I'm always happy to meet a fellow pilot.  It instantly creates a conversation and acquaintance through your shared enthusiasm.  I'm usually pretty good at picking out these people, but occasionally I'm surprised.

One such occasion happened just this weekend.  I'd gone to a party for the GA-GA Tech football game at a friend's house (I'm neutral for political reasons).  The usual people I know were there, but some others I hadn't met yet showed up.  One was the father of my friend's husband.  I'm sure he'd mentioned before that his father was a pilot, but it completely slipped my mind as I shook his hand and introduced myself.

It wasn't until later that night, as my group was leaving, that the friend remembered I was a pilot as well and told his dad.  That, of course, started a conversation that I've had a million times before but never grow tired of.  It turns out, he got his commercials in fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft in the military.  He's a minister now and doesn't do that much flying, but the aviator inside a person never goes away.


It just goes to show, we're not as rare as we think we are.  You never know when you might have a fellow member of our exclusive club in the same room as you.

*By the way, the Bulldogs won.  It was a great game and could have gone either way.

Friday morning found me wondering what I was going to do that evening.  The choices were: go fly around the pattern and northern GA for a while or try to go see Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day.  As fate would have it, my favorite plane was booked the entire evening but, I got a call from my favorite friend who wanted to go do something anyway.  In the end, she and I went to see Boondock Saints 2.


It wasn't until the next day I found my way into the cockpit of my ol'e trainer plane.  This is where the closeness got too close.  It was a busy day at the airfield; something I'm quite use to.  There was a Diamond and a Piper doing circuits on runway 13.  I was behind two other aircraft on the taxi to depart.  I had noticed a super cub was being readied for some flying on the ramp, but I didn't see him start up until after I turned downwind.


As is a ritual of mine, I was going to remain in the pattern and do a few touch-and-goes before heading North over the lake.  My eyes and ears busily scanning for traffic, I didn't notice the little super cub make it's way to the departure end of 13.  As I turned base and Final, I saw him waiting patiently, at least I thought, for me to land before he departed.  Just in case, I called short final as I pegged my approach speed approximately 1000' from the threshold.


Then, to my great surprise, about 700' from the threshold, right after I called short final, the little super cub announced departing 13 and maneuvered right out in front of me.  I made ready to move right and go-around if need be.  He didn't move as if he cared that I was very quickly overtaking him.  Just as I keyed the mike to call go-around, his little plane sprung to life and lept into the air within 300 ft of runway; only about 300 ft in front of me.  As he climbed quickly and cut across the pattern in front of the piper in the circuit, I rounded out and landed.


Now, I'm no judge of pilots, but I would have liked to ask that pilot a few questions.  Was the 45 seconds he saved by pulling his maneuver worth putting our lives on the line?  In theory, with all factors ideal, I was in little to no danger.  We both knew the super cub could easily take off and climb away before I reached the deck.  However, a good pilot always expects things to go wrong and is surprised when they go right; what would have happened had either plane or pilot not performed ideally?  There would have been no margin for safety and, frankly, I like keeping a good bit of distance between myself and other flying objects.  300 ft is too close.  


Just as I was beginning to feel I was overreacting, a voice came over the CTAF; "that was a bit too close for comfort, wasn't it".  The voice was easily recognizable as the Piper pilot behind me in the pattern.  He had a right to comment as he'd seen the cub's performance at takeoff and then been cut off by him in the pattern on downwind.


The moral of the story: it's better to wait and follow procedure than to try and save a few seconds on the hobbs meter.  When you're waiting to depart and you see a plane on final, is it going to kill you to wait a minute or two for them to land?  It may kill you if you don't.  Also, the airport has a pattern for a reason; so aircraft movements are somewhat predictable.  I never thought I'd have to say that; then again, I also never thought that I'd ever see a pilot blunder around an airfield like that.

I've always wanted to fly myself and a few others to a holiday gathering with my family.  I envision landing on a frosty field and stepping out of the plane to meet my family at the airport.  It's part of the thrill of being a pilot and a perk of being able to travel so conveniently.  The adventure, the excitement; it's all part of how I've always imagined traveling as a pilot would be.

Then, reality hits.  I realize that I live in middle Georgia where snow and ice are foreign concepts.  Reality sinks in even further when I remember that my family all live within fifty miles of me and have stubbornly refused to move anywhere interesting I've suggested.  Sure, I love 'em and it makes for a nice convenient holiday, but it leaves me with no reason to fly anywhere; not that I've ever needed a reason.

I guess I'll just have to fly myself somewhere Christmasy and back the week before Christmas.  I have a few things I could fly to in order to cover them for Examiner.  I'll probably go to meet Santa at the Candler Field Museum; that'd be fun.  Doing circuits with Santa is an experience you can share with the family for years.

We've all probably read about Dan Gryder's recent arrest at the Griffin-Spaulding county airport last week.  I wrote an article covering the story and was surprised when many local Griffinites spoke up to defend Dan.  Here's what the people that know Dan and the airport area had to say.

Several readers point out that Griffin officials at the airport have "had Dan in their cross hairs for years now."  A few readers commented on how Dan had been cited for improper storage of chemicals; the reason being he had fuel in his airplane's tanks.  He also, according to one reader, was cited again for improperly disposing of chemicals when oil dripped from his DC3.  Now, I'm not one to question authorities very often, but this all seems a bit ridiculous.  I also question the local code enforcement's authority at the airport.  I'm no aviation lawyer, but I do tend to believe that the local code enforcement officers have no business in an airport handing out tickets to pilots for storing fuel in their fuel tanks.

Furthermore, one reader points out that "He's also got the court system there in a bind because the city violated state and federal law in trying to evict him from the airport, but the judge has been sitting on the ruling for over three years rather than rule against the local officials there in their little town."

All of these revelations paint a very different portrait of the events last week on that air field.  This new information would suggest to me that the local authorities had almost a personal vendetta against Gryder stemming from the earlier Carvair incident and were quietly harassing him in hopes he would leave the airport. It would also seem that they now have way more attention on their petty and childish actions than they would like.  What is to become of Gryder and the consequences of the incident, both to Dan and to the city, is yet to be seen.  You can be sure this journalist will follow it very carefully.

We're officially wheels-up today with the care flight.  The care flight is a donation drive in the aviation community to help raise money for Toys for Tots as well as show the world that aviation cares.  Businesses who give $100 or more to the Care Flight will be featured on Examiner.com and LeftofCenterLine.com's weekly coverage of the event and could appear on AOPA.org in December.

To learn more, visit the website here.  You may feel like helping to put a few smiles on some little faces.

I was excited about going to the celebration at the Candler Field Museum this weekend.  Unfortunately, life happened and I'm no longer able to make it.  Instead, I'll be spending all day with a rock band I manage on the side ("Heave"; and yes, they're awesome) while they perform at a local festival.

The celebration is the 3rd of what's become an annual event at the museum.  Static displays, aircraft demonstrations, and a special speaker all promise to make a wonderful day.  Don't worry, being me, I know enough people who will be there to get great pictures and information to share with everyone on Monday.  I might even share a few pics of the band's performance.

