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ISSUE 938 JUNE 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFLIGHT
FLYING STORIES
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608 FLYING (0015-4806) (USPS 504-930), June 2023, Issue 938. FLYING is published monthly by FLYING Media Group, 605 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 800, Chattanooga, TN, 37450.
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1
ISSUE 938 JUNE 2023
Ed i to r - i n - C h i e f
Julie Boatman
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Les Abend
Jason Blair
Scott Dennstaedt
Peter Garrison
Dick Karl
Martha Lunken
Jason McDowell
Sam Weigel
Ben Younger
FLYING MEDIA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Craig Fuller
PUBLISHER AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER Lisa deFrees
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Preston Holland
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FMG Julie Boatman
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, FMG Amy Jo Sledge
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MANAGING EDITOR, PLANE & PILOT Amy Wilder
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amy Deal
COPY EDITOR Travis Tingle
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
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2
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N EXT G RE AT FL IG HT
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LE T TER FROM THE EDITOR
V IEW FRO M A BOV E
TH E GR EAT GA STO RY
We have the power to change the narrative with our collective efforts towards
sustainable aviation.
} 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
FASTEST TRACK
TO AIRLINE PILOT
Proven Airline-Oriented Training with a Fast Track to All the Major Airlines.
All of the profit that FLYING has that feature the adventurous side of
generated since we acquired the aviation—along with the relaunch of
business almost two years ago has the Microsoft Flight Simulator se-
been reinvested, focused on expand- ries—new pilots of all ages are tak-
ing our content and experiences for ing to the skies.
the FLYING readers and aviation The MOSAIC (Modernization
community. of Special Airworthiness Certif-
Rather than taking money out icates) rule is expected to be re-
of the business, we are commit- leased later this year, and with it
ting more to it. Over the next year, will come a great pivot in the regu-
} 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
LE T TER FROM THE PUBLISHER
POINT OF VIEW
BY LISA deFREES
} 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
PUT FREEDOM
INTO YOUR FLIGHT PLAN
40 years of delivering the best in what pilots want
for the ultimate backcountry adventure.
CUBCRAFTERS PRIVATE PLACEMENT OFFER: THIS ADVERTISEMENT MAY BE CONSIDERED TO BE A GENERAL SOLICITATION OF AND GENERAL ADVERTISING FOR THE SALE OF EXEMPTED SECURITIES TO ACCREDITED INVESTORS UNDER
RULE 506(C) OF THE SECURITIES ACT. AS SUCH, PRIOR TO THE SALE OF ANY SECURITY TO ANY INVESTOR, CUBCRAFTERS MUST TAKE REASONABLE STEPS TO VERIFY THAT ALL POTENTIAL INVESTORS ARE ACCREDITED INVESTORS
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LET TERS FROM OUR READERS
INBOX
PREFLIGHT
ASK F LY I NG
How do transport
category jets
navigate the North
Atlantic?
Gone are the days of navigating with a sextant. Until the early 1980s, my former
airline actually utilized a sextant viewing port aboard the Boeing 707 as a
secondary means of verifying position. This remained until the airplane was
retired from service. Even inertial navigation systems (INSs) have virtually
become extinct. Today, inertial reference systems (IRSs) that include laser
ring gyros operate within three separate onboard inertial ref-
rence units (IRUs).
} LES ABEND is a retired 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the
lower flight levels without the assistance of a first officer.
16
PREFLIGHT
C H ART W IS E
BY JASON BLAIR
} 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.
C H OC KS
A reminder from the universe…
BY RALPH KIMBERLIN
MY FRIEND, THE late Bill Kershner, who encouraged where I became friends with Bill, who lived in Sewanee
me to write my flight testing book, wrote his own book ti- about 20 miles away.
tled Logging Flight Time, published by Iowa State Univer- The fellow who ran the FBO in Tullahoma (KTHA)
sity Press. It’s about Bill’s humorous experiences during at the time was Walt Harris. Walt had been a pilot for the
his flying career. In that book he had a chapter entitled State of Tennessee when Winfield Dunn was the gover-
“Chocks.” Bill thought that most everyone in aviation nor. Walt had been his pilot and, as a result, believed that
has had a humorous experience with those devices used you could accomplish almost anything with politics. Walt
to keep an airplane from rolling on the ground. I believe also felt that the Tullahoma Airport needed an FAA-des-
that Bill was correct; I certainly have my own. ignated pilot examiner. After his efforts to encourage the
After spending 10 years in the industry as a test FAA’s Nashville Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)
pilot and having had to exit two test airplanes via to appoint one were unsuccessful, Walt went the political
‘nylon letdowns’—also known as parachutes—I decided route by contacting his congressman.
Joel Kimmel
that academia might be a little less hazardous. So I The FAA does respond to political pressure, and
became a professor of aviation systems at the University of before long, the Nashville FSDO contacted Walt telling
Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma, Tennessee, him they would appoint someone, but that he needed to
20
BEFORE YOU MAKE AN
OFFER, MAKE A CALL.
I . L . A . F. F.T.
come up with the names of three people for them to eval- he wanted to do during the oral exam, so I proceeded to
uate. Walt, of course, wanted the job for his flying school. add power to taxi. The airplane did not seem to roll with
I became involved when Walt showed up in my of- what I thought should be enough power to taxi, but it had
fice at the university’s facility at the airport, asking if I been a while since I had flown a Cessna 172, so I added
would submit my name for the evaluation. I have been more power. Still nothing happened.
an FAA-designated engineering representative (DER) About that time, Jimmy Chapman, the line boy at
test pilot since 1971, and this was 1980. Not really want- Tullahoma—now part owner in the FBO—came
ing to be a pilot examiner, I went along for Walt’s sake to running out of the FBO waving his arms and pointing at
be one of his three names. The other individual in the the wheels. I then realized I had not pulled the chocks
“hunt” was Jerry Ritchie, who had previously worked for from the main wheels. Feeling like a complete fool, and
the FAA as an inspector and was running an auto parts knowing I was for sure not going to be a pilot examiner,
business in Tullahoma. the remainder of the ride went uneventfully. Upon com-
Several weeks later, I received a call from Walt telling pleting the flight, Lonnie told me they would let me know
me that the FAA would be in Tullahoma on a certain day who would be designated in a couple of days. I was pretty
for the evaluation, which would include an oral exam and sure it would not be me.
a check ride. On the appointed day, I showed up at the Much to my surprise, a few days later, Lonnie called to
FBO with the requisite paperwork filled out, but with no tell me that they were designating two pilot examiners
preparation for the oral examination or the check ride in Tullahoma and that I was to be one of them. The other
since I did not want the job. one was Jerry Ritchie.
The FAA had flown with Walt in the morning after I served as a DPE in Tullahoma for 25 years, issuing
they arrived, and they would fly with Jerry Ritchie and pilot certificates for private, commercial, instrument,
me after lunch. The oral exam consisted of a review and multiengine pilots. However, I never did find out
of my paperwork and a few questions about my back- what Walt had done that caused me to be designated
ground, which was conducted by Lonnie Thurston (who instead of him. I was sure I had blown the check ride
has since retired). when I forgot the chocks.
After the brief oral, he said, “Let’s go fly.” He also said It could be the FAA responds to political pressure—but
we would not need a preflight inspection since “we flew not always in the way you would like. }
the airplane twice this morning, and it was okay.” I nor-
mally do not trust people I do not know well with my pre-
flight inspections, but since he was the FAA—and I didn’t RALPH KIMBERLIN has been a designated engineering test
care about being a pilot examiner—I let it go. We climbed pilot for 50 years, working with Cessna Aircraft Company,
into the Cessna 172 that was to be used for the check Beechcraft, Rockwell International, and Piper Aircraft over
ride, and I started the engine. Lonnie had told me what his career.
22
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PREFLIGHT
AFTE R M AT H
FIFTY PERCENT
OF P OWE R
The NTSB links a potentially preventable Skymaster accident in remote Alaska to an inadvertent stall.
BY PETER GARRISON
ALASKAN FLYING ENTAILS decisions and impro- fly him somewhere to get a replacement, but the pilot,
visations that pilots in the contiguous U.S. seldom con- who had logged 600 hours in the 337 and said that he
template. Remote locations, rugged terrain, and harsh had done single-engine takeoffs in it before, was deter-
weather on one hand, and, on the other, the urgent hu- mined to take off using just the front engine. The pilot
man needs that airplanes fulfill, create a press-on- and his companion paced out a distance on the runway,
regardless mentality. It takes a hardy pilot to survive. and the pilot said that if he was not airborne by that
In June 2000, near the Yukon River in the state’s point, he would abort the takeoff.
southwestern corner, a Cessna 337 crashed shortly His companion then watched from beside the runway
after takeoff, killing one such pilot. as the Cessna accelerated. Its nosewheel was lifting
The airstrip near the remote town of Marshall then off as it passed the abort point. The airplane climbed
consisted of 1,940 feet of hard gravel surface, 30 feet to about 50 feet, the wings rocked slightly, and it then
wide, 90 feet above sea level. The wind was calm, the disappeared behind a low hill. Satisfied that the pilot
sky clear, the landscape illuminated by the late-evening was safely on his way, the other man left the airport.
twilight of the Alaskan midsummer. An hour later, he learned that the pilot had not arrived.
There was one witness, not of the crash itself, but of The airplane and the pilot’s body were later recovered
iStock
the events that preceded it. The starter motor on the from a small lake not far from the runway. The landing
rear engine had failed. The pilot’s companion offered to gear was retracted, the flaps set at the 1/3 position.
24
The 337 was equipped with a Robertson STOL kit.
The handbook for the conversion recommends a spe-
cial maximum-performance takeoff procedure. It is to
set 2/3 flaps, lift the nose at 44 kias, climb at 56 kias to
The pilot’s confidence in the
clear obstacles, then accelerate to 87 kias before reduc-
ing the flaps to 1/3 and retracting the gear. Blue-line— airplane was not misplaced.
that is, single engine best rate of climb—speed is 87 kias
at gross weight, and is the same for the Robertson con-
version and the stock 337.
The airplane was relatively light. The National Trans- takeoff. Such a takeoff implied a low rotation speed and
portation Safety Board calculated that it weighed 3,462 possibly quite a lot of flaps.
pounds, but that included an implausible allowance of With only half the expected power available, how-
108 pounds for oil, evidently the result of confusing ever, the short-field strategy was not ideal. A higher ro-
quarts with gallons. The likely actual takeoff weight tation speed and a cleaner configuration would have
would have been below 3,400 pounds. been preferable. An airplane airborne out of ground ef-
The Cessna manual gives single-engine rates of climb, fect at low speed accelerates with difficulty. Obviously,
at a weight of 4,000 pounds, of 425 fpm with the front the problem is far worse when half the installed power
engine out and 340 fpm with the rear engine out. (When is missing. The way to avoid that situation is to delay
the rear propeller is not operating, there is excess drag rotation until you have plenty of speed and to use lit-
due to separated flow on the relatively blunt rear cowl- tle or no flaps, because flaps add drag. At sea level, a
ing. The Robertson kit includes some aerodynamic 3,400-pound airplane with a 210-hp engine and a con-
mods to reduce that drag.) Cessna’s rate of climb fig- stant-speed prop can comfortably get airborne without
ures apply at the blue line speed and assume a feathered flaps in 1,900 feet; there was no need to use the special
prop on the dead engine. The propeller of the accident capabilities conferred by the Robertson conversion. In
airplane was not feathered, however, because in order fact, it would have been better to delay rotating until
for a propeller to feather, it must be windmilling, and almost the end of the runway.
it’s pretty certain that the airplane never got to wind- The NTSB concluded that the accident had been the
milling speed. result of an inadvertent stall, citing as well the “im-
The single-engine rate of climb diminishes rapidly at proper retraction of the landing gear” and the pilot’s
lower than blue-line airspeeds. If the airplane climbs “overconfidence in the airplane’s ability.” It seems likely
340 fpm at 87 kias, it will climb only 200 fpm at 60. That that a stall occurred, since, if the airplane had merely
is why one is well advised to accelerate promptly to the failed to climb, the pilot might have ditched it under
blue-line speed when taking off in any multiengine air- control in the lake and very possibly survived. (The pi-
plane. lot seemingly did survive the impact, although with se-
Neither Robertson nor Cessna published any data or rious injuries; the official cause of death was drowning.)
recommendations concerning single-engine takeoffs; In my opinion, the pilot’s confidence in the airplane
in fact, the FAA eventually forbade them. POH guid- was not misplaced. Very probably, it could have made
ance for engine-out emergencies assumes that the en- the takeoff successfully if only the pilot had used the
gine failure occurs after the airplane becomes airborne. full length of the runway and then delayed retracting
The Cessna manual, however, does provide this admon- the landing gear until he reached the blue-line speed.
itory note: The terrain ahead was low and flat; any rate of climb at
“The landing gear should not be retracted until all im- all would have been sufficient. By setting an abort point,
mediate obstacles are cleared, regardless of which en- as if the main concern were the possibility that the front
gine is out... Airplane drag with the landing gear doors engine would fail, the pilot had inadvertently stacked
opened and the gear partially extended is greater than the deck against himself. }
the drag with the gear fully extended.”
The manual cites a 240-fpm reduction in blue-line This article is based on the National Transportation
climb rate with the gear in transit and a dead rear en- Safety Board’s report of the accident and is intended to
gine. It does not specify what the penalty for a stopped, bring the issues raised to our readers’ attention. It is not
unfeathered propeller would be. But it is very probable intended to judge or to reach any definitive conclusions
that with the gear in transit, a stationary unfeathered about the ability or capacity of any person, living or dead,
prop, and a low airspeed, the vertical speed would be re- or any aircraft or accessory.
duced to zero or less.
We don’t know at what indicated speed the pilot ro-
tated, only that he lifted the nosewheel at the agreed PETER GARRISON taught himself to use a slide rule and tin
abort point. Presumably he then became airborne. By snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan.
establishing an abort point on the runway, however, the He writes a monthly installment of Aftermath for FLYING
pilot had, in effect, set up the conditions for a short-field online as well. He has contributed to FLYING since 1968.
25
PREFLIGHT
IN D E P TH
A LIFE IN
PURSUIT
Clay Lacy has done it all in his storied career—and now he’s giving back.
BY JULIE BOATMAN
B
ORN ON AUGUST 14, 1932, in Wichita, Kansas, Clay Lacy
came by his lifetime in aviation honestly from the very
beginning. He began flying at age 12 and had 1,000 hours by the
time he joined United Airlines as a Douglas DC-3 copilot at age
19 in 1952. At UAL he also flew the Convair 340, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8,
DC-10, and Boeing 727. He retired off the Boeing 747-400 in 1992, holding
seniority number 1. He set an around-the-world record in a Boeing 747SP
in 1988, making it in 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds—and raising
$530,000 for children’s charities.
