All posts by Pat Flannigan

Wingnuts: The Sky’s the Limit – Aviation Humor from Joel Mugglin

By | April 23, 2013 | Reviews | 1 Comment
Wingnuts: The Sky's the Limit by Joel Mugglin - cover art

Aviation is such a stylized pursuit. We have our own acronym-laden language, references and fish stories — (there I was…). It’s a unique and sometimes silly culture that is ripe for lampooning. And that’s just what Joel Mugglin does in his book, Wingnuts: The Sky’s the Limit.

Primitive De-Icing Boots cartoon

So that’s why they call them de-icing boots. It all makes sense now!

In it, you’ll find a hilarious collection of whimsical hand-drawn cartoons that poke fun at all aspects of aviation. I found myself chuckling with each turn of the page. How can I describe the humor? In a word: corny, and that’s a good thing. It’s what I imagine might happen if John and Martha King got together with Rod Machado to write a cartoon. Yes, it’s that funny.

Everybody in aviation is represented in Wingnuts: pilots, students, mechanics, instructors, flight attendants and more. As such, I think anybody with an interest in aviation will get a kick out of it, including non-flying friends and spouses.

Wingnuts: The Sky’s the Limit is available as an e-Book for iPad users in the iTunes book store and is also available in print from Amazon.

More Sample Cartoons:

Crazy Airspace Classifications Backup electrical systems

Review of Applied Aerodynamics for Private and Commercial Pilots

By | April 9, 2013 | Advanced Flying, Reviews | No comments
Cover of Applied Aerodynamics for Private and Commercial Pilots

For the past few months, I’ve been reading Steve Pomroy’s Applied Aerodynamics for Private and Commercial Pilots. Written by an aerobatic instructor with a background in engineering, Applied Aerodynamics brings clarity to a fascinating and often misunderstood subject. I think it’s a great read and a great resource for pilots of all levels. Here’s why.

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Flying is cool, and aviation-themed clothing should be too

By | March 20, 2013 | Misc | 1 Comment
closeup_1024x1024

For several months now, I’ve been following Heading 370 on twitter: @hdg370. Founded by young entrepreneur Ian Hoyt, Heading 370 injects fresh energy into the aviation space by creating fashionable apparel & accessories with an airborne twist. My favorite: the sectional chart cheese tray!

I really like what he’s trying to do with the Heading 370 brand, so when Ian reached out to me to give him a little free press, I couldn’t refuse.

Hoyt wants to take his company to the next level by cranking out more designs, but like most startups, he needs help to make it happen:

“I am asking for you fellow lovers of aviation and design, to help contribute to this idea in a huge way. I am seeking anyone that loves fresh and unique designs to help me in furthering my first t-shirt line for Heading 370. With one design already production, we know that we need more designs out there for the world to see. This is where you all come in. By contributing to our campaign, you are helping the world see the impact that aviation has on its users.”

So he’s basically asking for a little crowd-funding support (what a cool new concept that is for new businesses!). Go check out Heading 370′s IndieGoGo page and see what you think.

Flying Tip: Test the brakes

By | March 19, 2013 | Advanced Flying, Flying Tips | No comments
A CRJ-200 skids off the runway

One of the marks of being a mindful pilot is to limit wear and tear on the airplane as much as possible. That includes little habits like keeping the lights off when they aren’t needed and keeping braking to a minimum. That’s part of the reason flight instructors harp on aerodynamic braking so much.

With that in mind, suppose you’re landing on JFK’s runway 31R, a 10,00 foot long runway. When are you going to get on the brakes?

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