I don't normally recycle head lines like above, but this story has been drawn out, yet again.  USA Today, obviously under the direction of a hidden agenda to attack GA, have pointed out, once again, that small airports receive tax payer money... so do schools and local governments, what's the point?

They go on to claim that corporate jets, private pilots, and even UPS and FedEx are unfairly benefiting from tax payer money.  The EAA's Earl Lawrence responded with a comparison I've used before on this blog saying "The continuing inference that the only airports that are worthy of support are those with commercial service is similar to saying the only roads worth maintaining are those used by passenger buses."

I'm beginning to think that it's a publicity stunt on the behalf of USA Today.  They write a few inflaming articles and suddenly their name's printed everywhere.  I've already written it enough times I should be getting paid.  Whatever their motives, it's clear they're not looking for the truth; they're just looking for an angle.

Here in Georgia, we're fortunate to have the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins.  I remember walking among the planes as a little child and again right after I got my driver's license.  I recently visited the museum for the third time not long after they opened their Aviation Hall of Fame exhibit and D-day display.

Walking through the planes I saw both the familiar displays and the new additions to their fleet.  It still all astonishes me when I see it.  The massive planes, once essential to our airforce, now stand in their spots of honor for the visitors to enjoy.  If you haven't been there, I'd encourage you to take the time to.  It's well worth the drive.  I'd also encourage you to donate what you can.  The museum doesn't charge admission, but appreciates donations.  Below are a few pictures; Click here for the entire album.  I should really go back.  Since I've last been, they've added a Thunderbirds Exhibit complete with an F-16 previously used by the team.

This weekend will mark the museum's 25th anniversary.  Workers, volunteers and the public are all invited to attend an event being held on Friday (the 6th) to celebrate the museum's success and help promote the wonderful work they do.

Left of Center Line is proud to announce the launch of LeftofCenterLine.com.  The new website acts as home base for the Left of Center Line blog and the new Left of Center Line WebAzine!  Readers will now be able to sign up for a free monthly WebAzine on the blog or at the new website.  The online magazine will include features on General Aviation Events, News, Developments and much more.

The first WebAzine will be delivered  at the end of November.  This first edition will include the Warner Robins Museum of Aviation's 25th anniversary as well as a special feature on Veteran's Day at the Candler Museum.

Follow along with the General Aviation world by signing up for the Left of Center Line WebAzine to be delivered to your email once a month.    Simply enter your email in the form below; no registration, no annoying questions.

It may be hard to believe, but media coverage has a heart beat.  This predictable rise and fall in the media's interest in aviation is fed by large stories that resonate for a period of time.  One particularly interesting event can spike the interest of the media and for a week or two after they thoroughly cover any and every story to do with an airplane.

It works like this; the media gives aviation a normal amount of coverage when, suddenly, a terrible or scandalous story arises.  The media covers this story and now has a hightened sense in the aviation world.  For a while, usually a few weeks, the media will pick up on and over-dramatize any little story to do with aviation.

A prime example happened in just the past few weeks.  Two very similar airplane crashes occured, both in Georgia, both killed two people, and both made the news.  The difference is, one received only local coverage (plane crash in Athens, GA) and the other received national coverage, appearing on national morning shows and top news websites (Lawrenceville crash).  So why was one treated differently than the other?  Simple; one happened before a spike in the media's aviation pulse and the other afterward.

The spike in this case was caused by the Minneapolis incident where the two pilots missed their destination by 150 miles.  All three incidents were unfortunate and it's a tragedy that 4 lives were lost, but this is a clear example of this coverage phenomenon.

The consequence of these ups and downs often hurt aviation.  The super-sensitive senses of eager reporters after a big incident cause more and more negative stories to be published.  People begin thinking that, because they're reading about more and more incidents, aviation is suddenly really dangerous and that planes are crashing alarmingly more frequently.  This is, of course, not true, but it's easy to see why someone would think that.

That's just the beast that is media.  Aviation isn't the only topic that this happens with and there's really no way to stop it.  We just have to let it be known that more news coverage doesn't mean the aviation world has suddenly become very dangerous and that planes are crashing more often.  The truth is, the incidents are happening with the normal frequency, the media is just making a bigger deal of them.

I'm not feeling all that well today.  In fact, I'm writing this from my favorite chair at home amid a sea of tissues and self-pitty.  All this got me thinking about an often forgotten checklist that could save a lot of pilots a good deal of trouble.  I'm talking, of course, about the PAVE checklist.

Pilot    

Aircraft

enVironment

                External Pressures

This check list is actually a parent check list for the many other list we use as pilots.  For example, everyone goes through pre-flight checks and maintenance records checks to make sure the plane is fit to fly.  That would fit under the Aircraft section.  We also do the weather routine, calling flight services and gathering weather data for the flight, which would fall into the enVironment section.

While we have those areas down, the other two aren't always looked at with the same seriousness or weight.  As I mentioned, I'm sick (all pitty is readily accepted).  Because I'm sick, I'm in no shape to jump behind the yoke and go flying.  This all falls under the Pilot section of the PAVE checklist.

Other things that fall under the Pilot section include mentality (are you in the right frame of mind), experience (do you think you're experienced enough to make this long/tough a trip?), and recency requirements (have you performed the required # of landings within the 90 day time frame, ect.).

External pressures are factors that 'push' you to complete a flight.  You have to get the kids home for church tomorrow, you'll lose your hotel reservations, canceling might be embarrassing.  The trick here is to forget about these factors.  It's hard to do, but when you make the decision, act as if it's a training flight and your instructor is there.  Base any decisions purely on the available information and your training and deal with lost reservations and missed days at work and school later.

So, remember your PAVE checklist and stay safe.  I'm going to eat some chicken noodle soup.

I've always been very interested in aerobatic flight and hope to, one day, dabble in the sport myself.  That's why I was excited to be able to visit the Bear Creek Boogie at Tara Field Saturday.  Rain and low ceilings had canceled events that Friday, but I hoped to see a bit of flying.

Saturday rolled around; no go.  Ceilings were around 2,600 and, as Tim explained, we needed about 12,000 for the competition.  I'm a fairly patient guy, so we toured the airport with the slight hope that the skies would clear up.  Just beyond the hangars, right before you get to the taxiways and ramp, Tim pointed out something I didn't even know existed; the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum.

That's right, a museum.  Though the building's appearance wouldn't suggest it, the herd of Vietnam era hueys and Cobras visible in the hangar's door suggested something very interesting.  I, of course, checked it out.  The museum restores and displays military aircraft of all kinds.  The displays aren't very formal; just helicopters sitting in a hangar, but that's really the best way to view these wonderful aircraft.

This rotorless chopper is the only outward sign of the museum's presence.

The impressive helicopters were a treat within themselves, but our impromptu tour guide took us through a small door into a room where my jaw immediately dropped to the floor.  In front of me, tucked away in a closed hangar full of boxes and spare parts sat six glossy yellow and black Cobra attack helicopters in immaculate condition.