In 1964, Lacy was a demonstration pilot for Pacific Learjet, and he flew
one of the first Learjet 24s into Van Nuys, California (KVNY), an airport
that would become identified with him over the years—from the Air National
Guard, to the charter company that he founded there in 1968, to the movie One
Six Right, released in 2005, which capped his career as an actor and photo pilot.
Lacy helped develop the Astrovision camera system mounted on Learjets and
others. With it, he filmed for Bombardier, Boeing, and Lear, as well as other
manufacturers, not only for marketing efforts but also flight test segments.
Film credits for the Astrovision system include Flight of the Intruder, The
Great Santini, Armageddon, and Top Gun.
Lacy raced airplanes as a passion, and served as president of the Air Racing
Association from 1966 to 1970. He won the Unlimited category at the
National Air Races at Reno in the stunning purple P-51 Mustang, Miss Van
Nuys, he owned for many years. In 2010, he received the FAA Wright Brothers
Master Pilot Award and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
Now, Lacy continues to give back, just as he always has over his career.
Today, he’s working with the Aviation Youth Mentoring Program (AYMP,
www.aymp.world), a women-owned and child-centered nonprofit commit-
ted to involving and inspiring underserved communities through aviation.
AYMP students had the privilege to meet Lacy in person at the Van Nuys air-
Jeff Berlin
port and learn what it takes to be an aviator. Through the Clay Lacy AYMP
Flight Scholarship, Lacy has funded 12 students in 2023 for their private pilot
certificates, and aviation management and/or aerospace education.
27
Lacy relaxes at his home in Southern California, surrounded by photos that encapsulate just a handful of his memories.
FLYING Magazine (FM): You started flying early in life FM: You flew the Learjet early on, and worked with the com-
in Wichita. Can you share a story from those teen years pany and Bill Lear. Any stories to share from that time?
when you first took flight?
CL: I was really immersed in corporate aircraft sales at
Clay Lacy (CL): I remember seeing my first airplanes an early age, and then I became manager of sales for Lear-
when I was five years old. There was Continental Air- jet in [11] western states in 1964, and with Al Paulsen and
lines flying into Wichita from Denver [Colorado], same his company. I introduced Bill Lear—and his company got
time every day, in a Lockheed 12—smaller than a DC-3— the distributorship for those states. I flew the Learjet and
and I’d watch it every day. When I was eight years old, I met so many people, like half of Hollywood, giving them
my mother took me for a ride in a Staggerwing Beech- demonstrations on Lears. It was a great period in my life.
craft at the airport—I was into model airplanes by then. And I started my own charter company in 1969.
When I could see my house from the air, I just thought
this was great. From that time until I was 12, occasion- FM: For the first flight of the “Pregnant Guppy,” how did
ally, I would get a few dollars and buy a ride. My grand- that come about?
mother had a farm outside of Wichita…and across the
road was a golf course, and in 1944 a guy named Orville CL: There was a fellow in the Guard named Jack Conroy.
Sanders started bringing airplanes in there. I started He was always into something new. He had set a record in
going over there and helping him. [My grandmother F-86s from LA to New York and back in one day. He ended
agreed to rent land to Sanders] and three weeks later up in 1961 building the Pregnant Guppy airplane, which
there were airplanes landing there. So from the time I is a big airplane—it would carry the [Saturn rocket] en-
was 12, I got to fly almost every day. gines that would take man [up to] the Moon, in the Apollo
program. Jack would build a lot of airplanes in those
FM: In flying for United Airlines, you saw the breadth of days, and I was test-flying most of them. So we flew the
some of the greatest transport category airplanes ever built. Guppy in September 1962—at the time it was considered
Does one stand out as your favorite? the world’s largest airplane. It lost some speed—about
18 percent at a given altitude. But Boeing was interested
CL: I had a great career at United—a good company—I in the project because they were in the process of building
had the opportunity to be copilot on a DC-3 for my first the 747. They were interested in how much performance
year with United. The Convair came in new in 1952, so a it was going to lose [with the wider cross section]. They
year later—they had a contract with the union so the com- were very happy when the numbers came in.
pany just assigned people to be copilots—I was assigned
Jeff Berlin (2)
it and what a lucky thing that was. It was a modern air- FM: Any good memories of flying the F-86? What was it like
plane, with a lot of new systems and good things—and just balancing the flying with United and keeping your commit-
a great opportunity. ment to the Air National Guard?
28
CL: In January 1954, I went into the air force pilot train-
QUICK
ing for 20 months and was in Georgia, Greenville, Mis-
sissippi; Del Rio, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nellis Air Force
Base. I came back to United Airlines and the [Air National
Guard] in September 1955. I got to fly F-86s on my days
off [from the airline]—it was a great life. [The F-86] was
a great airplane—I loved it. It was new to the USAF, then
the Guard got it during the Korean War. I became head
6
of instrument training for the Guard, and it gave me the
opportunity to fly with the general, wing commander,
and group commander. We had problems in the Guard, So many good friends…one being Bill Lear
they had had several accidents—like seven accidents in
one year—the year before I came in. They were primar-
ily people on cross-countries, with problems in instru-
ment flying. They had a big inspection—and our Air Force
advisor chose me to do the instrument flying. I really Several aircraft that I’ve filmed but not flown—like the
knew a lot about it because of my job with United. When SR-71
the inspection was over, he gave me a ’10,’ the highest
score he could give me.
When I was flying the line for United, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak
FM: What drew you to the P-51, and to race it in the Unlim- Airport
ited Class at the first Reno Air Races?
CL: It’s something that I got into some time ago, just
overall supporting kids. It’s been a good experience. I’ve
had so much fun in aviation—I’m told I might be the high-
est-time pilot; I have over 55,000 flight hours. I love peo-
ple in aviation—they’re good, honest people, I think. You
tend to be honest in aviation, because if you’re not, you
get in trouble if you’re a pilot. So they make good role
models for young people. If [a young person] is really in-
terested, they need to meet people who are in aviation
who can sponsor them and help get them going. }
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
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reg i on of Te nn essee, wh i ch
i ncl udes t he Sequ atchi e
Valley where The Fields is
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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.
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Concept Designs
H.K. ARCHITECHTS | Chattanooga, TN
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Concept Designs
H.K. ARCHITECHTS | Chattanooga, TN
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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
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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
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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
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allowing for pilots to enjoy the advantages aviation unlocks while focusing on the key
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In addition to the onsite amenities surrounding a 4 , 300 -foot runway, The Fields
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FLYTHEFIELDS.COM
W E F LY
DIAMOND
DA50 RG
Finely-tuned flexible flyer
BY JULIE BOATMAN
IM AGES BY JIM PAYNE
The hills surrounding the Bodensee roll quickly into mountains as we depart Friedrichshafen
Airport (EDNY) in southern Germany. Though I’d made it to AERO on the banks of the massive lake bordering
Switzerland and Austria several times before, this marks the first time I’m taking off under my own pilotage.
The icing on the lebkuchen? I’m with Martin Scher- of turns around a chateau—Neuschwanstein, that in-
rer, head of flight operations and training for Diamond spired a Disney castle, for one. We’ll also tuck into the
Aircraft—and we’re climbing away in the new Dia- deep valley that hosts Hallstatt, on the edge of Hallstät-
mond DA50 RG. We’re speeding towards Diamond’s ter See, often voted the prettiest town in the world for
EU home of Wiener Neustadt, Austria, just south of Vi- its postcard-envy setting.
enna, but we have cameras on board the DA62 that’s But the view from above ranks as the most stunning.
chasing us. We plan a couple of special stops along the As we fly over Saltzberg, I can’t help but hum a few bars
way—those mountains keep soaring up ahead—the Ger- from the Sound of Music… with a twist: “I am sixteen
man Alps. It would be so wrong not to twirl a couple going on seventeen… time to get my pilot’s license…”
DELIVER ED
While the sweet and swift retract has been type serial numbers 40 and 41 about to leave the line for
certificated under the European Union Aviation Safety flight testing.
Agency (EASA) since September 2020, FAA validation The FADEC-controlled CD-300 is the largest
came nearly to a halt during COVID. The company Continental diesel in the series to make it to EASA
has delivered 38 into EASA-land while awaiting cer- certification—and all 560 pounds of it comprise a sub-
tification stateside. Diamond anticipates that to come stantial percentage of the DA50 RG’s empty weight. It
through this summer—and one of the production potentially creates a long view down the nose for the
models departs soon for a U.S. tour in coordination pilot—but instead of being in the way, I found it helped
with that milestone. me gauge my sight picture both during high work and
No small part of the validation process lies in the ac- landings.
ceptance of the new Continental CD-300 jet-A burn- For pilots seeing the big CD-300 for the first time, it
ing diesel engine under the DA50 RG’s complex cowl, takes a moment to orient yourself. The CD-300 is liq-
which looks as though an engineer blew globes in hot uid-cooled rather than air-cooled. Plus, a diesel engine
glass—fiberglass—and stuck them in place to shroud is self-igniting, meaning there are no magnetos—so the
the massive powerplant. We’ll see glimpses of that combustion chambers must be heated to a certain tem-
engine during our walkaround, but during our visit perature and maintain that baseline in order to light
to the production line a couple of days later we’ll get off. From the aircraft flight manual: “The bypass cool-
to contemplate its intricate architecture as it sits on ing circuit (cabin heat exchanger) is always active. The
41
short cooling circuit is active at low cooling tempera-
tures.” This ensures that a cold engine will warm up
quickly, and also creates a safety benefit, using coolant
rather than exhaust gas. When the coolant temperature
reaches 183 degrees Fahrenheit, the external cooling
circuit is activated by a valve.
Look at the large intercooler radiators on the nose
and follow the orange ducting to that system inside—in-
dicating that the CD-300 features a turbocharging sys-
tem as well, driven somewhat traditionally by exhaust
gas collected from a manifold. Excess gases bypass the
turbine via a FADEC-controlled wastegate. A pressure
sensor behind the compressor allows FADEC to calcu-
late the correct position of the waste gate’s valve.
Diamond has had a long path to certification on its
retract—15 years—because of the issues plaguing early
engine partner Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, which
originally produced the Centurion line from which the
CD-300 was derived, generally speaking. Thielert went
public in 2005, but by 2008 had declared bankruptcy,
with its founder Frank Thielert jailed during the fra-
cas. Centurion Aircraft Engines formed from that ba-
sis, and Continental Motors purchased those assets,
bringing the 300-hp engine in development under the
CD-300 moniker.
And there are interesting times ahead as the CD-300
enters service beyond the EU. The in-family engine
OEM Austro Engines has had success in the DA42 and
DA62, and we noted a couple of operational distinctions
between the AE330s in the DA62 when we flew it.
FUEL SYSTEM
44
A
D C
E
B
The DA50 RG has been one of the first new single-en- altitudes, like 7,500 feet, and ticked off true airspeeds
gine retracts to hit the category—with the Pipistrel between 160 and 167 ktas at 90 percent load.
Panthera also currently seeking approval beyond Diamonds burn diesel for reasons of efficiency and
EASA—since the FAA granted type certification to the economy—as well as the ability to source fuel virtu-
Mooney Ovation3 in 2007. Besides looking great, there’s ally anywhere—and so we also pulled the CD-300 back
one solid reason to put the gear in the wells—speed. into economy mode. At 60 percent load, 5,500 feet msl,
In cruise, that speed comes to call. The airplane has and ISA plus 8 Celsius, we made 156 ktas, above book—
an operating altitude maximum of 20,000 feet, but most and using 10.1 gph. Pulling back to a loitering speed of
pilots will flight plan below the oxygen-required flight 119 ktas and 45 percent load at that altitude and con-
Jim Payne (all)
levels—so it’s a good thing that the DA50 RG finds a dition, and fuel flow drops to 7.9 gph. Our precise Aus-
sweet spot at 10,000 feet msl, where it easily makes its trian friends have built on this efficiency philosophy
172 ktas book speed. We conducted formation work for throughout their model lineup, and the DA50 RG fits
much of our 2.3 hours from EDNY to LOAN at lower right in.
45
A third door makes for ea sy access to the three seats across in the rear cabin plus the ample ba ggage area .
46
ON LANDINGS
Sight picture on landing feels straightforward not only In fact, the no-flap landing demonstrates the power
for a pilot transitioning up the Diamond food chain, but of the flaps, but also the general characteristics of the
also from other four-seat fixed-gear aircraft like high- wing itself. Maintaining a higher approach speed of 94
wing Cessnas and the PA-28 series. With a substantial knots indicated (versus 85 kias with takeoff flaps and
engine out front, you have cowl references to use while 77 kias with full flaps) translates into more runway
determining your height above the runway (the DA50 used—but still comfortably within touch-and-go terri-
RG definitely sits tall on its gear) without cheating a tory on that 1,000 meters of pavement with a ground roll
glance to the side. I found it easy to find the mains for near book of half the runway distance (1,700 feet) at our
a normal landing, as well as during the specialty take- lighter takeoff weight (roughly 3,950 pounds, about 500
offs and landings we performed. pounds below the max takeoff weight of 4,407 pounds).
Approach speeds fall firmly where you’d expect A short-field landing test with full flaps easily placed
them to in the category, and the runway at Wiener us with a ground roll of less than 600 feet—the 17 knots
Neustadt—a VFR-only airport at 896 feet msl—is 1,067 less for VREF plus good hydraulically actuated disc
meters (3,500 feet) long, which the airplane handles brakes combined to improve pilot confidence when
easily, flaps or not. taking the DA50 RG into airports of modest scale.
HAUL T HE WH OL E FAM
We had four healthy adults and a week’s worth of show There is a combination of compartments in the rear
gear on board the DA50 RG on our departure from cabin to work with, up to 198 pounds total.
EDNY—along with full tanks. There was no compro- For pilots completely satisfied with the DA50 RG’s
mise required. And the three seats across in the back range and carry-all flexibility, it could certainly prove
made for a very comfortable ride for our colleagues en- a worthy companion for a long relationship. But with
joying the Alpine traverse. This was one of the more its honest low-speed handling enticing you to hand-fly
surprising revelations of flying the new model. The more often, and a landing attitude common to both pre-
time to market with the right engine has meant time vious aircraft and what you might step up to—say, the
for Diamond’s engineering to dial out really important Epic E1000 GX, Daher TBM, or Piper M-Series turbo-
parameters—and the loading capability is one big one. props—it sets the stage for more real piloting to come. [
47
[
UPGRADE
THE NEW-
TO-YOU
AIRPLANE
Give your panel a makeover.
BY MEG GODLEWSKI
ing an RV is more like an assembly product, and they install three Aspen displays (an Evolution 2500 Max
want avionics that they can install as a plug and play.” system = 1 PFD, 1 MFD500, and 1 MFD1000) or choose
Selecting an upgrade panel begins with questions to upgrade in stages when their budget allows.”
about the type of aircraft and the type of flying the
owner does. Panel real estate is a finite resource, and Advice from One Who Knows
over the years, Advanced Avionics has developed sev- You probably know a pilot with an airplane project
eral panel designs that work for most of their customers. that has taken years to finish. That can complicate
The big questions, often answered through a video the avionics selection, says Hiroo Umeno from Seat-
conference, are IFR or VFR, or is there an option to up- tle. Umeno has performed avionics upgrades in two
grade to IFR in the future? Many panels are designed aircraft panels. The first was a Velocity, the second a
with space to allow this. Once these questions are an- Cessna 182. He says he learned along in the process.
swered, Advanced Avionics creates a build proposal For starters, when you are building an experimental
that includes the layout and the materials to be used aircraft, don't buy the avionics package before you are
and presents it to the customer. ready to begin taxi tests.
