Spinners just look cool. They give airplanes that sleek and aerodynamic “ready to take flight” look. And they are so pervasive in propeller-driven aircraft that we can scarcely imagine attaching a prop without that slick cone ahead of the nose. But spinners do more than look cool. They do cool.
Five great GA-friendly airports in the UK
I fly a Cirrus SR22 for fun and on business and I’m based in England. Mostly I fly to Europe, especially Holland and Northern France and it’s fairly technical flying in airways and into big airports. But the other day the weather was beautiful and I just took the morning off and went flying. I went up to Wellesbourne Mountford solo VFR. A nice simple flight that I’ve done lots of times before. Sometimes the best flying is just going somewhere fun and familiar. It reminded me how many great airports we have in the UK that welcome light aircraft. Here are some of my favourites:
How to Fly the B-17 Flying Fortress
“Maybe airplanes are a bit like people. You don’t really get to know them until after you’ve lived with them a while.” At least that’s what the narrator says in this 1943 Army Air Force training film. Even though this video and the associated technology is over 70 years old, a lot of the information is still relevant to pilots today. They stress the importance of checklist usage, reminders to trim the airplane and even crew resource management. I was amazed to hear the instructor hit on the hot-topic in today’s airline industry: “Flying means fatigue. Always run your checklist.”
AOPA Aviation Summit Photo Reel
Just a few weeks ago, the general aviation community rallied in Hartford Connecticut for the annual AOPA Aviation Summit. There was plenty of eye-candy and excitement for airplane geeks, including the news of a new set of rules governing airmen medical certification.
Relive some of the sites with this gallery of my favorite pictures from AOPA Summit.
Flying Photos