 

He explained that these six were the Army Cobra display team.  Thinking back, I remembered seeing this display team perform in Warner Robins at the Air Force bases's air show.  They were the very same helicopters!  Who knew all of this was tucked away on Tara Field?

I fully intend to revisit this little hangar in the future and talk to some of the people that maintain the helicopters.  I hear some of them flew these helicopters in Vietnam and one even has the exact helicopter he flew sitting in the hangar (below).

Friday, the IAC Chapter 3's BearCreek Boogie 'hurried up and waited', as Tim put it, due to rain.  Naturally, the small group of aerobatic pilots made the best of it regrouping today and grilling out while they waited for the ceiling to rise.  As Marty explained to me, they need about 4,000 ft ceilings to compete and the ceilings were roughly 2,600 when I arrived.

I introduced myself and talked to a few of the pilots as they ate.  I've said before, and it proves itself over and over that people in aviation are the nicest people you'll ever meet.  Where else can I walk in completely unannounced, not knowing anyone and fit right in?

Soon, Tim had us at the flight line where the competitors had their planes all lined up and ready to go.  I've never met a plane I didn't fall in love with and this was no different.  As we toured the line of high-performance Pitts and Extras, Tim told me a little about his training and about some of the judges and pilots that were hoping to fly today.  Apparently, the show we were missing was amazing.

On the way back to the hangar, I found a museum that I didn't even know existed.  The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum is hidden between two sets of hangars.  This gem houses the Army's Cobra chopper demonstration team as well as a collection of Vietnam-era Hueys and attack choppers.  I'll have more on that later along with more pictures of the demonstration cobras.

I'll keep my ear to the ground and have the final say on the IAC competition Monday morning.  Check back!

In general, it was a great trip to an airport I'd never been to before.

"Air controllers and officials were left clueless when a NorthWest Airlines flight from San Diego to Minneapolis could not be contacted for more than an hour.  The plane continued and overshot their destination by 150 miles which understandably sparked a hijack alert."  You can read the rest here.

There's a huge stir in the airline world today after two pilots claimed their argument caused them to overshoot Minneapolis by 150 miles.  Both Delta (they own NorthWest for whom the pilots were flying) and the NTSB have launched an investigation that is sure to tell us all.


Some believe the evidence will show that the two pilots were sleeping; similar to when two Mesa Airlines pilots overshot Hawaii when both fell asleep.  Personally, I believe the pilots.  Not because they're fellow pilots, but because they're fellow human beings and deserve at least that much respect.  If they say they fell asleep, they fell asleep.  The evidence will have to prove otherwise.


I've been surprised by an airfield or two in my day, but never overshot by 150 miles.  It's like the difference in bumping the concrete stopper while you park and driving to the next town; easy to do one by mistake, hard to do the other.  You get so caught up in dealing with radio work and navigation that you spot the airport five or six miles out and realize you're too high; easily remedied.  


These two pilots, however, had to be neglecting both the radios and their navigational equipment.  It's hard to imagine both highly trained pilots could completely lose situational awareness over an argument about company policy.

You've probably noticed by now that I do a good deal of flying in and around the Athens/Winder area.  I was shocked to see that this morning a vintage plane went down after taking off from Athens Benn Epps.  You can view the story here.

Unfortunately, the two aboard did not survive when the plane fell in the back yard of a home approximately 1 mile from the airport.  The plane was a Japanese light communications plane from the late '50s and was said to be an exhibition aircraft for airshows.

I don't like speculating about incidents, so we'll have to wait and see what the cause of this unfortunate incident was.  With it going down just a mile from the airport after takeoff, I'm guessing it was something drastic and happened suddenly.

The NTSB investigation will show for sure.

The recent news at Atlanta's Hartfield Jackson is centered around a Delta flight landing on a taxiway instead of the runway.  Apparently, the flight from Rio de Janeiro was cleared to land 27R but landed on the paralleling taxiway M instead.  The crew reported they had a medical situation on board at the time, but the FAA's Kathleen Burgen points out that even then they should have landed on the runway.

Luckily, the taxiway was empty at the time and no one was hurt.  Had it been occupied, we might be discussing a much larger catastrophe right now.  This potential is what makes these things imperative; a pilot should always know exactly where the runway is and that he/she is approaching to land at the right one.  On the other hand, at such a large airport, especially with the large taxiways Atlanta has, I can see where a pilot could slip up; however unacceptable it is.

Fortunately, I've never had this problem.  The airports I fly out of are designed in a way that leaves no question as to which bit of asphalt is the runway.  At night, it's even harder to mix them up.  Runway lights are white; taxiway lights are blue (although at smaller/older airports they sometimes look more green).

You'll remember when I spoke of the letter that two representatives were sending to the President.  In it, they urged him not to push for user fees in his next budget.  They spoke of many reasons including inefficiency in collecting the money and the fact that user fees had already been rejected.

I tried to contact my representative, but it turns out I'm not important enough, so...  Either way, the letter has made it's mark.  118 representatives signed the letter according to the AOPA on Tuesday's news release.  Maybe that will send a clear message.

So I went and got my hair cut.  I was long past due for one and felt like a shaggy bum the whole weekend, but finally went and took the time.  Now, I'm not one of those guys that has a favorite barber I go to religiously; I just kind of float around to whomever's shop I'm closest to at the time.  This time, I ended up at a place called "Sisters Sisters"; don't laugh, they do men's hair too.

Here's where the link to this blog comes in.  We got to talking like everyone does and got on the subject of what I do.  When I explained, she told me that she had started taking flight lessons right before her son was born but hadn't finished.  Being the ever-vigilant ambassador of aviation, I encouraged her to pick it back up and get her certificate.

I'm not sure I was convincing enough, but it's a start.  I'm also very persistant, so I'll be going back there next time I need a haircut.  Potential fellow aviator or just a very good saleswoman: I'm not sure, but we'll see.  Every addition to the aviation family helps.

I've recently had my attention directed to a pair of life-long friends on an amazing journey throughout Orlando.  The concept struck me as strange at first, but soon I found myself reading along about their adventures and experiences in the Sun State.

The inseparable pair, Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos, were the winners of a wide search for Orlando's Smile Ambassadors.  As ambassadors, the two were sent on a 67 day saga to experience over 100 of Orlando's many attractions.  During this "67 Days of Smiles" the pair have shared their experience through social media outlets; you can follow them on Twitter, watch some of their adventures on Youtube, and even win prizes by visiting their fan page on Facebook.

Naturally, I'm more apt to point out aviation related aspects of any story and this is no different.  The ambassadors  have experienced some attractions any of us aviators would drool over.  I've been to Florida many times, Orlando a few times and I've never had the pleasure of visiting either attraction.

Fantasy of Flight

(Photo: Orlando CVB)

The Fantasy of Flight is an interactive museum great for all ages.  You can visit the blog here to read all about their day.  

Warbirds

(Photo: Orlando CVB)

Who doesn't want to fly an old Warbird?  Kyle and Stacey got the honor at Warbird Adventures.  They strapped into two T-6 Texans and set out on the flight of a lifetime.  Both had a great time; you can read their reaction here as well as watch a video.

