Our ninth flight across the country brought us to the follow Fixed Base Operators, so I reviewed them for the Airnav web site. I also wrote reviews for our Spring Break 2009, and 2007 trips. I wish that Airnav had an iPhone or iPad application, so we could plan where to land (and where to park) when we were aloft in the plane. Click to continue »
FBO’s Eastward Flight, Summer 2010
Written by Colin on July 26th, 2010Summer 2009 Trip: The Lost Trip Report
Written by Colin on July 21st, 2010I can’t believe it, but an entire year nearly slipped by before I wrote up one of our criss-crossings (two of our crossings!) of the country. Part of the problem is that I was posting photographs from the trip along the way and that sated some of our usual desire to get the trip documented somehow. Click to continue »
Published Author!
Written by Colin on July 20th, 2010
I even got photo credit.
How exciting! My first article for Plane & Pilot magazine is up on their website. It will be in the physical magazine on August 10th.
Obviously, I already wrote here on the blog about the wonders of the iPad as an electronic flight bag, but it was fun to write blurbs for a bunch of applications I tried out.
I wish there weren’t people touting the iPad as a navigation device or a pseudo-HUD (Heads Up Display), because the hardware inside it makes that really dangerous, but other than that I loved all the development going on for the platform in the aviation space.
Progress
Written by Colin on June 30th, 2010We have just spent the night at the Days Inn in Liberal, Kansas. This was a really nice FBO, super-friendly and gave us a car for the night.
We hopped from Santa Monica, California to Sedona, Arizona. On to Santa Fe, New Mexico and then here for the night. We are hoping to make the edge of Cinncinati by the end of the day.
WAAS the Big Deal?
Written by Colin on May 18th, 2010This is technical, about the avionics in the airplane. Avionics are the
Garmin
electronic instruments in the plane, some of which sample air pressure in the pitot-static system, or sense the earth’s electromagnetic field. The very first airplanes only had a compass mounted on the panel and a spring-loaded device to suggest the airspeed. N971RD is loaded with more electronics and computer power than went to the moon. Actually, it is probably more computing power than was in the lunar mission or back on earth in Houston.
Follow Along
Written by Colin on May 3rd, 2010This is about as cool as technology gets. For now, I guess.
One of the people that I took flying with me was the father of a friend of mine. Tom flies a lot of interesting planes just sitting in the right seat. Antique warbirds and Civil Air Patrol planes. One of the things he said when I was about to taxi out onto the runway was, “Do you mind if I follow along?” That’s apparently a standard procedure: he just holds the controls lightly so he can really feel what I am doing as I take off, land, or do a barrel roll. (I rarely do barrel rolls.) Now everyone can follow along. It’s a tiny plane, so stay seated in front of your computer. I’ll explain.
Click to continue »
Electronic Flight Bag
Written by Colin on April 30th, 2010I love when reality final catches up with my future. Apple and Foreflight have delivered the Electronic Flight Bag that I was waiting for ever since I bought my first NACO book of instrument approach plates. Why was I dragging around all this paper? Why was I sitting in the run up area flipping through this booklet trying to find the departure procedure for taking off from KPOC in Pomona, which of course is under B for Brackett Field? Click to continue »
Springfield, Illinois to Albuquerque, New Mexico
Written by Colin on August 25th, 2009Sunday, August 23
Through the Desert
KSPI – KRVS – KBGD – KABQ
Part of the lost trip report.
Lincoln Stood Here, But Taller
Nell is great at finding us something interesting where we are. Bob and I flew in and out of Springfield, Illinois and, other than debating a visit to the Lincoln museum, saw nothing but the Outback Steakhouse. I know, typical American tourism. Terrible. But, fortunately, the boys and I have Nell. After breakfast we wandered outside, crossed one long parking lot and then we were traipsing about the capital of Illinois. Somehow there was a lot of information just on the plaques and various tour spot points. We learned how Illinois was (and still is) a farming state, that the revenue is really from the agriculture and animal husbandry across the state. We learned about the capital and it’s dome, which we peered up into. It was a little nippy, since it was early morning, but so clear and beautiful. Click to continue »