But it did have
a foothold with designs like the T-18 Tiger (1962), whose one lasting effect: It revealed to some, including
designer, John Thorp, characterized it as “a modern Rutan, that an untapped demand for futuristic high-
antique,” downplaying its successful melding of high performance homebuilts existed, and to others that the
performance with extreme simplicity of construction. way to deliver an airplane was not as drawings but as a
Richard Van Grunsven’s RV-3, which Wikipedia tells me tab-A-in-slot-B kit, just like the plastic models you could
he originally intended as an improved replacement for buy in a hobby shop.
his Stits Playboy, came to market in 1971, initiating the The character of the homebuilding “movement”—the
long series of his hugely successful all-metal designs. term was Paul Poberezny’s—was entirely different when
Maybe Van Grunsven, who must have been working on I fired my broadside against it than it is today. What I
his RV-3 at the time, read my article with amusement. failed to value at Rockford was the folksy good nature of
At that point, when you bought a homebuilt air- the participants, the lack of pretension of their airplanes,
plane what you got, for between $50 and $150, was a and the vast amount of humble hand work they had put
set of plans. Some of these, like those for the Wittman into them. Today, it has become much easier to build your
Tailwind, consisted of a sheaf of letter-size pages clearly own airplane, less time-consuming, and more expen-
intended for the guidance of someone who already knew sive. It’s less a quirky hobby now than a crowd-sourced
how to build an airplane. Others, like those of Thorp industry that has turned out nearly a quarter of the U.S.
and Ladislao Pazmany, both of whom had worked in the single-engine fleet. The old 3,000s are history; it’s not
big airplane industry—Thorp for Lockheed, Pazmany unusual for the total cost of a kit, engine, avionics, and
for Convair—consisted of a vast acreage of dauntingly instruments to exceed $100,000.
professional blueprints whose mere interpretation was Is this what I had in mind when I wrote that article?
the first of many hurdles for the novice homebuilder. Actually, no. I couldn’t even have imagined it. }
Certain parts—like landing gear components, cowl-
ings, and canopies for popular designs—could be bought
from builders who, once they had set up tooling, could PETER GARRISON taught himself to use a slide rule and tin
turn out multiple parts and save others the trouble of snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan.
creating the tooling over again. At first, this cottage He contributes Aftermath to FLYING, along with this well-
industry operated largely through tiny ads in the back loved column. He has contributed to FLYING since 1968.

111
 SI G N OF F

DASSAULT
FALCON 10
THE DASSAULT FALCON 10 drew its legacy from the Mystère 20, then
renamed the Falcon 20—and upon its debut promised to be the fastest
business jet in the newly-formed category created in the 1960s by Lear
and Cessna. The 10’s first flight saw pilot Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and
Jean Coureau at the controls, departing from Bordeaux-Mérignac airport
(LFBD) on December 1, 1970. According to the June 1975 issue of FLYING,
it tallied a 1,000-km closed-circuit speed record at 502.2 knots. Thrust
Courtesy of King Schools

into the skies originally with twin General Electric CJ 610 engines, the
“little fighter” notched amazing performance that required a bit of dialing
back to succeed on the market. But it did, and the mount is still in service
with corporations large and small in the U.S., such as the one flown by
John and Martha King of King Schools, who recently released Sky Kings,
a compilation of their columns for FLYING and others.

112
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