It takes a good creative mind to make a parody song that actually works and these guys hit the nail on the head.  The wimsical, yet very well written, song takes Nickelback's "Rock Star" and turns it into a helicopter tribute song.  By the way, how'd they come up with that name, Nickelback? Quarterback, Dimeback, Nickelback, Pennyback.

On the subject of helicopters, I've always had a strange perspective on the whirly-birds.  I'd love to learn to fly them, but I think most of them are ugly.  Certain ones are gorgeous (the Huey, any of the MD models) but the training ones are grotesque.

We've all read by now (and I've written twice) about the six year old and his family who believed him to be stuck in a helium filled balloon 8,000 ft. in the air.

The poor kid may never live down the nick name Balloon Boy.  What's more, it's now believed that the whole incident was orchestrated as a publicity stunt.  During a live interview last night the six year old looked at his parents and said "You guys said that... we did this for the show."

Naturally, I'm appalled.  I, along with many across America, saw this story and immediately feared the worst and took pity on the family.  To learn it was likely a stunt to garner attention for a reality show is akin to a slap in the face.  The first sign was when some reported that the family called news stations before they called emergency services.  At the time, I figured it to be rumor, but now it's a very telling sign.  That along with the interview below paints a pretty convincing picture.

Yet another clueless group fires at Aviation.  A study released by Subsidyscope recently has revealed the ignorance of the people involved.  Their study said that from 2005 to 2009 more than $2 billion was spent at over 3,100 airports on 'low priority' projects.  It went on to mention how some projects were funded at airports who had as few as one paying passenger per year.  'Cause you know, airports are only for passengers; emergency services, businesses, mail delivery and political organizations don't use those same airports at all.  That was sarcasm... I think.

You can read more on it here.  It's fascinating how little the non-aviation world knows about our side of things or how much small aviation does for them.  It's even more astounding how quick they are to prove their ignorance and publish useless and misguided studies.  All we can do is continue to try and educate the public and weather these outrageous 'studies'.

Being a relatively newish aviation writer, I'm still amazed at what the line "I write for blah blah blah" can do.  Sometimes, it gets me something I'd never get otherwise: a free ride in a plane, behind the scenes tour, a friendship.  On the other hand, it can quickly shut doors for you.

I'm not exactly sure why, but some in aviation view any member of the media as an enemy: a snake only slightly above an FAA inspector and someone to be watched.  Yes, I know, some in journalism are exactly that.  I, however, am an 'Aviation Writer'.  In other words, that means I have aviation's interest at heart and would never do anything to jeopardize that.

That, however, is precisely why almost no one at my home airport know what I do.  I'm not sure my favorite CFI even knows I write.  It's not that I hide the fact, but I don't broadcast it either.  It wouldn't get me far; they've known me since before I ever wrote anything for money and they witnessed my training.  I'd probably get a few "they actually pay you for that" and one or two "did you tell them about the time you [insert newbie mistake here]".  My worst fear is that it would make some hesitate to talk to me.  Not that I unjustly or unfairly take what they say and use it -- never have -- I've just witnessed that happening before.

No doubt many of you have heard of the letter and the movement to get representatives to sign it.  The letter urges the President to not propose user fees in his 2011 budget.  The fees were axed from the FAA reauthorization bill earlier this year, but we face them again in 2011.  I'm going to attempt to talk to Representative Paul Broun about the issue tomorrow (got the info too late today).  I'll report back as soon as I can.

Naturally I find it nerve-racking talking to politicians (though I'm skeptical about the chances of actually getting to talk to anyone), so I'm doing my homework.  So-far, there are many reasons user fees don't make sense.

• Administrative cost for the program would render it inefficient.  You'd have to pay people to collect the money and people to track the money and people to make sure everyone's paying the money and people to manage all the people.  Will the fees cover all of these peoples' salaries?
• The fees have already been rejected repeatedly by congress.  Another push for it and debate on the issue would only delay progress on more important issues.
• I've seen very few people mention the safety point of view.  If there's a fee for calling up ATC, some pilots will be less likely to use them.  If you're charged for filing a flight plan, some might hesitate and decide it's not worth it.

I'm finding more arguments as I go.  The airlines fully support the idea and, in some opinions, believe the fees will give them a degree of leverage in deciding how the air system is run.  As a General Aviation pilot, that 's a little frightening.

Anyway, we'll see.

Who knew it would take that long to put a little cellphone video on youtube?  Well, here's what I got.  Credit for the video has to  to Miles Hardy (my sister's fiance and a friend).  Sorry about the quality; I'm still kicking myself for forgetting the camera.

And...

A reader of my other work here, recently sent me an email asking what a checkride was like.  He said he was about halfway through training, but wanted to know what to expect.  Remembering back to my checkride, I still find it odd how I didn't know exactly what to expect going in to the room with the examiner.  Sure, I'd asked my instructor, but he'd always include the tag-lines "of course, that was my examiner, every one does it a little differently" and "that was years ago, too".  All I could do was tell him what my checkride was like.  I told him it'd be best to find someone that'd taken theirs with the examiner he intended to use and question them.  The guy who works the desk at the flight school I frequent had taken his with the same guy and he helped a lot.

The concept; tell your story to as many students that will listen.  Not only will they learn what lays ahead, it may soften the fears and nervousness one experiences when going into a checkride.  The aviation community is one that relies on the passing of skills, traditions, and stories.  If we intend to grow, we need to spread our ideas and passion; after all, who doesn't like telling their aviation stories?

The air show was amazing.  Simply put, it was better than anything I've ever been to here in GA.  Let's start at the beginning.

We arrived late.  I was traveling with my brother, his wife (something about them having a baby now makes them very slow at stuff??) and a friend.  Thankfully, my brother's a cop and inherently drives at Mach 0.9 and we weren't too late.  Just as we walked through the gate, we were audience to a yellow cub landing on top of a truck; something I've always wanted to see in person check.  That's about when I realized I'd forgotten my camera, sorry.

Soon we were watching the Navy's SuperHornet Demonstration Team.  I've seen F-18s flying before, but I'm always amazed.  I try to imagine being an enemy of the U.S., having never seen anything like that, and what it would feel like having one roaring over head; I wouldn't be an enemy for long.  Something I've never seen in person was when the team flirted with the sound barrier during a few fly-by's.  Everyone's seen pictures of the white halo around a jet breaking the sound barrier, but it's breath-taking watching it in person.

After that, a plethora of the usual performances entertained the crowd as I weaved in and out of the many aircraft on the ground.  There was a small, but impressive, Diamond Aircraft display.  To the far left of the field, a C130 and two training jets were displayed.  I would have walked through the C130, but I've already been in plenty and there's not much to see; plus, there was a huge line.  There were miniature jets that you could sit your small child in and take pictures; thought that was cool, but we didn't bring my nephew for obvious audio-related reasons.

