At the end of 2019 I downloaded a new aviation documentary— and it’s gorgeous. Beautifully shot crisp HD images of general aviation flying paired with insightful interviews from a bunch of pilots, including Patty Wagstaff, Rod Machado and NASA’s Dr. Dismukes. You can download it from Disciples of Flight directly for $15, or use Amazon Prime Video. Well worth the …
Nerves of Steel Book Review
Remember the Southwest 737 that had an engine explode in cruise and a passenger die? The incident was much worse than we might have first guessed, much worse than a simple engine failure at altitude in the simulator. And turns out the captain has a wild backstory more interesting than most airline pilots. This new autobiography has all the details, …
Out of This Nettle
I live in Phoenix, Arizona. So the picture isn’t of English stinging nettles, but the top of a big prickly saguaro cactus. However, Shakespeare’s line from 1591 still rings true today: “’Tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink; but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.”
The Sea is Always Ready
“We must remember that the sea is no respector of ships or persons. The sea is always ready, at the first sign of failure, to rush in and destroy the very craft it so readily supports upon the surface of the water. The sea is only safe and harmless so long as the ship is safe and seaworthy and ably …
Neil Armstrong Quote
“Pilots take no special joy in walking: pilots like flying. Pilots generally take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle.” Neil Armstrong
Officer’s Aide Memoire
During WWII, the Royal Navy expanded at a great clip, which required staffing hundreds of ships with new officers. The shore training camp that turned civilians into Royal Navy officers was HMS King Alfred, in Hove, Sussex. It was commanded by one Captain John Noel Pelly, who was recalled from retirement at the start of the war. A few years …
ATP
The senior FO I flew with yesterday had a great acronym for what’s important to protect, and in what order, when flying: A Arse. T Ticket. P Paycheck. Keep me safe, keep me legal, and keep me employed. Sounds about right! And actually kinda follows our official flight standards priority philosophy of: 1 Safe. 2 Legal. 3 SOP. .
Easy to Fly, Hard to Fly Well.
I’m back from vacation. A highlight was getting to fly a 1930’s Tiger Moth out of an airfield in England. That’s me in the front seat. Absolutely wonderful experience. The instructor said the Tiger Moth was the perfect trainer for all WWII RAF and Empire pilots as it was “easy to fly, hard to fly well”. Well, I certainly proved …
1927 Notes on Flying
I am currently enjoying a great book, The Tiger Moth Story, by Alan Bramson & Neville Birch (Airlife Publishing, 1982 revised and enlarged edition of the original 1964 classic). In it, there are a few pages from an article published in 1927 titled The ‘Moth’ Machine, by one Geoffrey de Havilland, who would later become legendary as an aviation pioneer …
Always Have a Backup
So this happened today. My airline ID, FAA pilot certificate, FAA medical certificate, FCC licence, vaccination records for accident site access and more — hanging by a string. Without that secondary tie, I could have lost them all. Easy aviation lesson: Always have a backup. A secondary HF frequency, enough fuel for an alternative airport, a spare battery, another option. …