Sometimes the customer’s desires can be compli- “I bought a Chelton Systems in the 2000s to put in
cated, says Hickman. “We get that all the time. We sell the Velocity, and by the time I was ready for flight,
them the components—the trays and harnesses and my Chelton system was obsolete by the time the air-
the advanced control and EFIS and the switches and plane first flew,” he explains. “Also, the numbers on
Julie Boatman (opposite); Aspen Avionics (above)
let them do what they want to do either by themselves the data sheets are nominal, and cutting the panel to
or someone assigned by the builder to complete the in- that size will guarantee things will not fit, and you will
stallation.” be spending quality time with dremel tools.”
Most customers, say both Hickman and Coyne, are If possible, he suggests modeling everything in CAD
looking for panels to enhance IFR capabilities, but software before you start manipulating materials.
because of the cost, they often buy the components
in a modular fashion—installing one feature, then Online Learning
later when they have the money, adding to it. It is not The avionics manufacturers have libraries of online
uncommon for aircraft owners to time the avionics tutorials for pilots and aircraft owners to use to learn
upgrade with the aircraft's annual. their new panels. In addition, most airports have a
“Our products are designed to be able to be in- pretty good grapevine, and the local pilots know who
stalled in stages as the owner’s finances and flying has what in their airplane, and who can offer help to
needs grow,” says Coyne. “For example, an owner can learn the panel.]
53
FLYIN G' S A IR COM PA R E
BEECHCRAFT
BONANZA A36
VS. BONANZA
V-TAILS
Both offer rock-solid cross-countr y performance—but which one’s best for you?
BY JULIE BOATMAN
PHOTOS BY LEONARDO CORREA LUNA & GLENN WATSON
The epitome of a cross-country flyer, the Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35
series—with its distinctive V-tail—debuted in 1947, produced in Plant II at the Beechcraft manufacturing facility
at Beech Factory Field (KBEC) on the east side of Wichita, Kansas. The company had already made its name with
the stately Beech 18 and Beech 17 Staggerwing—but it was ready to enter the modern, post-World War II era with an
airframe that would incorporate all of the latest advancements in instrumentation, aerodynamics, and reliability. And,
it would have a tricycle-gear configuration novel to the times—but clearly the wave of the future for pilots operating out
of improved strips. Retracting that gear would also allow them to gain the most in speed advantage at the same time.
The early Bonanza 35s started off as four-seat sin- back to the T-tail with the 36 model series that would
gle-engine piston designs with reasonable cargo car- take its place starting in 1968—as well as that of the 33
rying space—but always more attuned to the business models. Why that happened is just one element of de-
trip or family cruise as opposed to hauling a lot of termining which Bonanza would be right for you. With
stuff. That would come later, as Beechcraft built on more than 17,000 Bonanzas of all flavors built—and a
the model’s popularity. The V-tail versions spoke to high percentage still flying—there’s quite a selection to
greater aerodynamic efficiency—and attracted the pi- choose from, and they retain great value on the market
lot looking for a distinctive ride. Yet the company went to this day, more than 75 years later.
The wide instrument panel on later Model 35s can host a wide range of glass-panel upgrades for motivated owners.
56
DESIGN AND EVOLUTION
The first Bonanza, the Model 35, came with a 165 hp ness standards, so an AD was issued to strengthen the
engine that was quickly upgraded to 185 hp for a min- tail. The 35’s relatively small CG range also garnered
ute on takeoff. At an original max gross weight of attention.
2,550 pounds, it weighed at least 1,000 pounds less than For the A36 series, the fuselage remained similar
its Model 36 brethren that followed. With a stall speed but was stretched to accommodate a third pair of seats.
of less than 50 knots, the early 35s could get in and out of This was not accomplished with a “plug” but in a legit-
short runways, and still cruise along at 140 to 150 knots. imate extension of 10 inches and more forward place-
With the C35 model in 1951, the tail was improved, with ment on the wings. Both elements helped to increase the
an increased chord and adjusted angle of incidence, CG range from that of the 35s, though it still warrants
and a bump in horsepower to 185 max continuous and close attention, as it can be loaded forward enough to
205 hp for takeoff. be difficult to land well—as well as too far aft with even
The J35 gained fuel injection, and another increase more dire consequences.
in horsepower up to 250—with a resulting nearly The 36 returned to a standard empennage configu-
170-knot cruise speed. In 1982, the P35 model saw an ration, with a conventional vertical fin and horizontal
update in the instrument panel to accommodate the stabilizer and elevator. Later versions include club seat-
(improving) avionics of the day, with the analog gauges ing and a cargo door that can be removed to leave the
in a standard six-pack configuration as opposed to being gap open in flight—making it a great platform for aerial
all over the place. A third cabin window had shown up photography.
in the N35, and the Continental IO-520 was introduced Up front, the original model transitioned first to the
with the S35—at 285 horsepower and a zoom almost to Continental IO-520-B 285 hp engine, and then as the
180 knots in cruise. A36 with Continental’s IO-550-BB at 300 hp and the
In the 1980s, the 35s underwent extensive wind-tun- higher takeoff weight that it afforded. Aftermarket up-
nel testing after a handful of inflight breakups. The FAA grades continue to be a popular way to breathe new life
determined the design didn’t meet current airworthi- into a well-loved Bonanza of either model series.
The original A36 panel used to be state-of-the-art, with a rock-solid King 225 autopilot and horizontal situation indicator.
Glenn Watson
57
MA RKE T S NAP SHOT
As of early May 2023, there were a lot of Bonanzas of though, Bos seem to always cost a bit more than you
all flavors on the market. Taking a look at Aircraft For think they should.”
Sale’s piston single section, two of the V-tails ranged Welsh found that “the A36 is easily the most
from $49,000 to $169,000—14 years apart and several sought-after model, mostly because it has six seats, and
upgrades making up the price differential. Those repre- prices have jumped in the past few years. My wife and I
sent other market outlets well, where there were a total found a 1977 model about four years ago, with less than
of 54 V35s available, with a range of $45,000 for a run- 1,000 hours on the engine, dated avionics, and it listed
out model to $280,000 for one newly equipped with a for $175,000. Today I see similar planes priced around
Garmin flight deck. Average asking price was $141,960. $250,000—sometimes with run-out engines.
The total time ran from roughly 1,590 hours to 7,150 “I think you can argue that the V-tails are the best
hours, with an average of 4,934 hours. prospects, if you like the styling. They seem to be priced
On the A36 side, prices climb to reflect the six-seat lower overall,” perhaps because lots of potential buyers
configuration and newer model series, with 23 on the remain spooked by the unusual design, and what Welsh
market, ranging from $209,000 to $565,000 on the top points out as “the largely false notion that the tail sur-
end for a turbo-normalized model. The average asking faces could break away at any moment.”
price came in just over $300,000. Total time was a bit It comes down to mission—and aesthetics. “For some
lower as well—though some folks have obviously flown pilots the V-tails are absolute classics and represent
the heck out of their A36s. something special in the evolution of aircraft design,"
FLYING’s travel editor Jonathan Welsh took a close says Welsh in conclusion.
look at the Bonanza models when searching for his lat- “[They represent a] nice combination of performance
est airplane. “Concerning Bonanzas, my shopping re- and retro-cool emotion. And they do look great on the
vealed a wide range of prices and equipment. In general, ramp.”
The unimistakeable silhouette of the Model 35 belies an uncertain future for that V-tail, unless a new STC comes to light.
58
The workhorse that delivers a solid cross-country ride also makes an excellent platform for aerial photography.
FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS
Some airplane designs are optimized for maneuvering— A36 models, says Ben Younger, who owns a 1972 V35B.
like a Pitts or an Extra—and others for cross-country “It’s a more fun airplane to fly from that perspective.”
cruising. Though they have common heritage with the Another difference in flight characteristics between
T-34 Mentor, the Bonanzas fall solidly in the second the models is the implementation of an approach flaps
camp, with stately handling characteristics that make setting on the A36. As compared to the 35s, this makes
for a reliable IFR platform. Like many piston singles slowing down while going down a bit easier—and they
from the era meant to be flown by civilian pilots of vary- can be deployed at roughly the same point as the land-
ing backgrounds, the control responsiveness follows a ing gear from a speed standpoint (about 150 knots,
standard progression, with rudder actuation taking rea- depending on the model), balancing the pitch-up and
sonable pressure, pitch control feeling relatively heavy pitch-down forces.
with a tendency towards straight and level, and aileron Early models of both lines feature a non-standard
response more sprightly, yet in no way twitchy. gear retraction piano-key-style switch that can be dif-
Differences between the V35 and A36, however, exist ficult to distinguish from the flap switch right next to
Glenn Watson
and are significant to show up on a comparative level. it. You can tell a pilot of these models by the phrase they
First, actuation of the V-tail’s ruddervator configura- utter before bringing up the flaps after landing—“these
tion feels traditional, though the airplane was designed are the flaps”—to ensure that the gear switch isn’t
to be easy to maneuver. “It’s a sportier feel,” than the brought up by accident.
59
The Model 36 kept the third cabin window, plus a cargo door on the right-hand side of the fuselage for club seat entry.
OWNE RSH IP
“The gotchas always have to be how the airplane was find these with just safety wire holding them together,
maintained, not necessarily the difference between the according to one owner who is familiar with another
models,” says Younger of the pre-buy process for ap- pilot who suffered a failure of one in flight, leading to
proaching any Bonanzas in either model run. a dramatic left-aileron-only situation. The good news
One key item to check into during the pre-buy in- is that this is now an airworthiness directive, and thus
spection—the swage buckles. They’re found under- required to be regularly checked.
Glenn Watson
neath the floorboards and provide structure for the Other updates include the windshields on older
aileron cable runs. On certain V models, condensa- model 35s that aren’t sloped, and that most owners
tion can collect and drip onto them, corroding them have wanted to replace over time. The electrical sys-
severely to the point of breakage. Sometimes you will tem may also need attention—there was a change from
60
“IMPECCABLE FLYING QUALITIES… A STAR IN THE MARKET”
a 14V to a 28V system at V35B serial numbers D-10097 tion community for its depth of training for both new
and D-10120 and after, in 1978. Updated avionics—and and veteran Bonanza pilots.
a better engine start—may demand a move to the high- The ABS is leading one critical charge for potential
er-load system. Under the cowl, there’s the ability to Bonanza 35-series pilots: the Maciel Ruddervator Prize
move into the IO-550 from a previous powerplant for to help source an alternative solution to the magne-
35s and older 36 models under STC. sium-alloy ruddervator skins used on the 35’s empen-
Once upgrades and any outstanding ADs have been nage. Textron Aviation no longer produces the skins,
addressed, annual inspections run in the moderate and appears unwilling to invest in an alternate solu-
range. “My annuals will be as little as $4,000 now,” tion, though it may have released information to po-
says Younger, but that’s after significant investment tential candidate companies to produce a supplemental
he’s made in upgrading not only what’s in the instru- type certificate (STC) for a replacement, according to
ment panel, but also windows, wiring, and other parts the ABS.
behind the scenes. Insuring a pilot in a Bonanza typically follows a
The American Bonanza Society (bonanza.org) straightforward path—for the non-instrument-rated
forms an important hub for owners to tap into, both pilot, premiums can rise steeply. But the airplane has
during the research process and acquisition, through enjoyed a relatively low overall accident rate com-
pilot proficiency and maintaining the airplane. With pared to others in the class—with the danger lying in
nearly 10,000 members, the organization offers de- pilots who take it into poor weather on cross-country
tailed backgrounds on all models, as well as meetings, flights. Still, with an IFR ticket, most pilots can expect
training programs, and an active forum. Its Bonanza between $2,000 and $4,000 per year on a mid-range
Pilot Proficiency Program (known affectionately as the hull value on the 35s, with slightly more on the 36s,
“B-Triple-P”) is justifiably famous in the general avia- reflecting the higher hull value.
62
Leonardo Correa Luna (opposite); Glenn Watson (above)
OUR TAKE
The spectre of losing the leaded avgas required to run and depending on your mission and your pocketbook,
the engines found in most of the Bonanza fleet hangs it makes for a solid choice. If you only need up to four
closely depending on where you live—but it will come to seats, and you’re comfortable with the prospect of an
roost for all in the U.S. by 2030. Unleaded fuel testing is STC looming in the event you need to reskin the rud-
taking place under the auspices of several associations, dervators, the 35 line offers great value. But if you need
including tests in a Beechcraft Baron with similar up to six seats—and you want less concern regarding
high-compression Continental IO-550 engines as are parts down the road—the A36 is still well supported
found in much of the late-model Bonanza A36 fleet. by the manufacturer and will likely retain its value for
Aside from this concern, the Bonanza model line years to come. It comes at a premium price, but the A36
forms an excellent choice of cross-country cruiser— remains at the top of many a pilots’ wish list. [
63
D EST INATIO NS
HaLF
MOON
BAY
If you’re craving a beach geta way, this is
the ultimate place for a flying adventure.
BY PI A BE RG QVIST
I M AG ES B Y J E F F B E R L I N
a trip to Half Moon Bay Airport (K H AF) to evaluate the single-engine turboprop (see FLYING’s
August 2020 issue for the story). I gladly accepted the suggestion. It was a terrific flight, but we didn’t
have much time on the ground and, since COVID restrictions were still quite strict, we couldn’t explore
the area as much as I would have liked to. A return trip was on my bucket list, and it didn’t disappoint.
The approaches to the runway at Half Moon Bay Airport can be plagued by varying winds off the ocean.
66
Water sports and beachcombing feature highly in the activities that lay within walking distance of KHAF.