Last, but certainly not least, the Harrier Demonstration began.  Unfortunately, the Vertical Takeoff ability of the craft couldn't be shown in fear that it would damage the runway below.  They did, however, take off in what looked to be less than 100 ft; impressive for any plane.  They then demonstrated the craft's ability to hover in any direction: even backwards!  I've never seen anything like it in my life.  The jet moved with a degree of grace as it reached zero-forward movement and began hovering in all directions.

I'll definitely be attending next year's event, but I'm hoping I can talk my way into a few things before then.  I have one year to convince someone to let me ride with them during a performance... we'll see.

I'll have video from my phone, later; check back!

Yeah, I thought the same thing; missing wheel on a plane.  This, however, isn't about an incident.  I read CFI's explanation of how the landing process in a tricycle-geared plane works.  It was meant for pre-solo students, but it was the best explanation I'd ever read and it all clicked when it stated "You really only have two landing gear; the front wheel is only there to keep the propeller from hitting the ground."

I grinned at reading this.  It was a good way to encourage proper landing technique and I'm sure trainees reading this won't ever forget that saying when they set up to land.  I was instructed in a slightly different manner.  My first ever CFI, Eric, told me that you landed on the two mains and not the front because the front was weaker and would break off.  Talk about scaring a new-comer to landing planes.  I tried my best every time to keep the front wheel off the ground thinking any little mistake during landing would rip it off and send me nose-first into the runway.

Of course, I soon got over this and realized that the front gear wasn't as fragile as I'd thought.  This revelation came to me as I waited in the hangar one day for the plane to return for our lesson.  I was about 10 minutes early, so I watched the end of the previous student's lesson.  He was doing fine; nice takeoff, tight pattern, then... a not-so-smooth landing.  The little plane didn't flare at all; it just descended right onto the runway on all three gear then bounced into the air and repeated it's previous 'wollop' onto the ground.  It did this three times before, I assume, the instructor grabbed the controls and they went around.

Now, I'm not judging anyone else's landings.  I've had my share of bad ones -- though I've never porpoised quite like that -- and I'm sure they've looked just as bad.  My point is, I'd never seen a rough landing from outside the plane before.  I realized, watching this and talking to the instructor afterwards, that these little trainers are made out of some tough stuff.  My occasional vibrating front gear as I set it down too early was nothing compared to the hard landings it's suffered.

That doesn't mean I can go and land flat every time, but it does give me confidence that, if I mess up, I don't have to worry about nose-diving into the runway.

I'm excited.  This will be my first ever time at the Great Georgia Airshow.  The last event this size I attended was at Warner Robbins AFB earlier this year and I'm thinking the GGA is going to be a little bigger.  I was hoping to attend the Media Day at the practice tomorrow, but I also wanted to take some friends and family to the show Sunday; it's a long way to Peachtree City, so I'll only be able to go Sunday.

The thought to take video while I was there crept into my head.  If I do, I'll show it on here; not even sure they'll let me, but it's worth a try.

I've never seen a Harrier fly; it should be pretty cool.

No, I don't mean a flight after having one too many $100 burgers; I'm talking about flying at max gross weight. This is an old post I wrote not long after I got my license when I took a C172 for a flight loaded to the guilles. Now, this isn't a very big challenge for the competent, prepared pilot, but I wanted to share my experience.

The day started nicely and I felt the urge to hit the runways and take advantage of the wonderful weather. A friend of mine hadn't been up since he was a little kid and he happened to be free, so I called him and plans were set for us to go wheels up at 2 o'clock. As is normal, the flight began to take shape in my mind as soon as I knew we were going.

I remembered my friend happened to be a big fella, so I off-handedly asked him his weight. "No prob, just want to be able to show Jim the weight and balance if he asks", I ended the conversation. Jim had been my CFI and was sure to be at the airport, but he wouldn't ask for my weight and balance; I had better reasons for asking. I decided against letting him know that a quick calculation in my head had me thinking our plane might be out of the CG envelope. As PIC, it was my problem and I would deal with it.

POH in hand, I did the exact calculations. We were in weight (with reduced fuel), yet we were out of CG limits by a hair. Some pilots faced with this situation assume it'll all be fine; some have paid the ultimate price for those assumptions. I, as I had been taught, took another look. If the CG is forward of the forward limit (as it was in my initial calcs), the plane's nose would be heavy and I'd have trouble rotating on takeoff as well as flaring on the landing. This is where a little ingenuity came into hand. After several hand-scratched calculations, I discovered that if I sacrificed 25 lbs of fuel and added something that weighed 25 lbs to the aft baggage compartment, we were comfortably within the load/moment envelope.

I quickly loaded my flight bag with every aviation book I had and ran to the bathroom scale. 14.5 lbs, it read; I added two 5 lb weights from my room and we were off.

I non-chalantly slipped the bag in the aft compartment. My friend never knew; a courtesy any good pilot would have thought of. We took off and I was thrown into another thrilling flight. It was a hot day so my climb rate was dismal. It was the first time I'd been up with someone who wasn't use to flying, so I stayed in the pattern and landed again to "warm up a little"; code for "give you a small taste so if you get sick or scared I'm not stuck in the air with you for more than a few minutes". He looked fine and we were off.

I got engrossed in giving a tour of the area pointing west "There's Stone Mountain and over there's Atlanta". At the same time, I was noticing the subtle differences in my old friend (the plane, not the passenger) as we flew. It wasn't the first time I'd flown at max gross; in fact, I flew the cross-country to the airport where I was to take my checkride at max gross. I just wasn't used to it and, always looking to grow as a pilot, wanted to get to know max gross a little better. The main differences had been, as I expected, in taxiing, takeoff roll, approach and landing.

As I headed towards Lake Lanier for a scenic stretch, I noticed my passenger had suddenly developed motion sickness and I eased back to the airport. I surprised myself with both my piloting and people skills. It was amazing. I anticipated the extra pull in the flare I thought I needed (though in the load envelope, the CG was more forward) and I greased it; easing my passenger's stomache and ending a wonderfully educational flight.

I felt bad for my friend, he'd had fun but he was slightly green. As we sat at the airport waiting for him to regain composure, I felt more confident and capable as a pilot. I had started the flight confident that I could handle it or I'd never have gone, but pulling it off so neatly and smoothly -- with the known problems and the ones that surprised me -- added to my confidence.

I remember that day well.  It was one of the first times in my life as a pilot that I'd felt the pride and confidence of having taken on a challenge and over-come it.

Coastal Washington authorities are, once again, investigating an aircraft theft and crash this week.  The plane was stolen on Tuesday and then found in a logged area in route to Camano Island.  It had suffered a very hard but survivable landing.  The craft was discovered after a burglary complaint was called in from a near-by house whose owners reported only their passports, a blanket, and some food were missing.

Authorities believe the crime fits the profile of a teenager, Colton Harris-Moore, who has previously stolen another C182 and a Cirrus SR22.  Both of those flights also ended in hard landing incidents.  The teen has no formal flight training but reportedly has learned his skills from the internet; good enough only to get the plane in the air and not down again, obviously.

