#163 Incident at Drewsey (or, Luck and Preparation)
"Now, all of the folks who take dual flight instruction from me, should know that I’m a big believer in the “jumping from rock to rock” school of cross country flying."
#162 Hands
I think it was during the filming of Dawn Flight back in 1974 that I first became aware of the distinctive look of an aviator’s hands. Tim Saltonstall flew the…
#153 Oh I’m sorry, Sir!
"Tom, realizing that time was wasting, told the cop that he didn’t have time for all this badge foolishness. He took off. "
#150 The Mystery of Sisters
"Badly trained or inadequately practiced aviators really SHOULDN’T land here when conditions are tricky! But all rated pilots SHOULD be able to safely takeoff and land here, even if the conditions challenge their abilities."
#149 “Dinkey Divey”!
"There is hardly a flight goes by that I don’t see some Whuffo doing something stupid."
#147 If Your Engine Quits When You Need It Most
"Although contact with the earth (and maybe also with a cow) was in my very near future, I did have a few seconds to check some things."
#144 Whuffos
"If I were truly a well-rounded aviator, I’d be proficient at virtually all aviation pursuits. So I guess it’s the “pot calling the kettle black”! I guess I’m a Whuffo, too. "
#142 Nordo
"They tell you that they are North when they are South. They call “right downwind” when they are left and they even call the wrong airport or runway! No wonder we can’t find ‘em!"
#141 Everyone can screw up
"I once wrote how dangerous assumptions could be. I guess that could be one of the lessons of this little story. But it’s not the main one. The main lesson behind this little story is that anyone can make a mistake. ANYONE. You, me, or any other airman, no matter how skilled. "
#140 Monday Morning Multiples
"We do them with a little mnemonic mantra: “power, pitch, pitch, power”, we chant as we run down the runway in our little taildragger, executing as many as five or six landings and takeoffs in one touch-and-go cycle. It’s called “Multiple Landings”, or just “Multiples”. It’s challenging, difficult… and fun as hell!"