GETTING THE RE
Located just a hop, skip, and a jump from San Francisco 2 sm because of the trees at the departure end. Night
Bay, Half Moon Bay airport is a tranquil escape that ops are also available. Lights can be activated with the
offers activities aplenty. As the name implies, the CTAF frequency—122.8.
nontowered airport is located a few steps from an Photographer Jeff Berlin and I had planned to fly my
arc-shaped bay on the shores of the vast Pacific Ocean. Mooney M20C from Camarillo (KCMA) in southern
Inside the arc is a beautiful beach covered in golden California to KHAF on a Tuesday in early April. How-
sand, a marina with a pier, and a quaint community with ever, the remnants of the last atmospheric river—the
several restaurants and other activities. weather phenomenon that presented itself several times
Being right on the coast, the airport elevation this past winter, with really heavy rains and strong
of KHAF is only 66 feet msl. The paved, 5,000-by- winds—prevented us from going. The cloud layer on the
150-foot-long runway provides plenty of room for most day we had planned to go was forecast to linger around
privately owned airplanes, whether piston-, turboprop- 1,000 feet until early afternoon at both airports and the
or jet-powered. Airplanes with a max gross weight of wind gusts were expected to blow around 35 knots in
more than 12,500 pounds are prohibited. Half Moon Bay—not ideal for either a beach visit or a
While the Pacific coastline offers beauty and great photo session. Also, my Mooney’s IFR navigation data-
recreational options, it does spin off a marine layer base had expired, so I was limited to VFR conditions.
that can linger through late morning, particularly in Fortunately, Jeff and I were able to reschedule a cou-
the spring and summer. This cloud condition plagues ple of days later. A marine layer was still in the fore-
VFR pilots as it can park itself low to the ground for cast, but it was expected to burn off both at Camarillo
days and sometimes weeks. KHAF offers instrument (mid-morning) and Half Moon Bay (early afternoon).
approaches to both runways 12 and 30 that will allow The winds had also subsided. We decided to meet at
you to fly in on cloudy days, provided you’re IFR rated KCMA around 10 a.m.—later than we normally would
and fly an airplane equipped with an IFR-capable GPS plan a flying rendezvous.
navigation system. The RNAV RWY 12 approach al- Being one of the first good VFR flying days in a while,
lows you to descend to 300 feet agl and RNAV RWY there were tons of pilots who were as excited as we
30, the most commonly used runway, gets you down to were to fly. By the time we were holding short of Run-
400 feet agl with LPV minimums. Be aware that Run- way 26 in Camarillo, there was a never-ending line of
way 12 has IFR takeoff minimums of 2,600 feet and approaching airplanes, likely to enjoy brunch at the
67
popular Waypoint Café. We were dumbfounded that the to stay below 4,000 feet and if you overfly the hills, you’d
controller kept guiding airplanes to the runway even better talk to someone because, even if you stay out of
though there was a growing line ready for departure. Bravo, you have San Carlos’ and Palo Alto’s Class Delta
We held for about 25 minutes before we were finally to contend with. The airspace from these three air-
cleared for takeoff. ports, Oakland’s and San Jose’s Class C airspace, and
Once we were in the air, it was a spectacular day to fly, several other Class D airports make up a patchwork of
with smooth, clear skies, albeit with a slight haze. With multi-layered blocks that would be nearly impossible,
all the rain that had fallen on California, the hills along if not reckless, to navigate through without communi-
the coast were covered in bright green grass, along with cating with ATC. So, if you’re arriving from the east or
splashes of orange poppies, yellow mustard flowers, and north, a thorough navigation plan and flight following
other wildflowers contributing to a spectacular super are required.
bloom. Our scenic, mostly coastal flight passed by Santa Since we had cruised from KCMA at 8,500 feet, with
Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Cruz flight following, we began our descent early to clear the
before cresting the hills south of the stretch of coastline airspace. Because of our delayed departure, the clouds
that is crowned by Half Moon Bay. had completely burned off by the time we arrived at
Arriving VFR from the southeast, as we did, is very KHAF, which advertised more than 10 miles visibil-
straightforward. Simply follow the coastline. Once you ity, clear skies, and winds from 320 at 11 knots—almost
crest the mountains past Monterey Bay, you can’t miss straight down Runway 30. Flight time was under two
the airport at the end of the half-moon-shaped bay. hours with a slight detour west of the towering Sierra
However, you need to be aware of the proximity of the Madre Mountains east of Santa Barbara.
San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), which is We made a low approach and circled around to set
merely nine miles northeast of KHAF. up for Runway 30. Wind shifts around the shoreline
The base of San Francisco’s Class B airspace along the kept me on my toes on short final. I was happy that
shoreline southeast of KHAF sits at 6,000 feet. Higher there was plenty of runway to play with and, since the
up you must be on an IFR flight plan or request a clear- crossing taxiways are sparse, I rolled out to the end of
ance through the Bravo. If you go inland at all, you need the runway.
BEI NG T HERE
On our visit, the main taxiway, which is offset on the On my Epic visit in 2020, pandemic restrictions
right side of Runway 30, was obscured by tall grass and allowed for takeout only. We picked up some really
flowers. I had studied the airport diagram so I knew yummy fish and chips from Barbara’s Fishtrap, which
where to go. At around the halfway mark of the air- is near the pier, and brought it to the picnic tables at the
port, there is a terminal building with dozens of park- airport. This time, Jeff and I stopped at Half Moon Bay
ing spots and a self-serve fuel station for 100LL avgas. If Brewing Company, which has a really large outside pa-
you’re flying an airplane powered by jet fuel, you’ll have tio overlooking the bay with portable heaters and a gas
to gas up elsewhere. The fuel cost on the day we were firepit. While the fish and chips looked amazing, we
there was $6.13 per gallon, significantly lower than the both opted for the fish tacos. The thick slabs of cod and
airports in the Bay. Parking is free, but if you’re stay- scrumptious coleslaw did not disappoint.
ing the night, there is a $15 fee for light pistons and $25 Airplane geeks as we are, we spent our lunch watch-
for larger airplanes, such as twins, turboprops, and jets. ing airplanes approaching Runway 30. We spotted sev-
While there are parking spots by the terminal build- eral interesting airplanes, such as a Diamond DA42
ing, the better place to park is at the southeast end of Twinstar, a Cessna Skycatcher, a Kitfox, and a T-6.
the runway, where plenty of tiedowns are available as If you’re planning on staying the night, there are sev-
well. There are no cars to rent at KHAF. You can eas- eral hotels in Princeton. On the high end, there’s the
ily catch an Uber, but there really is no reason to, since Oceano Hotel and Spa, or the Inn at Mavericks, which
everything you could possibly need is within walking offer stunning accommodations starting at around
distance. $300 per night. For about half of that price, you can
As you go through the gates on the southeast tip of the stay at the Harbor View Inn. There are several other
airport, you’ll basically walk right into Princeton. This options for both hotels and restaurants located within
bohemian community offers quaint, coastal-themed about half a mile of KHAF’s south parking area.
buildings housing unique shops and restaurants. If you If you’re on a budget or prefer to sleep under the
like seafood, Princeton is the place for you. stars, the airport offers camping by the southeast
68
Fish tacos and other seafood delights rank at the top of the list of food options in Princeton.
69
tiedowns. There are no showers, but there is a perma-
nent restroom. Picnic tables and firepits provide op-
portunities for cooking and dining. The campground
is open year-round and there are no additional fees for
camping, other than the overnight fee.
Take a few steps past the restaurants and hotels and
you’ll find plenty of opportunities for recreational ac-
tivities. At the tip of the bay, Pillar Point offers beau-
tiful trails across the hills and around the point, and
terrific tide pooling in the flat rock areas that mix in
with the sandy beach. You can’t miss the prominent
radome on top of the hill. The radar equipment along
SEVERAL BUSINESSES
with telemetry PROVIDE instruction,
and command antennae are part of the
Pillar Point
checkouts, Airaircraft
and/or Forcerental
Station, which,
for your visit by the way, you
toshould
Hawai‘i.avoid overflying,
Please check theirand are used to support space
corresponding
and ballistic
websites missile
for airplane launches
availability, from the Vandenberg
checkout
Space Forceand
requirements, Base.
hours of operation.
If you want to get out on the water, Half Moon Bay
MAUI AVIATORS
Kayak Company offers (PHOG)
a variety of kayaks and stand-up HALF MOON BAY
paddle boards for rent. And if you want to tour the area
BARBERS
more POINT
quickly FLIGHT
than SCHOOL
on foot, (PHJR)
you can rent bikes there, too. AIRPORT INFORMATION
Fishing enthusiasts can throw fishing lines off the
GEORGE’S
pier. We saw AVIATION
severalSERVICES
people out (PHNL)
there testing their luck Location: 9 nm southwest of San
with rods and lures. But if you’re looking for more of Francisco International Airport
LANI LEA FLIGHT
an adventure, Half SCHOOL
Moon Bay (PHNL)
Sportfishing and Tackle Airport Elevation: 66 feet msl
will take you out in a boat to fish for salmon, rockfish, Airspace: Nontowered, Class E
HAWAI‘I
crab, and FLIGHT
more. ADVENTURES (PHKO) Airport Hours: Open 24 hours,
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to get out on the
TROPICBIRD
water. By theFLIGHT
time we SERVICE (PHKO)to head back to Ca-
were ready
Attended 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
marillo, there was a flock of Cessnas circling the air- Runway: 12/30
port. The pilots did a good job with the nontowered Lighted: Yes
For scenic helicopter
operations, and wetours
wereofable
the islands:
to depart quickly. As we Pattern Altitude: 1,066 msl
left the airport behind us, I already longed for a return (light)/1,566 msl (turbine/large)
visitRAINBOW HELICOPTERS
to this beautiful (PHNL)
place that is so close to a major
city, but feels so far away. }
71
THE FIRST
AIRCRAFT
MECHANIC
The “powered” attribute made airplanes practical. But few outside the maintenance world know about the person
who first turned the wrench on the Flyer that sent the Wrights aloft. How much do you know about Charles Taylor?
AN INTRODUCTION
There is a fantastic book, Charles E. Taylor: 1868-1956 photograph of the Wright Flyer on the wall of Detroit
The Wright Brothers Mechanician, by H. R. DuFour Technical High School, beginning a lifelong interest
with Peter J. Unitt, currently out of print. The text has in the Wright brothers and Taylor. DuFour continued
a foot in two worlds, part biography and part technical to educate people about Taylor until his death in 2009.
manual. DuFour led a colorful life, working on the Quick show of hands, how many of you already knew
Manhattan Project in Chicago during World War II the term “mechanician”? The Oxford English Dictio-
Library of Congress
helping to develop the atomic bomb. nary defines mechanician as “a person skilled in the
As with many of us, the aeronautical spark ignited design or construction of machinery.” This term is
early for DuFour. According to A Dream Fulfilled: commonly shortened to “mechanic.” Another quick
The Replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer at Wright show of hands: who votes we go back to the term
State University by Peter Unitt, DuFour noticed a “mechanician”? It has a certain ring to it.
74
H IS EA RLY LI FE
Charles Edward “Charlie” Taylor was born in a log cabin they married in 1894. Coincidently, the Wright brothers’
in rural Illinois on May 24, 1868. His family moved to father, Bishop Milton Wright, a family friend of the
Lincoln, Nebraska, after a hog cholera epidemic ended Webberts, counseled the couple and convinced them
their primary income source. Leaving school in the sev- to move to Ohio.
enth grade, Charlie worked odd jobs before returning to In Dayton, Charlie found work as a machinist for the
complete his education. Stoddard Manufacturing Company, building engines,
Eventually, he owned and operated a machine shop farm equipment, and bicycles.
in Omaha, Nebraska, but he had to shutter it because of He eventually opened his own bicycle shop, and did
a lack of work. When he was 24, Charlie met the love of subcontract work for two brothers who would plot the
his life, Henrietta Webbert, in Kearney, Nebraska, and trajectory of his life.
The significance of June 15, 1901, is largely unknown. On one of the world's leading scholars of Charles Taylor, and
this day, Charles Taylor began working for the Wright speaking to him was an honor.
brothers as a bicycle technician. For me, this ranks When I mentioned the Wright brothers' search for an
higher than John Lennon meeting Paul McCartney engine builder, Battino relayed the story of the broth-
on July 6, 1957, in Liverpool, England. Taylor would be ers approaching Taylor. After carefully listening to the
the Wright brothers' sole employee for eight years. specifications, Taylor removed the cigar from his mouth
In 1901, Taylor built a wind tunnel so the brothers and simply said, “Sure.” He started by tacking scratch
could test their wing and control surface theories. This paper drawings onto his workbench, assembling his
task was his first aircraft-related assignment. tools, and gathering materials.
As the brothers worked to perfect their airframe, Once Taylor completed his four-cylinder engine, it
their dreams of building more than just a glider hinged produced 12 horsepower at 1,025 rpm, and weighed
on the ability to produce a reliable powerplant. The around 180 pounds. He accomplished this incredible
Wrights approached ten po- feat in six weeks. Try getting any-
tential engine manufacturers; one to complete a new project in
none was interested in building six weeks these days—much less
just one engine. We see this to- design, source, and manufacture
day with modern OEMs with lit- the world’s first aircraft engine.
tle financial interest in investing Imagine the Six Sigma-led ex-
production resources in legacy ploratory committees you would
fleets. There is a profit margin need today.
in volume, not one-off pieces. Working together, the three set
Rubin Battino, M.S., Ph.D., pro- out to solve the engineering chal-
fessor emeritus at Wright State lenges of powered flight. As the
University, is co-author of An first aerospace engineers, there
Oral History of Charles E. Tay- was plenty of trial and error. The
lor: The Wright Brothers’ Mech- team tested over 200 airfoils, us-
anician, a frequent presenter on ing a jig with a bicycle spoke con-
Taylor, and owns the diaries of structed by Taylor to check the
Bishop Milton Wright. torque on the wings. Working
We had a spirited discus- shoulder to shoulder, the three
sion, and his exuberance for the continued to make slow progress.
mechanician and his work shone Once they had a working model, it
LIbrary of Congress
75
December 14, 1903, Wilbur Wright said, “The machinery and needed the spare parts Taylor produced and sent
worked in an entirely satisfactory manner and seemed to Kitty Hawk.
reliable. The power is ample. There is no question of In 1908 at Fort Myer, Virginia, for a military demon-
final success.” To an aircraft mechanic, that signals mis- stration, Orville offered to take Taylor on his first
sion accomplished. This test was the most significant airplane ride. Army observer Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge
ops check ever. Three days later, the trio made history. took Taylor’s place, and the aircraft crashed shortly
True to his supporting role, Taylor remained in after takeoff—badly injuring Orville and killing
Ohio, tending the shop while the brothers flew into the Lt. Selfridge, who became the first military air casu-
history books in North Carolina. alty. Taylor finally secured his first airplane ride when
Staying behind was not an act of humility but of Orville—whom Taylor referred to as his friend—took
necessity. The brothers relied on the shop for income him up in 1910.
When Calbraith Perry “Cal” Rodgers made the first eventually logged 4,321 miles in 82 hours and 4 minutes;
transcontinental airplane flight across America in 1911, however, he did so in 49 days.
he purchased one complete aircraft dubbed the Vin Fiz During this time, Taylor moved his family to Cali-
from the Wrights and enough parts to fabricate two ad- fornia. He hoped the climate would help improve his
ditional ones. Publisher William Randolph Hearst had wife’s waning health. It did not; he eventually had no
recently announced he would award $50,000 to some- choice but to place her in an institution. Staying only
one who could accomplish this feat in 30 days or less. a while, Taylor returned to Ohio and worked for the
Knowing what lay before him, Rodgers hired Wright brothers until leaving for California in 1928. A
Taylor, paying him $70 weekly to travel behind him in a failed real estate venture set him back financially, and
train containing a makeshift machine shop and parts. he never recovered. He occasionally found work as a ma-
They hit it off and shared a love of cigars, even joking chinist, but the search was difficult because of his age.
that Rodgers knew how to take off but not land. Rodgers There is a parable in here somewhere.