So what makes this teen sneak into airports and steal small airplanes?  Does he want to fly that bad or is it the thrill of the act that draws him to it?  Those are hard questions and ones that don't necessarily have to be answered to realize this kid is seriously troubled and needs help.  He obviously lacks a concern for his and others' safety; he has to to take a plane up without the training needed to safely fly it.

What's more, I don't see this ending in a good way.  If he's not detained soon, the next incident may not end so well.  He could crash the next plane in a fiery ball or be trapped somewhere with no one knowing.  He's also allegedly taken to carrying guns as on this latest adventure and that only leads to more trouble.

Aviation salvage operation, that is.  I've been wanting to go for quite some time now and I know of one in Griffin, GA.  I'd like to visit the boneyards out West, but a visit to our smaller version will have to do for now.  I'm hoping to get a small tour of the place and ask a few questions; the email response on that hasn't come back, yet.

The whole process is very interesting to me; how it works and who all is involved.  It's kind of like the circle of life-- minus the whole emotional part.  Seemingly every part of a plane that isn't completely destroyed in an incident gets refurbished and sold.  I'll know more about it soon, hopefully.

I have a hidden agenda as well [cue mysterious music].  I'm looking to obtain an aircraft seat of some sort.  I'm cheap, so I'm hitting the salvage yards first; I'd rather not spend more than $200.

I found this weekend-- to my great surprise and glee -- that this blog has been featured on AllTop.com.  You can find us under the 'Aviationhttp://aviation.alltop.com/' category somewhere near the bottom (getting in at all was a feat, the bottom's good enough for me).

Left of Center Line and all my blubbering posts can be found on the same page with the likes of Max Trescott, Paul (ask a CFI), Runway Girl and the charming Canadian pilot from Cockpit Conversation
.

It's true.  I was told by a passenger the other day that I looked angry when we were landing.  I suspect it has something to do with my level of concentration.  You can be sure I'm not angry; in fact, I'm having fun but I just happen to look like I'm angry at something when I'm concentrating hard.

Anyway, the video below is of me a few months ago doing touch and go's --or is it touch and goes?-- at my favorite airport.  In it, you can see my 'I'm mad but not really' concentration face.  Also, due to some excellent camera work by my favorite CFI Jim, it's pretty cool to watch the landings.  It's a different view that you don't get to see as a pilot-- being busy and all -- and it's exciting.  Sorry about the sound; I attempted to put a little AC/DC in it but youtube didn't like that at all.

I just got an email from AOPA president Craig Fuller; okay, so it was a mass email that everyone got.  Anyway, it talked of the turbulence that GA has suffered the past month.  It can all be summarized in a few statements.

• Hudson River Corridor debate - A tragic incident sparked a whirl-wind of investigations, committees and 'new plans' to make the corridor safe.  A great deal of it can be attributed to politicians' abilities to latch onto an issue and milk it for all it's worth.
• USA Today's Article - A very slanted and disgustingly misinforming article was published about federal money being spent at public airports.  Both AOPA representatives and congressman interviewed by USA Today stated their comments were severely edited and put in the wrong context.

As Mr. Fuller said, we survived and even slightly benefited in a way.  The attacks on GA have served to bring together industry partners and boost the GA Serves America campaign.  Our cries were heard on the hill and the Senate formed a GA Caucus that will work to promote aviation.

I find most surprising the reaction of the public after the USA Today debacle.  This is the first time in quite a long while when I've seen Aviation come out on top.  It's the first time after a situation such as this where people looked at the article and recognized it for what it was: a slanted attack. Instead of believing every word and grabbing their pitchforks, they listened to what knowledgeable parties had to say about the subject before forming their opinions.

I've always harbored a dis-like of the way media covers aviation related issues.  Most of the time, they haven't the slightest idea what they're talking about.  Their haste to be the first usually ends up causing bad information to be published.  It's amusing to find an error (such as a mis-named plane) and see how many articles contain the same error; they clearly got their info from the same wrong news release or unknowing reporter.

In the end, I advise everyone to look to aviation news outlets when they want to read the facts.  Sites like AvWeb.com and my own section of Examiner.com are always a good reliable place to start.

Yeah, I know every pilot says that, but I truly don't.  I got a text message today from my CFI asking when I was going to come back up there.  Work and family take over during the week.  I try to fly every weekend, but things seem to always get in the way. For the past few weekends, they've been successful in keeping me on the ground.  I like staying proficient and feel better when I have at least five or so hours a month, but it doesn't always work that way.

On the other hand, I don't think I'd enjoy flying every day all day; that's why I didn't follow the path of Commercial Pilot.  I like to separate the things I do for fun and the things I do for funds.  Combining the two occasionally can be amazing, but mostly, it just messes up one or both.  I'm thinking of going on a cross-country.  Problem is, I'm not sure where I'd go or what I'd do.  To the mountains to get away or to the beaches for a little relaxation?  It's growing colder, I'm not sure the beach would be a good idea.

If you don't know yet, let me be the first to tell you; PBS will soon be showing a new series "The Aviators".  I'm excited; I've been excited.  I'd like to see what they have to say about us.  I thought about what I'd show and say about aviation if I were given an hour on national tv once a week.  Then I remembered I'm a writer for a reason; I don't speak well in front of people or cameras that link to thousands of people.

What's more, the people behind the show are asking aviators across the country to send in their ideas and stories.  The executive producer reportedly said “If you have an interesting aircraft, aviation business, destination, or story, then The Aviators wants to hear from you."

Now, I don't have any interesting aircraft or even any stories that deserve airing, but some of you might.  If so, drop them a line at info@TheAviators.TV.  They'd love to hear from you.

It broke my heart reading about the tragedy at Castle Airport outside of Merced, California that occured nearly a year ago. It brought back a realization that life is fragile and, sometimes, is thrown away for no reason.

A quick re-cap. Two students of the flight school flew together illegally and against the school's policy on what was supposed to be a solo flight. Upon returning, 26 year old Wei Jin exited the plane and, while attempting to remain unseen by fuel truck personnel, walked right into the still spinning propeller. Unfortunately, he did not survive.

How, you might ask, do two students get themselves in this situation? Neither meant for anything bad to happen, but they set out on that trip knowing they were breaking the law and the school's rule. There's a reason these rules are made. At that point in training, a student is barely able to handle flying the plane by themselves; add in the inherent bad attitudes when trying to impress friends, the complacensy some students fall in to and the pressure of knowingly commiting a crime and you have a recipe for disaster.

I have no clue what the authorities were thinking when they made up these rules, but had these two followed the rule, Wei Jin would might still be alive. Many students feel the pressure to fly their friends. I even wanted to fly a few friends when I started soloing, but I realized that I wasn't ready to handle such a situation. Since then, I've heard a few other stories of would-be pilots breaking the rules: all of them had immediate consequences.  The one below illustrates how, even if nothing bad happens, there are still consequences.

A recently approved cross-country solo student took his girlfriend along on a training trip. Upon returning, two CFIs at the school brought to his attention the FARs he'd violated. Instead of reporting the incident, the CFI's and student made an arrangement where he'd take extra training under the CFIs. When authorities found out, the CFI's lost their right to fly along with the student for conspiracy to cover up an incident.

I know that seems a bit harsh, but look at it from the authorities' point of view. The CFIs get paid for that 'extra training', so it's sort of like they profitted from not reporting the incident.  Will they try to profit from any other incidents in the future that could produce dangerous pilots? Secondly, that student demonstrated that he could and would knowingly violate a FAR; what happens in the future when he's, say, not equipped for Class B airspace and decides to switch off his transponder and fly through it anyway?

The line from that old song "I fought the law and the law won" rings truer today than any time in the past, so remember, know your FARs and don't break them.

We've all seen the video of the tragic medical flight that ended in a crash at the end of the runway into a hotel.  Some speculate that (among other things; W&B) the woman riding with her sick son inadvertently caused the crash by messing with the rudder pedals.  We're not going to re-hash that today, but we are going to talk about a few things you might need to consider when briefing your passengers.

First, you should realize that your passengers aren't accustomed to riding in a plane's cockpit.  The comforting feeling and homely qualities of your plane's cockpit are lost on them; to them, it's completely new.  They aren't use to having a full set of controls in front of them and the sea of gauges and switches is enough to confuse anybody. I always let them know that those controls in front of them are for show and not to be touched at all.

Furthermore, remind them that there are controls they may not realize they are messing with.  The rudder pedals are easy to rest your feet on without knowing it.  Some people even think if they rest their feet on the pedals and follow through, it won't matter.  I once had a tall passenger with me who did just that thinking the weight of his feet wasn't enough to affect them.  While taxiing, I noticed the plane kept pulling to the right; opposite of what is normal.  I glanced over and sure enough, he had his right foot 'resting' on the toe brake.

Last, but certainly not least, make sure your passengers' belongings don't interfere with anything.  A shoulder strap on a purse can easily get caught on a handle and next thing you know, the engine quits because you've been running on just the right tank instead of both.  Small things like camera bags can catch fuel shutoff valves and alternate static ports.

The main idea here is that you want to secure your cockpit.

This story is from a good while ago when I was in the final stages of my training. It's about a trip I took with my CFI to tour a tower and the exciting side-excursions while we were there.

Jim and I had agreed that it'd be a good idea to take a tour of the tower over at Athens Ben Epps airport (KAHN). I had done most of my training at a uncontrolled field and didn't have to deal much with Class D airspace. Though I'd flown to Athens several times before, I always seemed a bit intimidated by the controllers and a bit wary about talking to them. Jim thought meeting them and seeing what they did would help; plus, it would be fun, so off we went.

The trip had been rescheduled twice, so I was actually excited to hear that we would finally be going. Flying out of Winder, KAHN was all of ten minutes away, but I did the normal cross-country procedures: save for getting flight following, by time I would have made my request, we were there.

Conditions at Athens were less than ideal. Runway 27 was in use and reported a stiff right crosswind. Jim, ever the vigilant CFI, asked if I thought I could do it. "I'd like to try", I responded. I'd never landed in such strong crosswinds, but I believe in learning through experience and Jim was always willing to let me try. I guided her down and touched down right wheel first, then left and gently lowered the nosewheel to the ground as the tower called with a compliment on the landing and taxi instructions. "Good" I thought, "it'll be easier touring the tower if they at least think I'm a descent student".

Securing our plane, we were met with our first unplanned outing. A pair of Airforce Hawker Beechcraft T-6A Texan II trainers sat on the ramp. We cautiously floated their way and took our own little tour. Now, we didn't touch the planes; afterall, they looked really expensive and I'm sure the guys that had flown them there wouldn't have appreciated it, but we did visually inspect them. I imagined what fun it must be to train in such sophisticated and capable craft; "one day", I told myself.

We made our way up to the tower with the maintenance guy that let us in. The top revealed a very unique room. Two men sat in seats in front of a bank of buttons, switches and screens. They introduced themselves and showed us the equipment they'd obviously seen us glaring at. Athens has radar available, but doesn't have all the equipment and requirements to provide radar service. What this means, as they explain it, is they can see you just like a radar facility, but can't say they have 'radar contact' or provide services based solely on the radar.

We stayed as one controller talked us through the system and the other controller demonstrated it with several arriving aircraft. We got a bit of a show as a regional airliner had sent some of it's pilots to do instrument approaches. The large jet screamed over each runway at regular intervals to the delight of a crowd that had gathered near the terminal building.

Before leaving the tower, we learned that the same winds that had made for an interesting landing were now keeping us from departing. No problem, we were two pilots at a moderately busy airport; we'd find something to do. At the terminal, we learned our plane had been moved by the linemen and tied down at a safer spot due to the stronger winds: both a testament to these often forgotten employee's dedication and an assurance that they'd receive a good tip.

As I said, we'd find something to do and soon, something interesting taxiied to the ramp. The Gulfstream jet, I forget what model it was, warranted us removing ourselves from the pilot's lounge and walking out to greet the pilots. We did the normal exchange of niceties and I even helped a pretty lady carry her bag from the plane before we joined the copilot for a smoke break (neither Jim nor I smoke, but we stood with him in conversation).

It turned out that the jet we were looking at happened to be the personal jet of a member of the band REM. The people flying on it that day were the family of the owner of the jet's leasing company. Jim had told me before that another of his current students was the drummer for REM and I didn't know it, but he was supposed to accompany us on this particular trip.  He couldn't because he was busy with 'work': whatever 'work' rock stars generally do.

Now, if you haven't noticed from my Examiner articles, I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time and talking my way into some things I'd otherwise never get to do. That day I was joined by Jim who also has the same knack, so we were soon touring the jet. The copilot walked us around the outside first pointing out the jet's many fascinating features and it's turbofan engines. Then, we got to go inside and experience, at least for a while, the luxuries of personal jet travel. Most interesting to me was when he let us watch him program the FMS and start the APU.

Soon, the winds died down and we set off towards home base. It had been a great day and we landed at Winder with quite a story to tell. I no longer felt timid or inadequate talking to the tower controllers and we'd spent some quality time with some wonderful aircraft. It's things and days like this that I enjoy the most about being an aviator.

Located > that way and down, you'll find my bucket list.  I got the idea from that movie by the same name and thought it'd be cool to share how I'm doing on it.  So far, I've only completed the first one; learn to fly, and that's kinda cheating 'cause I could fly when I wrote the list.  Up next, sky diving!! But don't hold your breath, these aren't exactly things I can do easily; otherwise, they wouldn't be on the list.

My desk is practically my home away from home.  My 'side job', as I call it requires me to be here roughly six hours a day.  My real passion, unpaid passion mind you, is flying.  At this desk, I think about flying and all that entails and hope it transfers nicely to these electronic characters you're reading right now.

Naturally, I've blended the two worlds to make this one slightly more comfortable and of an airport nature.  An altimeter-style desk clock sits on my desk roughly where it would in my cockpit.  Strangely, I've started using my left hand for this mouse, much like I manipulate the yoke left-handed.  I've labeled my broken stapler "inop".  Just as I'd devour weather information, charts and briefings before a flight, I consume pages of press-releases before writing.  Pictures of my little nephew grace the pin-board wall in front of me; nothing to do with aviation, of course, but he's too cute not to mention.