Library of Congress
76
CHARLIE’S
AWARDS
HERE ARE A FEW AWARDS Charles Taylor received post-
humously:
CHARLIE’S LEGACY
In 1937, Taylor left California and his job at North wanted to learn to fly, but I never did. The Wrights re-
American Aviation to join Henry Ford’s Edison Insti- fused to teach me and tried to discourage the idea. They
tute and assist in restoring the Wright Brothers’ bicy- said they needed me in the shop and to service their ma-
cle shop, which Ford relocated to Greenfield Village in chines, and if I learned to fly, I'd be gadding about the
Dearborn, Michigan. This venture would become one of country and maybe become an exhibition pilot, and
the highlights of the great mechanician's life. they'd never see me again.” It is a shame Taylor never
Orville Wright died on January 30, 1948, leaving had a chance to take to the skies. I know quite a few me-
Charlie Taylor the last remaining survivor of the three chanics who cross over to the cockpit, but almost none
persons who built the first airplane. Taylor served as go back to make a living with a wrench full-time.
a pallbearer. For years Orville provided Taylor with a Charlie Taylor died on January 30, 1956, at age 88,
small pension of $800 per year, but the Great Depres- from complications with asthma—eight years to the
sion took its toll, and he struggled to make ends meet. day after his friend and former employer, Orville. Tay-
On Christmas day in 1948, Collier’s published an in- lor rests at the Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation
terview with Taylor, living in retirement in California. in Burbank, California.
The article was reprinted in Air Line Pilot in December I intend to travel to Kitty Hawk and the Folded Wings
Library of Congress
1978. This text is a fascinating first-hand account of the Shrine with a few new bucket list items on the radar. I
Wright brothers and their historic flight told by the man will head to California and stand before the man who
with the front row seat. made it happen.
One quote, in particular, struck a chord with me and Godspeed to you, Charles Taylor, master mechani-
summed up Taylor's life and legacy. He said, “I always cian; we who carry on your legacy do so with honor. [
77
F LYI NG IN TO
AIRSHOW
SEASON
BY MEG GODLEWSKI
I M AG ES B Y ST E P H E N Y E AT ES
Lighting up the night , the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team powers its four-ship of T-6 Texans
through the humid and crackling e vening sky at the Sun ’n Fun 2023 night airshow.
79
There is something extra special
about flying your airplane into an airshow or aviation festival. You truly feel accomplished when you fly the pub-
lished approach, rock your wings on command, stick the landing on the dot specified, and then are greeted by the
people on scooters who direct you where to park.
That's how it is supposed to go—and often it does go that well, provided you do your homework before you launch
for the big event.
GETTI NG TH ERE
If this is your first flight to a given airshow or fly-in, look cell service but still have a payphone on location, be-
for a pilot who has made the trip before and is willing to lieve it or not.
share information. You might even find someone who Pack water and snacks for the trip, and be wary
will make the flight with you. of dehydration and hunger as they make you sleepy.
Pick the route that works best for your aircraft, keep- Drink some water before the approach to landing, as
ing in mind performance, especially when it comes to water wakes you up—and an alert pilot is a better pilot.
climbing over any high terrain on the way. A turbo- Plan each leg of the flight meticulously. Be careful
charged Cessna T182 might not have any trouble, but that get-there-itis does not cloud your judgment. Build
the pilot of the vintage Taylorcraft might take a longer in extra days, and ID places to divert to on each leg.
route that keeps the airplane over lower terrain. Make sure you are night current and proficient be-
Consider using supplemental oxygen. Though the fore you begin the journey. There are times when a
regs say that the minimum flight crew needs to be on pilot finds themselves playing “beat the clock” in an
supplemental oxygen at 12,500 feet after 30 minutes, aircraft not certified for night flight because the last
most pilots begin to experience hypoxia at much flight segment went longer than they anticipated.
lower altitudes—sometimes as low as 6,000 feet— For navigation, use a combination of digital and an-
so be prepared. alog methods—if the digital goes tango uniform, the
Know how to calculate performance and use the avi- paper could save your trip. Make sure both paper and
onics you’re flying with. You don't want to be the pi- digital materials are current. You do not want to fly
lot randomly pushing buttons to update a flight plan with a sectional years out of date and enter Class D
while hurtling through the air. airspace thinking it's a Class E airport—only to learn
Be conservative about weight and balance as well the airport now has a tower.
as performance. While it is tempting to overload your Be conservative about fuel burn. Make a list of all
aircraft by ‘just a little’ with all the gear you want for the airports that have fuel, located along your route
camping, it can come back to bite you. Remember, the and within 20 miles off to each side, just in case.
OEM determined the calculations in the POH using a If you are flying with a copilot or a companion, have
new airplane and a test pilot at the controls. a discussion about cockpit duties before you leave the
Have at least two methods for updating your pre- ground. With a copilot, make sure to designate who is
flight briefing in the air—a tablet and com radio, for the ‘pilot flying’ and who is the pilot monitoring and
example—and always carry a backup handheld radio. fielding radio calls and programming avionics.
If you've never used a payphone (these people walk If they are not a pilot, you can still assign them the
among us—payphone operation is now part of my cur- task of watching for traffic and dialing in frequencies
riculum), learn how to use it. There are places that lack on the com side.
In the mood for mods? The larger airshows and fly-ins are great places to find the latest updates to your
fa vo ri te m o un t— like th e B lac kh awk trans fo rm a tio ns to the B eech craft Kin g Air series .
80
AI RSHOW N OTAMS
By regulation, specifically FAR 91.103: "Each pilot in Instead of having hundreds of pilots all talking at once,
command shall, before beginning a flight, become it's often one radio call made over a specific landmark
familiar with all available information concerning to establish contact. Rock your wings when recognized,
that flight." This means the pilot needs to know what then follow instructions for landing.
weather to expect, be familiar with the forecasts, fuel Most NOTAMs have traffic pattern diagrams im-
requirements, aircraft takeoff and landing data, weight posed on Google Earth images for illustration—it’s easy
and balance, alternatives available if the planned flight to see where you should be and where you need to avoid
cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of when you have an image to refer to.
which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC. Pilots who have flown into airshows before—like Sun
If your intended destination is an airshow or fly-in, this ’n Fun Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture—recom-
regulation is now on steroids—expect to find a multi- mend having a hard copy of the NOTAM with you in
page notice to air missions (NOTAM) released several the cockpit along with any digital presentation. Paper
days before the event. doesn't run out of batteries.
The larger the fly-in, the larger the NOTAM. Pay Even if you have flown into this particular event
special attention to the communication procedures. before, still study the NOTAM, as they are often ad-
If the airport is non-towered, it is likely that a tempo- justed year to year—for example, traffic patterns may be
rary control tower will be brought in for the event. The altered to move aircraft away from heavily populated
procedures are created to lessen frequency congestion. parking areas.
Above: The latest from CubCrafters , the Carbon Cub UL , inserts the ne w Rotax 916iS into a legendar y back-
countr y airplane for the European ultralight market .
Top right: More hits from the ST OL crowd , the Aviat Husky shines on the grass and in the dirt—but also
hauls camping gear to the out-of-the-way places pilots want to fly.
Bottom right: A different take on a classic? You ne ver know what you’ ll find parked at a fly-in—such as this
Waco YMF-F5C on Aerocet 3 400 floats with a st ylish scheme and a Jacobs R755 radial up front .
Top left: Classics bring their
echoes from the past into the
vintage parking areas of many
airshows and fly-ins—with
surprises and old fa vorites alike,
such as this Beech 18 in a pol-
is hed scheme.
B e l o w : E x c e l l e n t v i s i b i l i t y m a k e s t h e Ae r o -
prakt a top contender for a photo platform—
es pec i a lly fo r s hoo tin g l o w an d slo w.
SKIL LS FOR TH E A R RI VA L
Brush up on specialty takeoffs and landings, cross- Study the airport diagram for the facility and know
wind approaches, and go-arounds before you head out where you will be expected to park. Usually, airshows
on the great adventure. You do not want to be rusty have ground marshalers, often people on scooters
flying into an airshow. wearing safety vests with FOLLOW ME on the back.
There is a maneuver you were probably not taught Remember to watch your wingtips as you taxi,
as a student pilot but you need it to establish commu- especially when there are lots of people around.
nication and many of these events—that is rocking the Though there may be designated pathways for pe-
wings of the aircraft. destrians, some people drift outside of their lanes.
It sounds simple enough, but the controllers who ask You don't want to be the pilot of the Cessna 172 who
the airplanes to identify themselves by rocking their hits someone in the back of the head with your wing
wings really want to see you rock those wings. Make while you taxi, or the guy in the Beechcraft Baron who
that airplane thrash around like a 10-year-old who has decides to ignore the ground handlers and taxi into
had a frog put down their shirt—but don't stall or roll the grass—putting the nosewheel into a gopher hole,
inverted. resulting in two propeller strikes.
Practice approaches, especially short approaches And, in the end, if you are delayed getting to the event,
and precision landing technique, because "land on the learn from the experience—and realize that it will make
green dot” means land on the green dot. a better story to be told around the campfire. }
87
TO
PROVIDENCE
OR
BUST
An unexpected in-sim , in-flight emergenc y
puts a rust y pilot to the te st .
BY SEAN SIFF
88
uled for the month. One feature of a showcase event is
that volunteer air traffic controllers fully staff the air-
space around the Boston area (ZBW), giving all sim pi-
lots a chance to do multiple realistic frequency changes
during the course of the arrival to the destination air-
port. Similar to the real world, Boston Center would
hand off flights to Providence Approach, and then to
Providence Tower for landing—with ground, clearance
delivery, and departure controllers available for air-
craft departing KPVD.
Crossing over the mainland just south of New Bed-
ford (KEWB) in Massachusetts, I was now 10 miles
southeast of the Class C airspace and expecting my
handover to Providence Approach at any moment.
Listening to the traffic on the frequency, I could hear
many pilots on IFR approaches and was glad to have
opted for VFR flight following. The radio chatter re-
minded me of flying in the ZBW when I was an active
private pilot in the real world. It was exciting to feel like
I was back in the big show again. Many of the sim pi-
lots sharing the digital skies with me really know their
stuff, flying the airspace competently on IFR flight
plans and using professional radio work. It was moti-
vating to be part of the group, and I wanted to bring
my best when it was my turn to squeeze the push-to-
talk button.
Using my call sign, Boston Center got my attention
and provided my handoff instructions. Upon check-
ing in with Providence Approach, a friendly controller
greeted me with a right turn to 040, setting me up on
a 5-mile left downwind for Runway 23. Moments later,
the same controller was in touch with some in-sim traf-
fic for me to see and avoid. I could hear the other sim
pilot receiving his see-and-avoid instructions, and by
looking out my windscreen to the left, I could make out
his aircraft, a Citation, in the distance, lining up for fi-
nal approach a few miles ahead. I couldn’t see the shape
of the aircraft yet, but I could see the nav and strobe
lights marking his position, which I cross-checked on
the MFD of the G1000. The workload of aviating, navi-
gating, and communicating was keeping me fully in the
zone. I love the challenge of the arrival phase of flight,
complete with its many variables to manage, and the
crowd of sim pilots and controllers on frequency re-
ally added to the immersion. Although orderly, it was
a virtual rush hour within the KPVD Class Charlie as
the fly-in was set to close within the next 30 minutes.
With the landing Citation traffic in sight, Providence
Approach turned me onto an extended left base for 23
and handed me off to the tower. I repeated the correct
tower frequency but didn’t write it down on my knee-
board. When I dialed in what I thought to be the cor-
rect frequency, my call was met with silence. I tried one
more time, but realizing that I must have mistyped it,
I quickly punched the COM flip-flop button to ask Ap-
X-Plane
89
behind the airplane in a critical phase of flight. With to no avail. Immediately my face felt hot and my heart
the correct frequency, I radioed Providence Tower, but rate picked up as this problem quickly became an in-
my delay caused me to fly past the left turn for final. I flight, in-sim emergency. My chance to land at KPVD
sheepishly reported my position to the tower, and the with my fellow sim pilots was dissolving rapidly, like
controller took it all in stride, patiently giving me in- my altitude, airspeed, and ability to control the air-
structions to turn 180 degrees and set up for a right craft.
base for 23. Once turned around, I double-checked my Since I am not a Baron pilot in real life and have not
airspeed and lowered my landing gear. I took a deep had real-world multiengine training, I predicted the
breath so I could focus on the next steps of the arrival. landing would be a challenge. However, this situation
I needed to settle in and concentrate on the next provided a great opportunity to work out the problem
steps of the approach, but something with the air- using what I knew about aircraft systems and emer-
plane didn’t feel right. I checked my gear lights and had gency procedures. Having never experienced a runaway
three green. Next, I checked my flaps, and they were trim issue in real life or in the sim before, I decided to
retracted. However, I was putting unusual pressure on use the rest of the flight as a test to see if I could sur-
my yoke to keep my wings level. Immediately, I added vive the emergency. With no physical or monetary con-
rudder to keep the nose on the horizon, and I was now sequences, if I failed, it was a very low-stakes learning
cross-controlling the yoke and rudder to keep the nose opportunity. Challenge accepted.
level. Not good. To minimize drag, I raised my landing gear, hop-
I immediately checked the MFD and backup engine ing it would improve controllability. Letting the tower
instruments and determined I was not experiencing know I was experiencing a flight-control problem, I
a powerplant issue. Oil pressure, rpm, and manifold was cleared to fly south toward the edge of the Class
pressure were where they should be for the selected C. So as to not interrupt any fly-in arrivals or depar-
power setting. A few weeks before, I added an addi- tures, I communicated my intentions to the tower and
tional monitor to my sim cockpit to serve as a backup disconnected from the live air traffic control service.
instrument panel. I attached a suction cup mount to I was alone in X-Plane 11 now, and I was running out of
my Stay Level avionics panel that houses my G1000 troubleshooting ideas. The control of the Baron had not
PFD and MFD. The monitor hosts additional indicator greatly improved with my gear up, and my mind was
lights, gauges, and controls. With just a glance, I could racing to identify a solution. With both feet and hands
see critical information about the Baron’s systems that working the flight controls, I kept working on the prob-
would be available to me if I was flying the airplane in lem mentally. Was I fighting the autopilot? It was defi-
the real world. nitely possible that I had engaged the AP by mistake.
One specific gauge caught my attention: The aileron A quick glance at the G1000 and back down to the AP
trim position indicator was showing it was rolling un- controls confirmed that autopilot was off.
commanded from full left deflection to full right de- Next, I gripped the yoke tightly—not knowing how
flection and back. I quickly clicked the aileron trim the Baron would respond—and activated the autopilot
controls on the yoke to arrest the trim’s movement but into heading mode to see if that would stop the aileron
X-Plane
90
trim’s maniacal cycling. I recalled that X-Plane 11 has sible. Since I would be the only witness in-sim to the
extensive and programmable failure modes. Back in outcome, there wasn’t anything to lose. I had flashes
2021, I had enabled the failure mode to randomly select of aviation legend Bob Hoover’s sage advice go through
one failure per 60 hours of flight time and, although I my mind as I committed to the touchdown: “If you’re
had only flown the Baron about 20 hours in the past faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the
12 months, I realized the runaway trim condition was crash as possible.”
most likely caused by this programmable setting lurk- Thanks to the aileron trim, keeping on the center-
ing in the background of my previous months of sim line of 16 was nearly impossible, so I floated messily
flying, and was now showing itself. down the runway, slowly reducing the throttles and
I used the manual in-cockpit camera controls to trying to maintain control. I tried touching down on
zoom into the circuit breakers to see if I could pull the the mains at roughly 120 knots, about halfway down
appropriate one with a click of my mouse. I knew some the 7,500-foot runway, but I swiftly bounced into the
X-Plane aircraft modeled circuit breaker behavior but air. I pulled back on the yoke to try to arrest the inevi-
wasn’t sure if my REP Baron was included. When no table follow-up contact with the runway and bounced
circuit breakers responded to my rapid-fire mouse again. I would not attempt a go-around in this condi-
clicking, I zoomed in on the base of the throttle ped- tion, so I reduced the throttles to idle and did what I
estal to see if I could manually stop the aileron trim could to minimize the impact of the final bounce. The
wheel from turning. My mouse was unable to click the digital propellers departed both engines with the im-
control wheel and stop it from continuing to turn. At pact, but the gear stayed connected to the undercar-
this point, I was out of options to diagnose and but- riage, and I skidded to a stop off on the left side of 16,
tons to click, and still struggling to keep the aircraft just past the intersection with Runway 5/23.
under control. I unclenched my hands from the yoke and enjoyed
Fortunately, my path south of KPVD led me to the the silence in my gaming headset as I switched off the
western edge of the Class D for KOQU. Having attended avionics, lights, batteries, and mags. Sitting in my flight
a real-life air show there in 2012, I recalled the main sim cockpit in the quiet of my basement, I let my heart
runway of 16/34 would be my best shot at an emergency rate settle and reflected on how real moments of the
landing location. I was due west of KOQU by about 2 flight had felt—especially the last 10 minutes as I was
miles, flying at 170 kts at 600 feet agl, but I had Run- troubleshooting the aileron trim malfunction while
way 16 in sight. I dropped the gear and swung the nose trying to keep the Baron under control. Although there
toward the runway. It was an ugly short approach over were areas for improvement, I flew the surprise emer-
the western side of the airfield, and I did my best to gency to the best of my abilities and enjoyed the mental
line up with 16, all while fighting the aileron trim and workout. I never made it to KPVD, but the fidelity of the
losing altitude in the process. I was coming in fast, at entire experience will keep me coming back for more. ]
roughly 130 kts, but the directional control seemed to
X-Pllane
worsen at lower speeds. My best option was to get the SEAN SIFF is a private pilot who has worked in marketing in
wheels on the ground and salvage the best landing pos- the aviation industry.
91
LIFE IN THE AIR
TAK IN G WI N G
FLIGHTLESS BIRDS
Returning to the skies in our new home
BY SAM WEIGEL
L
OOKING DOWN THE western slope of our home airstrip, one’s first impression is of
a lot of very large trees, both bounding the runway and beyond. The second thing you
notice is the striking, stirringly vertiginous wall of the Olympic Mountains, seemingly
close enough to touch, but in fact a good ten miles distant, across the Hood Canal. The terrain
carries no threat to the flight Dawn and I are about to take, but the trees are another matter, for
they thoroughly blanket the four miles of rolling terrain from here to saltwater’s edge, with nary
a scrap of pasture to put down the ship in case of trouble. I am conscious of this fact every time I
take off, but especially so today, for it has been nearly eight weeks since our colorful 1946 Stinson
108 last took flight. But the 150 hp Franklin engine is warmed up, the run-up was smooth, and
Sam Weigel
the gauges are in the green. I push the throttle to the firewall and, with all six cylinders doing
their thing, we accelerate smartly down the grassy strip.
92
When Dawn and I bought our previous airplane, a 1953
Piper Pacer, we vowed to fly it at least ten hours a month,
and indeed we clocked some 220 hours over 18 months I’ve only flown our Stinson
of ownership. This time around, I’ve only flown our
Stinson 40 hours since buying it in August. This is partly
because Pacific Northwest winters, while much milder 40 hours since buying it...
than in Minnesota, offer far fewer days that are flyable
in a strictly VFR airplane. Secondly, I’ve been quite busy
finishing our hangar apartment and that’s taken up the
vast majority of my time when I’m not flying for work. about for any bit of flight time they can snag and dream-
Still, I know there is nothing worse for an airplane— ing of the prospect of getting their hands on anything that
or a pilot!—than sitting on the ground, and so I’ve tried burns jet-A. I know this; I was that kid once. To me, it
to take the Stinson for at least a short flight once every doesn’t seem so long ago.
week or two to get the oil up to temp. Unfortunately for When I started flying in 1994, I had just turned thir-
the last month it has been imprisoned in its hangar by an teen. Age and finances dictated that flight lessons were
impressively solid 44-by-15-foot Higher Power hydraulic a once-a-month event, and I remember the intense
door frame, which we assembled and hoisted into place yearning that accompanied each ground-bound inter-
before we had power in the hangar to actually open it. The val. I thought about flying, talked about flying, literally
electrician finally showed up only yesterday after several dreamed about flying as I mowed lawns, shoveled drive-
weeks’ delay. In the interim, we have had some beauti- ways, and did odd jobs to scratch together the $58 that
ful VFR days that hint at the coming of spring, and I’ve would buy an hour of dual in the Cessna 150. Every once
been rather frustrated at my inability to take my flight- in a while I came up short, and then there was an excruci-
less bird aloft. ating two-month flightless gap—and one of eleven weeks
Yes, I have been flying the Boeing 737 plenty—a bit in which I tearfully contemplated quitting. As I got older
more than I’d like, actually. And I’ll admit, there have and found steady work, though, the lessons became more
been periods of my life where airline flying scratched that frequent, especially in the run-up to my 16th and 17th
itch I’ve had since childhood. It just doesn’t quite do the birthdays. Nothing made me happier than being able to
trick right now. This probably seems absurd to the multi- fly most every week. It was in this frame of mind that I
tude of young pilots just beginning their careers, casting chose to pursue a flying career.
At eighteen, I headed to the University of North medical, sport pilot rules still allowed me to fly a Piper
Dakota and, unleashed by my sudden freedom to amass J-3 Cub, which was a great comfort as I pondered the
eye-watering student loans, seldom went three days possibility of a life in which the sky was no longer home.
without flying. I was in hog heaven for the first year My return to the flight deck after four months’ absence
or so. But I still remember the first time I woke up and was a joyful affair, and I vowed never to take my privi-
realized, with a groan, that I had a flight scheduled for leged position for granted again.
that morning. A lightbulb went off: So this is what it And then, after I’d been hired at my current airline,
means to be a professional pilot. You don’t always want Dawn and I decided to sell our home and the Pacer, buy
to fly, and you do it anyway. That realization was punc- a 42-foot sailboat, and run away to sea. I transferred to
tuated during my first summer of flight instructing in a highly seasonal fleet and base that allowed me to take
Southern California when I flew 400 hours in three lots of time off during the cruising season, and for the
months and had only a few days off. first time since I was 13, I voluntarily ventured no higher
Continuing to instruct during my senior year at than sea level for months at a time. Bearded and shirtless,
UND, my logbook records a ten-day flightless gap from I’d look up from tropical anchorages to spy an airliner
September 7 to 17, 2001. It seemed much longer, and flying far overhead, and it’d seem like a relic from another
flying felt very different thereafter. I knew that my career lifetime. Every eight weeks or so I’d endure a brutal shave
had just taken a drastic turn, and I steeled myself for an and dig my mildew-spotted uniform out of the hanging
extended grind. In the two years after graduation, while locker, and then I’d commute up to Atlanta to reacquaint
instructing and flying Part 135 cargo, the only time I myself with the pleasures of flying the Boeing 757. It was
went more than two days without flying was a nine-day always slightly unsettling at first, but by leg two it would
pause for my wedding and honeymoon. Freight dogging, be like I’d never left.
in particular, was incredibly tough—in retrospect, the That’s what it feels like right now, as our roaring
hardest and most dangerous flying I ever did. And yet Stinson lifts from the grass and claws its way above the
my overarching memory of that period was how flying towering firs, revealing a striking panorama: the tree-
became completely commonplace: It was just what I did. lined, deep-blue ribbon of Hood Canal, backed by the
Fascination was replaced by familiarity. I didn’t lose my snow-blanketed breadth of the jagged Olympics. It’s been
love of flight, but its nature changed markedly. If taking eight weeks, but Dawn and I and our faithful old Stinson
wing no longer made my heart flutter, I found joy and are comfortably back in our home element. The Franklin
comfort in looking down upon the unsuspecting world growls steadily as we gain altitude, and the full glory of
from my daily perch, and being truly and utterly at home. our adopted corner of the world—snow-capped volca-
Now being ground-bound held no measure of yearn- noes, rolling hills, an intricate maze of saltwater coves
ing for me, for I always knew that I’d return to my home and passages, sleepy fishing villages, gleaming steel
in the air soon enough. At the regional airlines, I bid cities, and—over it all—a dark-green carpet of giant firs
schedules that created flightless gaps of weeks or even and cedars—unveils itself before our eyes. This, too, is
a month, the better to accommodate terrestrial pursuits home. Here I am content. Here, with my adventurous wife
like backcountry camping, motorcycling, and interna- by my side and with a good old airplane in which to explore
tional travel. I got back into general aviation, started our fascinating world, my wandering heart is full. [
flying old taildraggers, and rediscovered the sort of
flight that still makes my heart go pitter-patter (sea-
planes, gliders, and skydiving do the trick, too). When I SAM WEIGEL began flight lessons at 13 and worked his
was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and was grounded way up to flying for a major airline. His new online series, V1
from flying airliners while awaiting a special issuance Rotate, explores the world of the professional pilot.
94
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Service Ceiling 23,000 ft.
Climbing at an astonishing 1500 FPM up to 18,000 feet where it will cruise at 180
MPH, the Bristell 915 Turbo is a leader in its class. The 915 Turbo redefines comfort
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very similar to the Garmin Avionics found in a new Cirrus.
lou@bristellaircraft.com 516-658-1847
john@bristellaircraft.com 717-371-8677
LIFE IN THE AIR
L E A D I NG E D G E
IMAGINATIVE
FLIGHT
When reality catches up with your dreams
BY BEN YOUNGER
A
FORMATIVE MEMORY of my childhood is standing on the street in front of my
Courtesy of Ben Younger
house in Staten Island. It was summer. Late afternoon. I already had the overactive
imagination that would come to serve me later as a screenwriter. Sometimes I think
it was put to better use back then, as I didn’t understand what constraints or limitations were.
Certainly none that you’d find in a POH.
96
TH E WORL D’S M OST W ID ELY RE A D
AV I ATI O N M AGAZIN E
flyingmag.com/subscribe
LIFE IN THE AIR
L E A D I NG E D G E
I was a six-year-old playing alone on the sidewalk when “Let’s go find out,” I replied.
I heard the sound of a jet overhead. It must have departed Bank left, add some rudder input and soar over. This
KJFK, as it was still low enough for me to recognize it as is freedom no road trip on earth can achieve. Moving
a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. I couldn’t make out which air- three-dimensionally through the sky like a bird, going
line, but it was flying into the sunset. I stood and stared wherever your eyes train themselves on.
until it disappeared over the horizon. I remember being The approach into Cuyama is benign. You clear the
struck by the fact that there were people on it, and that mountains and drop down into a wide-open valley. L88
they were all going somewhere. I had recently become is bare bones, so not even an ATIS. We did a low pass to
aware that there were many other humans inhabiting the check the windsock, then came around and landed. We
planet and that they all had stories of their own. In the then walked five minutes to another recently-restored
same way an infant comes to understand object perma- landmark, this one a motel called Cuyama Buckhorn.
nence, I had become aware of the fact that my life was not This was a motel built in the ‘50s that, like the runway,
located at the center of the universe. also fell into disrepair. It has been restored dutifully with
Just as exciting was the realization that the visible a pool and bocce ball court as well as a wonderful restau-
horizon from Staten Island was not the end of the rant. It reminded me of a mid-century Palm Springs hotel.
world. There was more out there. A lot more… Scale was Is it worth the drive? Sure. It’ll take you more than
this other thing I was coming to understand, and the two hours from LA versus 28 minutes flying, but who’s
sheer size of the Earth was a great mystery I wanted to counting? Flying somewhere just sweetens the pot by
unravel. Most importantly, I understood that an air- an order of magnitude. Walking from the airplane to the
plane was the best tool for the task. I have never once motel and telling the waiter we just flew in is an instant
looked at an ocean liner and had a similar thought. conversation starter. GA flying is still a wondrous mira-
Seeing that airplane sail overhead toward the sun and cle to most laypeople. And as I’ve written previously in
imagining all of the people on it and the myriad of ad- these pages (“The Question,” February 2021), it is this
ventures they were embarking on sealed my aviation absolute freedom everyone focuses on.
fate. I wanted not only to be on that airplane, but to sit The waiter asked us, “Who did you have to tell you
up front and manipulate the controls. I wanted to point were coming?”
the nose wherever I felt like going, without parental “No one,” I reply.
consent or anyone’s help or permission. I didn’t just “But you had to make some kind of reservation,
want to go on the adventure—I wanted to pilot it. right?”
This freedom is a huge part of aviation for me, and as “Nope.”
it turns out, it’s only accessible through GA. Commer- A few more questions until the realization settles in:
cial flights will get you to major cities but won’t access GA pilots can go and do as we please with almost no con-
even a fraction of the 5,000 airports in this country. Not straints, no limits, no permissions. The waiter, still star-
to mention, the airlines all fly IFR, which is great for ing at us dumbfounded, has the same look of wonder as
safety but scores very low on navigational autonomy. My that boy on the street in Staten Island.