If I could only get the place to smell like the airport: the pilot's lounge, even.  I thought about replacing this creaky old desk chair with a converted aircraft seat.  Maybe I could mount a G1000 panel and use it as my monitor; that's kinda expensive, though.

I guess I'll just have to keep hitting the airport for a little adventure every now-and-then.

I don't own a plane.  Don't have the money, time, nor the patience.  I'm a renter, instead, frequenting flight schools and FBOs that offer their battle-scarred rental planes to those who 'prove' themselves worthy.  Any routine renter can attest to the little quirks that come with renting.  A typical day at the airport renting a plane for me goes like this.

I arrive with the ritualistic greetings to any one of the number of desk people at the flight school.  Niceties exchanged, I'm handed the 'plane bag' for the N number I'm taking.  The plane bag contains the POH, keys and the all-mighty fuel card.  I make my way through the hangar, taking a slight tour of an exposed engine, and out to where my winged steed awaits.

I don't trust the plane.  Not at all.  It's been out of my care for a good week during which it was subjected to the punishment of zero-time students.  A 'walk-up check' proves the wings and empennage are still there.  A good thorough preflight reveals nothing wrong externally: flaps still flap, elevator still elevates and there's no wrinkles or dents in the skin.  Oil's right, fuel looks good (a rareity), and the normally bald flat-sided tires look to be freshly changed.  Let's crank 'er up and wait for a piston to shoot through the cowling.

Brakes, throttle 1/4" in,  fuel pump on -- 5gal fuel flow, pump off, ignition switch -- mixture knob in and she fires on the first try and very near idle; something I pride myself in.  Avionics switch on, and I soon find a problem.  Comm 2's digital display is dead.  No doubt a result of someone starting and killing the engine with the avionics switch on.  I snatch a pen and post-it pad from the side pocket and mark it 'inop'.  I reach down to disengage the parking brake and feel no handle; 'tis gone and nowhere to be found.  Good thing I hold the brakes with my toes anyway.

It's not that the plane's owner doesn't keep the plane maintained, in fact, they do an excellent job.  It's just hard to keep up when so many people, mostly students, fly the plane day after day.  To add to it, some of those people either haven't been taught proper procedures (avionics off before you start or stop the engine) or they don't really care.  Other than the small blemishes, my old friend is ready to go.  Engine's good and strong, airframe is sturdy and I'm itching just as bad as she is to jump in the air.  All part of renting, I guess.

As you might have gleaned from previous post, I've been on a self-study track to obtain my Advanced Ground Instructor certificate.  It's been enthralling.  I've had a great excuse to buy pounds and pounds of books and to fill my head with volumes of information that I hope I'm retaining.

That's mainly for the second step, however.  First, I must take the Fundamentals Of Instruction (FOI) Exam.  I really only have two books to study for that test; the flight instructor manual and a Gleim test preparation book.  I wasn't exactly excited about studying for the FOI test, at least not as much as the knowledge test, so I took to the process slowly.  In just a few short pages, I found that it's very interesting.  Many questions I'd had about CFI's were answered and I picked up a good many tips and techniques of teaching.

After that, I have the small matter of an extremely hard Advanced Ground Instructor Knowledge exam. 100 questions, 2.5 hours and a whole plethora of aeronautical knowledge areas to cover.  I'll let you know how I'm doing on that a little later.  Right now, I'm thinking I'll take the FOI test Friday... all unforseen obstacles aside.

Don't worry, I'm not going to brag about any 'skills' that I may or may not have.  I just thought about my personality, life-style and how they seem to fit aviation.  I've come to the conclusion that some great architect of life thought it would be neat if he/she/it/they (whatever your belief) were to mold me to fit aviation and were gracious enough to lend me the enjoyment to go along with it.  Here's what I got.

I love going fast and my vehicles, both past and present, can attest to that.  In a plane, the slowest I can go is still breaking most ground-based speed limits.  I'm happy with that.

I love to travel, but I hate taking those winding, out-of-the-way paths that add unnecessary hours and miles to my trips.  In a plane, I can go more or less directly to my destination at twice the speed: less time, less distance, more enjoyable.

I enjoy meeting new people and making friends.  Airports are a wonderful place to meet some of the nicest people around.  I'm still looking for that young, gorgeous, single and lonely lady pilot who owns a Pitts.

I can make the best of a bad situation.  Often times, weather or some other delaying force keeps a pilot grounded at an airport miles from home.  I'm okay with that; I can have as good a time at an airport waiting for weather to clear up as I can on the trip I've just taken (sometimes I can have a better time).

I enjoy a good challenge.  Learning to fly was the most challenging thing I think I've ever done and continues to offer new challenges daily.

Physically, I'm well-fitted to most general aviation planes; tall enough to easily check the fuel and stall-warning horn, yet I fit comfortably into the pilot's seat.  I also fit rather well into the weight and balance figures: nice round numbers often do ;) haha.

Someone said that it takes a special kind of person to fly a plane, but I'm not so sure.  I think most people could be taught to fly a plane, but that it takes a special kind of person to live the lifestyle of a pilot.

If you read my article here, you know that lasers are fairly dangerous to aircraft operations.  At the least, it irritates a pilot; the worst case scenario, however, is a crash that takes hundreds of lives.  So, what do we do when a green or red light flashes into our eyes on a quiet evening flight?

First, fly the plane.  Just as with any emergency, you want to keep the plane under control and safe.  Your vision may be severely interupted for a while, so be careful.  Notify ATC immediately; whomever you may be talking to at the moment.  Not only can they help keep you away from other aircraft while you recover, they're instrumental in reporting the incident and advising other aircraft in the area of the laser activity.

When you're on the ground, you'll want to officially report the incident.  The form for doing so can be found here.  It's a one page thing you fax in that can potentially help prevent a catastrophe.

Hopefully you'll never have to deal with this, but if you do, you'll have the tools to handle it.

This year the Reno air races somehow didn't hit me like they normally do.  Perhaps the mad dash of events I've covered and attended lately crowded them out of my mental calendar or, just maybe, the fact that I've never attended the air races has left me with a lack of excitement that's appropriate for such a great gathering.

That's right, I've never attended.  I've wanted to for many years but, somehow, it eludes me continuously.  How do you cover an event you're not attending?  Good question; you start by reading page after page of press releases and making sure a few friends and distant acquaintances remember your phone number.  It's nowhere near as good as being there, but you have, in the end, just enough information to realize that, unless you want to publish a table of race results, there's not much you can say.

That's why I'm going next year.  That's right, nothing can stop me.  Sorry, can't attend your birthday party dear sister-in-law; I'll be watching the air races (which reminds me, I should get her something).  What, your wife's having a baby; sorry, you're my best friend but I can't be there 'cause I'll be in Reno.  Sorry, Mr. President; you'll have to find someone else to help Bruce Willis save the earth from that meteorite.  I'll be in Reno.

Okay, maybe the last one's a stretch, but you get the idea.