Bonanza, however, goes wherever she pleases. Sitting at the counter, having just finished a wonder-
A few months ago, my pilot buddy Neal told me about ful lunch, I turned to Lauren and asked if she wanted
an airfield that reopened in the desert east of Santa to go flying again. I still had an itch. She was game. We
Barbara. L88 is a privately-owned, public-use airport walked back to the airplane and started her up. No des-
in New Cuyama, California. Originally built in the early tination, no plan, no mission. We flew just to fly. Soaring
1950s by Atlantic Richfield Oil Company (ARCO) after low over the rain-nourished landscape, I turned to her.
oil was discovered in the Cuyama Valley, the field fell “Still wish we had wheels?”
into disrepair once the oil ran out (private industry is “Couldn’t care less,” she replied.
fantastic at creating logistical solutions so long as in- There is something about human flight that first
centives remain). The strip has been in ruins for many pushes back against then unchains our imaginations.
years and then closed permanently in 2015. With a large I’m now the one in that airplane, sitting in the left
donation and a nonprofit currently running the airport, seat, flying into the sunset. I can’t help but wonder
the field reopened last year, and she’s a beaut. (pray) how many young boys/girls pick their heads up
I love flying to a new field. I enjoy the planning, the from their smartphones at the sound of that big-bore
flying, and the exploring. Time spent studying charts Continental and see that strange V-tail silhouette
and routes does not feel like work or a poor use of time. soaring across the sky, and wonder, ‘Who is flying that
It’s fun. Packing for the weekend, my co-pilot Lauren airplane? Where are they going?’ }
asked about not having wheels when we landed. A small
price to pay is what I told her. We got a bagel and cof-
fee, then took off toward the San Gabriel mountains. BEN YOUNGER is a TV and film writer/director, avid motor-
No Victor airways, no ATC, no itinerary. We just flew cyclist, and surfer—but it’s being a pilot that he treats as
north. Freedom. a second profession. Follow Ben Younger on Instagram:
“Is that snow over there on that peak?” @thisisbenyounger.
98
ADVENTURE FLYING
AT THE FIELDS
LIFE IN THE AIR
GE A R U P
SHOULD WE ALL BE
FRIGHTENED?
A short trip generates sobering thoughts.
BY DICK KARL
D
O YOU WANT to fly to Lakeland and back?” It’s my friend Tom with an offer to fly
Courtesy of Dick Karl
from Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF) to KLAL, a distance of 17 nautical miles, for
an airplane swap. By airplane swap, I mean just that. Tom owns not one, but two
Aerostars. We’ll take Mike Echo to Aeromech for an annual and fly back in Juliet Alpha. How
could such an enticing invitation turn my mood so sour?
100
AIRPORT CODE T-SHIRT SECTIONAL JOURNAL
AEROSWAG.COM
SECTIONAL PHONE CASE
Actually, I started out already feeling somewhat
bummed. I’ve been licking my wounds ever since selling
our Cessna Citation CJ1 jet. Insurance costs have What about parts in the
increased dramatically, especially for older single-
pilot ops in jets. Looking for a new (to me) airplane has
been depressing. I’ve had it with the ominous, threaten- future, and what about the
ing letters from the Manager, Aerospace Medical Cer-
tification Division in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (“You
must promptly report any adverse changes…You are
fate of avgas?
cautioned to abide by Title 14 of the Code of Federal
Regulations…”), and have decided to transition to Basic
Med. This limits the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) He agreed to fit Tom in for an annual before closing day.
to 6,000 pounds. I don’t remember meeting this doctor His staff members were unsure as to what they planned
when I took the AME course several years ago, but I do to do next.
remember the vibe of the class. Many Cessna 340s and Barons are more than 40 years
My thoughts turned to finding a Cessna 340 with fond old. What about parts in the future, and what about the
memories of “6828 Charlie,” a beautiful 340 that my fate of avgas? I haven’t even begun to examine all the
wife, Cathy, and I enjoyed from 1995 to 2000. The orig- forces that seem to be wishing me to drive, not fly, into
inal certified MTOW was 5,990 pounds, which should the sunset—in a recreational vehicle, not an airplane.
qualify. The only trouble is almost all 340s have been But the primitive desire to own an airplane is rearing
improved with RAM programs that increase the MTOW its not-to-be-denied-or-disrespected head. At the
to about 6,300 pounds. Is it the improved MTOW that moment, I am a hangarless, airplaneless 77-year-old
counts or the originally certified weight? I am not going who has enjoyed airplane ownership virtually without
to be the guy to test that theory. Some A&Ps have sug- interruption for more than 50 years. There have been
gested that the vortex generators installed to improve times when I could barely afford an airplane. There
stall speed and increase MTOW could be removed and have been times when I just couldn’t fly very often.
make a 340 eligible for Basic Med. What a thought. There have been times when I thought it was time to
Some friends have recommended the Beechcraft quit. Somehow, though, I just can’t see it ending now.
Baron. Though the airplane would have to be flown be- I think back to that first airplane, a Musketeer, and
low 18,000 feet to qualify for Basic Med, a “kit” from its subsequent siblings: the Arrow, the Cessna 210,
Textron makes the slightly overweight airplane eligible the P210, the 340, the Piper Cheyenne, the Raytheon
for the program. Why Textron hasn’t provided a similar Premier, and the CJ1. Each of these airplanes gave me
kit for the 340 is a puzzle. It is also clear that there are purpose and pride. They coaxed me into relationships
Baron lovers and there are 340 lovers. with amazing mechanics possessed of accumulated
The fact is, the insurance industry and the FAA have wisdom and, oftentimes, a gentle perspective on life.
stimulated me to abandon a really safe turbine engine These airplanes and their A&Ps, the line guys and the
jet for a piston twin with the attendant excitement that ATC controllers, held my hand in times of woe.
comes with engines that have parts changing directions There certainly is rich irony here. Just as my day job
more than 30 times per second. Add to that the removal as a surgeon and my retirement job as a Part 135 Citation
of the vortex generators designed to enhance safety. CJ3 pilot provided me with the money to own, and expe-
Now I’ll be plowing around in lower altitudes in weather rience to fly, a CJ1, I’m being elbowed out of my dream
with less reliable engines. How this improves the airplane. I get the same sense of wistfulness at a high-
fortunes of my insurance company is not clear to me. end steakhouse. I can finally afford that 12-ounce filet
Armed with these ruminations, I joined Tom for the mignon, but I can’t possibly eat it. Ain’t that something?
short flight. More grim news was immediately evident. Tom offered to let me fly his other Aerostar back to
Tom’s hangar lease at KVDF is not being renewed. Han- KVDF, but I just didn’t have the heart to accept this
gar space is scarce around these parts (the Tampa-St. kindness. Flying is joyful, and I wasn’t feeling that
Petersburg metro area), and losing a slot is a blow. Ap- way. So I looked out the window at the cows and homes
parently, he parked a car in the hangar against the rules. and listened to the AWOS. I watched as a high-time air-
I know from personal experience that the FBO at KVDF line pilot and Aerostar guru chirped his airplane safely
is big on rules. home. We tugged the airplane into the hangar, and I
Tom’s longtime repair shop, Aeromech at KLAL, is watched with alarm as the hangar door cleared the nose
closing after 30 years. Kenny, the owner, told us, “I can’t by an inch. We agreed that we’d both live to fight an-
get parts. I can’t get grease for bearings. Cylinder repair other day. }
shops can’t get valves, can’t get vanes. There’s a shop
in Indiana with hundreds of cylinders sitting on the
bench (starving for) parts. Add to that my hangar rent DICK KARL is a cancer surgeon turned Part 135 pilot who is
is tripling. I’m going to go home and raise strawberries.” shopping for his next airplane.
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G IV E AWAY
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LIFE IN THE AIR
C FI C E NT RA L
11 MIS TAKES
STUDENT PILOTS
MAKE
If you know what they are, you can avoid them, too.
BY MEG GODLEWSKI
M
ISTAKES ARE PART of the learning process. Expect to make some as you learn
to fly, or when you pursue additional certificates and/or ratings. Be careful where
you get your information from—when you are beginning the journey, you don’t
know what you don’t know. And sometimes myths and rumors abound from fellow learners.
Adobe Stock
But we’re here to help: We’ve put together a list of some of the most common mistakes that
fledgling pilots make.
104
1. Trying to steer with the yoke on the ground I learning this?’ or ‘why am I learning this now?’ There
With the exception of the two-axis Ercoupe, you steer are some CFIs who take advantage of this trust and
an airplane on the ground with rudder pedals and dif- use the learner’s money to pad their logbooks—such as
ferential braking. If you know how to drive, you may try the CFI who had a pre-solo private pilot candidate do-
to steer with the yoke on the ground, using it like a steer- ing dual night cross-country IFR flights. Save yourself
ing wheel. Break this habit by folding your arms on your some time and money and check the FAR/AIM for the
chest and steering with your feet while the CFI controls requirements.
the power.
8. Not showing up for lessons on time
2. Not using the checklist Your flight lesson is scheduled for 12 p.m., but you don’t
There are pilot wanna-bes who do not embrace the get there until 12:33. Many schools have a policy for late
checklist, or think of it as ‘busy work’— that is what and no-show candidates that allows them to collect the
a would-be learner called it when I handed it to him full amount of revenue for the lesson. If you are chron-
before his first lesson. He tossed it back and scolded me ically late or frequently cancel don’t be surprised if both
for ‘not knowing my job’ because I ‘had to use a check- the school and the CFI hesitate to schedule you.
list.’ I let him struggle to start the airplane, turning the
ignition key a few times before I handed him the check- 9. Failure to obtain a weather briefing
list back. By your fourth lesson you should be able to obtain and
interpret the weather briefing. The CFI should also be
3. Pulling back on the yoke or stick to get the airplane checking the weather, but don’t use them as a crutch.
to climb instead of adding power Pro tip: looking out the window is not a weather brief-
This results in a reduction in airspeed and possibly an ing, and “looks pretty good” is not a forecast.
approach to a stall. Flight instructors are conditioned
to guard against this—the good ones will warn you not 10. Underestimating the time it will take
to, and will explain the importance of adding power There are students who think they automatically take
to climb, noting the aircraft will climb when power is their check rides when they reach 40 hours of flight.
added—and explain why it happens. Acquiring the number of hours does not automatically
result in a certificate. The airman certification stan-
4. Pulling back on the yoke or stick to stretch a glide dards reflect minimums with performance levels that
Trying to stretch a glide may end in a stall or a hard un- must be met. The average flight time for a private pilot
scheduled off-airport landing. Add power instead if it’s is 60 to 80 hours. Having those hours is only half the
available—or stick to best glide speed if it’s not. battle—you need the knowledge and proficiency to pass
the check ride.
5. Not using a syllabus
This mistake is mostly the fault of the CFI. The use 11. Paying the full amount up front
of a syllabus keeps both the learner and the instruc- You may hear about programs for time building and
tor on track, and can save time and money because you training that run from $6,000 to more than $12,000 de-
know what you are going to do, in what order and what pending on the certificate or rating. Some will pressure
the performance standards are. The syllabus is writ- you to pay the full amount up front. Never do this. Be
ten from the requirements for the certificate or rating sure to ask about ‘handling fees’ or what happens if you
listed in the FAR/AIM. Syllabi are required at Part 141 take a break from flying. There are schools that claim
schools but not at Part 61 schools, and often there are they continue to ‘manage’ the funds by taking a percent-
CFIs who, because they were trained without one, don’t age even when you are not flying. Also, ask about a re-
see the value in using them. Find a CFI who does. fund policy. If you find out you need to stop because of
a medical issue or major life expense, you’ll ask for your
6. Shortcuts to get through the knowledge test unspent funds. A fee might apply and you will lose a per-
The knowledge test contains information you must centage even if you’ve only had one lesson. Some schools
know how to apply. Rote memorization is the lowest may not refund at all. Read the fine print on the con-
form of learning, and does not lead to understanding, tract before you hand over any money. Do not put more
application, or correlation. A pilot may memorize which money on account than you can afford to lose. }
instruments in the airplane are electrically powered,
but not understand how the electrical system works and
whether its failure will result in loss of engine power. MEG GODLEWSKI has been an aviation journalist for more
than 20 years and a CFI for more than 18 years. If she is
7. Failure to know the course requirements not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. She
Learners, especially primary learners, tend to trust and is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at
follow their CFI without asking questions like ‘why am EAA AirVenture.
105
LIFE IN THE AIR
JUMPSEAT
BY LES ABEND
W
ITH LAKELAND ONLY a short distance from our home in Florida by car or
air, attending Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo is a no-brainer. Although reduced in
number to a trio, the airport crowd from my Connecticut days always plans the
annual journey south. None are airline pilots, but they are passionate about aviation and the
camaraderie. On this trip, we inducted my JetBlue check airman friend, Mike Strauss, into the
fold, a dubious honor considering the nonstop harassment involved.
After waiting out the low visibility and low ceilings proximity to other airplanes. Or perhaps it was the NTSB
of early morning fog, a 35-minute flight in Mike’s V-tail report I was envisioning: “Two ATP-rated pilots were…”
Bonanza from Ormond Beach (KOMN) got us to the Lake On a side note, compliments to the controllers who
Parker entry point for the arrival into Lakeland Linder volunteer for the event. They’ve developed a “show”
Stephen Yeates
International (KLAL). Let the fun begin. Though I had vernacular that is explicit in the instructions, humorous
performed this arrival in my airplane, the lack of direct in its tone, complimentary in its encouragement of
control from the copilot seat seemed to make the proce- correct performance without condescension, and
dure more stressful. Or perhaps it was the uncomfortable welcoming in its message.
106
Mike performed a touchdown in close proximity to an invitation by his fellow JetBlue check airman friend
the green dot, despite some last-minute instructions. and air operations chairman, Sam Huffstetler, I attended.
We survived without a scratch. The taxi and parking I had no doubts as to the organizational strength of
process can sometimes prove exciting, and in this Sun ‘n Fun, but it was a great experience to witness
circumstance, it met expectations. An “Exhibit” how some of the sausage was made. The professional-
sign had been placed in the corner of the Bonanza ism of the volunteers was impressive. Sam was three
windscreen based on this magazine being a sponsor. weeks from leaving the airline and, as is typical for
We were allowed entry through the gate, but no parking my colleagues, wanted assurances that he would sur-
space was available. I had innocently thought that a vive retirement. I confirmed that was almost certain.
section of pavement or grass would be available for His immediate plans were to embark on a 3-month bi-
media, but a quick golf cart ride confirmed otherwise. We cycle tour across the country and to grow his air boss
were unceremoniously towed out and offered parking business: www.flightleadairboss.com.
elsewhere. At least we have the pictures to prove our Mike found his volunteer niche at the top of the
10-minute exhibitor status. announcer’s tower, talking on the advisory frequency.
After losing the battle of dry earth vs. corkscrew tie- He shared duties with another JetBlue colleague,
down stakes, we covered the airplane and set off on a assisting airplanes on the taxiway that may have lost
mission to retrieve my media pass and wristband. Open- their way. It was a great vantage point. Unfortunately,
ing the door to the building that had previously housed he witnessed an Aeroshell T-6 ground loop after a
the volunteers involved with media revealed an empty rudder steering cable allegedly broke.
room. Uh oh. After an inquiry or two, we were directed I managed a quick visit with my Jetmobile friend
across the street to a trailer in a parking lot. and his wife. As usual, he was engaged with an activ-
Unfortunately, I was 10 minutes too late. Passes were ity; on this occasion, it was an impromptu parade with
now only being issued inside the exhibit area, where we his motorized 747 engine. Now both retired, Paul and
had been almost an hour ago. Susie were not leaving much runway underneath their
An attempt to re-enter was thwarted by the same feet, traveling to various destinations almost biweekly.
security volunteers that had pointed us to the parking After a Mexican lunch outside of the compound, my
lot trailer. Despite displaying various forms of identifi- airline friends led the way into the comfort station tent
cation and pleading our case—well, maybe some airline of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), my former pilot
pilot whining—we were denied entry. A text message union. As expected, I had close encounters with long-
and phone conversation later, we were rescued via a golf lost colleagues. In addition, I engaged in a refreshing
cart driven by editor-in-chief Julie Boatman, narrowly conversation with the enthusiastic daughter of one
avoiding Sun ‘n Fun prison. our Boeing 737 pilots. At 25, she was a C-17 pilot in the
After spending a little time in the air-conditioned Air Force reserves, soon to be on the fast track to my
comfort of our magazine’s greeting tent, Mike and I former employer.
thought it best to begin our trek through the hangar dis- Day two ended with our traditional dinner at Bern’s
plays. The outside temperature of 91 degrees was our Steakhouse in Tampa. It’s always an experience,
primary motivation. I conduct my hangar walk method- especially with a crowd of eight. The dessert room is
ically, without missing an aisle of vendors. The process required attendance by our group’s bylaws, with the
can lead to sensory overload, so it’s best to scan ahead price almost exceeding that of the steak just consumed.
before proceeding. Departure day was spent partly with my editor-
Having successfully accomplished that—inclusive of in-chief, an unusual treat since her hair is usually on
a very tasty chicken pita sandwich that I confess to hav- fire. As part of that, Julie coordinated for me the op-
ing low expectations for—we sought refuge back in the portunity to meet Daher staff and sit in the TBM 960,
FLYING Media Group tent, while we awaited the arrival an incredibly sophisticated machine.
of my Connecticut crowd and associates. We inhaled an early lunch of BBQ chicken and had the
It was great to reunite with old friends—airline col- Bonanza’s engine started by 12:15. Our departure was
leagues and GA pilots alike. Introductions were made, without issue except for the delay caused by two Ama-
and within seconds the verbal abuse began. Like a zon 737 arrivals. After a successful navigation through
fighter pilot, it’s best to begin as the aggressor, but in- Orlando’s Class-B airspace, we arrived in KOMN no
evitably you are shot with a missile or a fusillade of worse for the wear.
high-caliber rounds. I apologized to my fellow maga- Sun ‘n Fun is certainly about the airplanes, but it’s the
zine staff members, who were caught in the crossfire. people that define the experience. }
Day one ended with hotel check-in, a rushed shower, and
dining at our standard tradition of Bonefish Grill.
Without a clue as to his job description, Mike had vol- LES ABEND is a retired 34-year veteran of American Airlines,
unteered for some type of ops duty, beginning with a attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the
briefing at 07:30 the next morning. Having been extended lower flight levels without the assistance of a first officer.
107
LIFE IN THE AIR
UNUSUAL ATTITUDES
WHEN I DREAM
OF FLYING...
…I’m flying along the Wabash.
BY MARTHA LUNKEN
F
LYING FROM CINCINNATI west to Columbus, Indiana (KBAK) is popular with local
pilots because it’s only about 60 miles and the airport restaurant is great. Naturally, it’s
also popular with the locals, so getting a table for 6 or 8 fly-in airplane pilots usually
involves a wait.
I don’t mind because I like remembering so many Opa-Locka Airport (KOPF) in Miami. But you’ve read
interesting hours (and days) in that terminal build- my stories about that. As a memento, I have a nearly
ing doing Part 135 flight checks and type rating rides destroyed piston head from a Pratt & Whitney R-1830
Courtesy of Tom Bosse
in Rhoades Aviation Douglas DC-3 freighters. What a and a box of rose petals from a bouquet those beloved
bunch of characters—not to mention, what a collection ruffians sent me one Valentine’s Day.
of hard-used DC-3s. This gig began (for me) in the 1980s It’s no secret that I’ve written some less-than-flat-
when I was an inspector in the Indianapolis FSDO, and tering things about the FAA (and continue to question
a guardian angel nudged somebody in the FAA to send the “sanity” of possibly appointing an administrator
me to DC-3 flight training with Hector Villamar at who knows nothing about aviation). But there are good
108
memories of the Indianapolis FSDO where I worked with
some really fine people for five years. And, yeah, there
are a few less-than-fond memories about some dreadful
accidents and a few scalawags I inherited as an inspector.
Del Shanks, a long-time mechanic with Ohio Aviation
The Indy office was full of
in Dayton, had been hired by the FAA and was now the
maintenance supervisor in our office. And Del really good people still in love
knew his business.
It was a miserable cold winter day, and I was sched-
uled to give a 135 six-month’s check in a Beech 18 to a with airplanes—and
pilot from Sky Castle Aviation. But one of the Marlatts
who owned the operation called and said the pilot was
returning to Sky Castle because he couldn’t get the gear
airplane people.
down in the Beech. Del heard the conversation and,
being an old Beech guy, said to relay a message to the
pilot: “Tell him to lift off the red cover between the
pilots’ seats and smack the clutch pedal with some- the airplane well over gross on the return flight. So our
thing substantial (like a shoe). That can release the gear office alerted the Houston FSDO, and an inspector met
motor from all the mechanical paraphernalia and allow the flight on landing. When he questioned him, the pilot
it to free-fall into position. Then tell him to hand crank told the inspector his trip had been canceled. In reality,
the gear/flap handle to assure it’s fully extended.” he called his passengers and told them to have the ambu-
I think it was John Marlatt who relayed the message, lance bring everybody to an outlying airport where they
and…it worked! What actually happened was a piece of departed…well over gross.
felt “cushioning” glued on the cover had worked loose The pilot was suspicious and worried about the FAA.
and jammed itself around and under the clutch pedal. So he landed somewhere en route and arranged to
With some difficulty and monkey motions, the pilot was have an ambulance meet them at New Castle, Indiana
able to remove it and get the gear down. Airport. They would deplane there and be driven nearly
I guess my point is that these days, damn few FAA 30 miles on a state road to Ball Hospital in Muncie.
inspectors—if you could even reach one—would stick We received a complaint from the family, and I was
their neck out to help a pilot with a mechanical problem sent out in a G-car to interview the pilot (who, of course,
in flight. But the Indy office was full of good people still I couldn’t find), the nurse, and family (two women and a
in love with airplanes—and airplane people. close friend). The elderly and terminally ill patient had
My assigned operators—Air Marion, Anderson died somewhere in this odyssey.
Aviation, Brown’s Flying Service, Muncie Aviation, Sky The family and friend were outraged. They had no idea
Castle, Van S, Washington Aero, Indiana Airmotive, and why they had to change plans and meet the airplane at a
Morgan Aviation—were also good people (despite the smaller airport in Houston. And the friend, who was rid-
guy who brought out his skunk whenever I walked in ing in the right seat, described a frightening near mid-
the office or the operator who’d greet me with a large air collision at the nontowered Sky Castle Airport (home
pistol prominently displayed on his desk). The skunk of my old friends, the Marlatts). I tried to reconstruct a
had been denatured, and the armament was purely for weight and balance from passenger weights and baggage
show. Oh, there were a few relatively minor offenders estimates, but that was iffy at best.
like the kid, a student who flew below the top floors of The nurse I located “taking care” of an elderly man
the municipal building in Connersville, pissed off and confined to a wheelchair and living alone in an apart-
buzzing his girlfriend in a truck with her new husband. ment. It was dreadful, and she—who seemed to work
Or not-unusual situations where operators would with this operator—was surly and uncooperative.
charge passengers for flights in airplanes not on their I don’t remember the outcome, except the operator
Air Taxi (Part 135) certificates—commonly known as did get a violation for operations during an airshow at
“Part 134 ½-inch” operations. Mt. Comfort Airport.
By far the sleaziest—someone everybody relished in- In my travels, I did stumble onto a house between
vestigating—was a guy with a Part 135 certificate using Mooreland and Millville, Indiana, with a sign indicating
a Navajo largely in air ambulance operations. Either an it as the birthplace of Wilbur Wright before the bishop
inspector checked on the planned flight or, more likely, and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio. }
another operator (familiar with this guy’s questionable
practices) alerted our office. He was flying to Houston
to bring a very sick, elderly cancer patient back home to MARTHA LUNKEN is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector,
Muncie, Indiana’s Ball Hospital. Besides the woman on and defrocked pilot examiner. She owns and flies a Cessna
a stretcher, medical equipment, a nurse, at least three 180, and she loves anything with a tailwheel, from Piper
family members, and baggage, a legal fuel load would put Cubs to Douglas DC-3s.
109
LIFE IN THE AIR
TEC H N ICAL I T IES
A CHAT
WITH A BOT
Our technical expert’s job is safe for now.
BY PETER GARRISON
A
RTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS in the news these days. Hardly a day goes by without an
apocalyptic warning that AI is going to destroy the human race, or worse, deprive writers
of their livelihood. Alarmed by these portents, I decided to see whether I was, in fact, in
danger of being replaced by a digital text generator. It would have compelling advantages over me: It
would be omniscient and would work for free
I logged in to OpenAI.com and asked to speak to “The shape of the wing, known as an airfoil,” it reck-
ChatGPT. It presented me with a box where I could lessly continued, “is designed to create this pressure
insert a question. I began with the most basic of all difference. The top surface of the wing is curved, while
aeronautical questions: How does a wing produce lift? the bottom surface is relatively flat. This causes the air
“An airplane wing produces lift due to the principles moving over the top of the wing to travel faster than the
of aerodynamics,” my interlocutor rather tautologi- air moving below it, according to Bernoulli’s principle.”
Adobe Stock
cally began. It then said that lift is a pressure difference Oops. Sorry, Daniel. And the part about the airfoil
between the upper and lower surfaces of the wing. That shape is at best only half true. Symmetrical airfoils pro-
was better. duce lift too, and airplanes with cambered airfoils can
110
fly upside-down. The curved-top-flat-bottom error is
a common one, and nine out of ten explanations of lift
that you find in textbooks and ground school classes
parrot it.
The chatbot might be a
Sensing that the chatbot might be a sucker for com-
mon misconceptions, I tried a harder question: Is there sucker for common
any danger for an airplane in turning from upwind to
downwind?
The bot got off to a flying start, noting that all pattern misconceptions.
flying involves such turns. It went on to caution that
turning downwind can “increase the airplane’s ground airplane and flown it from the U.S. to Japan and back. I
speed beyond safe limits if not managed properly.” This consider this the crowning achievement of my life, apart
was an odd idea; there are, as far as I know, no “safe from once solving the problem of a garage ceiling leak,
limits” when it comes to ground speed. I think we all which was dripping on my work table, by making a hole
agree that the more ground speed, the better. in the table. Alas, it did not.
Having stumbled, the chatbot proceeded to a full face I asked it what it thought about the adage that there
plant: “Turning downwind can result in a loss of lift if are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old bold pilots.
the angle of attack of the wing is not adjusted to com- “In my opinion,” it began, sounding as if it might have
pensate for the change in wind direction.” It had fallen opinions after all, “there is some truth to this saying,
into the elementary confusion of airspeed and ground although it is not necessarily true in all cases. Flying
speed that afflicts every novice pilot. I expected better requires a high level of skill, experience, and judgment,
of an omniscient bot. and pilots who take unnecessary risks or fail to manage
I wondered how the chatbot would do with a purely risks effectively are more likely to experience accidents
technical question. What conditions must be fulfilled, or other incidents that could shorten their careers or
I asked, for an airplane to be longitudinally stable? even endanger their lives. On the other hand, pilots who
Again, the chatbot got off to a good start. “The center prioritize safety and manage risks effectively are more
of gravity must be forward of the center of lift.” Close likely to have long and successful careers in aviation.”
enough. Then, however, it went completely off the Well, well. The analysis is accurate, the language
rails. Seizing upon the widespread but false belief that grammatical, and correctly punctuated. Here, at last,
the horizontal stabilizer always produces a downward is the bot that is poised to replace me.
force, it pronounced, “The downforce produced by the Artificial intelligence is evolving incredibly rap-
tail must be sufficient to counteract the nose-up mo- idly. Its milestones pass in weeks, not years or decades.
ment generated by the wings at high angles of attack.” Some of its conversations are creepily human-like. Yet
This statement is not only false but also self-contradic- it seems unable to avoid rookie mistakes because the
tory, since a downward force on the tail would obviously information it gives out does not come from what we
reinforce, not counteract, any nose-up moment. humans call “knowledge.” We acquire information, as
Deciding to try a softball question. I asked it what it it does, from myriad sources, but we subject it to criti-
thought was the most beautiful airplane ever designed. cal scrutiny. The greater our previous knowledge, the
Now, the AI’s creators have taken the precaution of deeper our experience with and understanding of the
informing it that it is not a person, and so it begins by subject, the less likely we are to be misled. The bot, pos-
demurely explaining, “As an AI language model, I don’t sessing neither experience nor previous knowledge,
have personal opinions or feelings.” (Fat chance! This merely trawls its neural net through a sea of written
same bot fell in love with a New York Times reporter discourse and presents us with whatever gets caught.
last February and tried to browbeat him into leaving I asked ChatGPT whether it judges the reliability of
his wife.) In its bland, uncontroversial way, however, it its sources, ranking scientific papers over magazine
did acknowledge that the looks of many airplanes have articles, for instance. It replied that it does, but, even-
been admired, and it offered the Connie, Concorde, the handed to a fault, it remarked that a good magazine ar-
747, and the Spitfire as examples. In this test, at least, it ticle may be more accurate than a bad scientific paper.
did no worse than a rather prosaic human. Still, I can’t It did not explain how it would tell the sheep from the
forgive it for snubbing the F-106. goats, since it has no knowledge of its own; that is for its
Succumbing to a desire to know how I was perceived in creators and minders to figure out.
the bot world, I asked it who Peter Garrison is. After cor- I think my job is secure—for another week, at least. }
rectly reporting that this person had written extensively
about aviation safety in FLYING Magazine, it attributed
to him more hours than I have in fact logged, several hon- PETER GARRISON taught himself to use a slide rule and tin
ors that I have not received, and a “significant impact on snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan.
the aviation industry” of which I am unaware. I won- He contributes Aftermath to FLYING, along with this well-
dered whether it knew that I had designed and built an loved column. He has contributed to FLYING since 1968.
111
SI G N OF F
BEECHCRAFT
MODEL 35
BONANZA
THE BEECHCRAFT MODEL 35 Bonanza’s V-tail silhouette strikes a
modern tone, even more than 75 years after it first rolled off the production
line. In FLYING, we have featured the 35 and its younger sibling, the Model
36, several times on our cover—but most compellingly when it graced the
stylish January 1961 issue. We reviewed the latest version at the time—the
Leonardo Correa Luna
112
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