Aviation People | Aviation Guy

C-130J Crash Reminds Me of the Dangerous Nature of Aviation

There are few sights more somber than the memorial honoring those we lost.

Flying is an inherently dangerous venture for man as we were created as land-dwellers with our eyes to the sky longing to be there. Due to this inherently dangerous nature, I have often heard it said that if you stay in this business long enough you will know someone who loses their life in it. This is a near certainty as a military member.

It turns out that it took five years for me.

As avid followers of aviation, I am sure you are all aware of the C-130J that crashed near Jalalabad, Afghanistan last week. Very little has been released on the accident itself, which is good because it does no good to speculate before all of the necessary information can be gathered to understand what actually happened.

What has been released are the names of the airmen that lost their lives in this tragedy. For many people these are simply names. For others they are American Heroes, and rightly so because they are. However, there is a small group of people who knew them, and I just happen to be one of them.

The first time I met Capt Jonathan Golden he was simply Officer Trainee Golden in the early days of Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base. By no means were we close friends during our time at Maxwell, but I was always impressed with the quiet leadership of Jonathan. While I never flew with him, I would imagine that he is exactly the type of pilot I would have loved working with.

It always impacts me as an aviator when I hear about a plane crash, and even more so when it is a military aircraft. There is nothing we can do to bring these great servants back, but what we can do is learn from this accident so it never happens again, and we can hold them in our memory so that they are never forgotten.

So before you go and fly again take a moment to make sure that you are being as safe as you can be, and take a moment to remember the names Capt. Jonathan Golden, Capt. Jordan Pierson, Staff Sgt. Ryan Hammond, Senior Airman Quinn Johnson-Harris, Senior Airman Nathan Sartain and Airman 1st Class Kcey Ruiz. They gave their lives doing something they loved so that we can all remain free.

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October 5, 2015 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Tags:C-130 Crash C-130J Dangers of Aviation Honoring Military Aviators Military Remembrance

Discipline and Positivity Will Help Improve the Pilot Population as Much as Anything

Conditions are often not ideal, but when you work amongst positive people you can do amazing things.

There is an article I have seen circulating on social media about the pilot shortage and how airlines have largely brought it upon themselves through the way they treat their pilots. While I don’t doubt that the airlines couldn’t treat all of their employees better (what company outside of Google couldn’t?), I found the article to be mostly a bunch of whining with a whole lot of contradiction.

The one area that I wholeheartedly agree with is that flying is becoming too darn expensive for the vast majority of people to pursue. A select few may be able to secure scholarships, have rich parents, or survive a career in the military before going to an airline, but for the rest it will be a massive financial sacrifice to secure a good job flying planes. No matter how much pride or excitement someone has for flying, if you can’t afford it, it will never happen. That is the real challenge when it comes to people not becoming pilots. I know it has been for me.

It all went downhill from there.

She goes on to mention how airline executives talked a lot about discipline in last week’s IATA conference and how that translates into cutting costs and charging passengers more. However, the definition of discipline she provided was, “requiring punishment for bad behavior…” So who exactly behaved badly here, the passengers who are being punished with increased fares and fees, or…yeah, I don’t see anybody else mentioned in the following paragraphs except for employees. That is the real focus of the rest of the article.

I find it interesting that she chose to use that definition of discipline since she followed that up with plenty of examples of employees that could use a little discipline of the type she mentioned. She also states that, “discipline is something you force, not something you earn.” Which I completely disagree with because of the definition of discipline that I feel is far more applicable in this situation. I prefer, “willing behavior in accord with rules of conduct.” This likely stems from my military background and how I have seen both good and poor discipline affect outcomes.

“Just a few people with a positive ideology can change the world.”

When personal discipline is present amazing things can be accomplished and the organization as a whole functions more efficiently, and with higher morale. The exact opposite occurs when a lack of discipline is exhibited, which is when her definition of discipline comes into play. Personal discipline is in fact earned through hard work and determination to do your very best against all odds. It is exactly the type of discipline that allows the diligent pilot to wade through all of the crap the article mentions to get to that cockpit they dreamed about their whole life.

If that discipline then fades away because of the actions of an employer, that is an indictment of the individual, not the employer. So you don’t make a ton of money at first, neither do most people coming out of college with mountains of student loan debt. You have to spend time away from your family? So does every military member in the world, and I’m not just talking about deployments. But that was part of the job I signed up for and I knew what I was getting into. If you didn’t take the time to understand the demands of the industry you are entering then once again, that is your problem, not your employer’s.

A story is then shared about having a vacation cut short by the company that was scheduled by the company at the expense of the author. That really sucks, and if I was there when you had to cut your vacation short I would empathize with you, and probably agree with your complaints, and then go about doing my job the right way, because that is the kind of discipline that makes a successful company from the bottom to the top. Instead she proceeds to describe how she regularly wasted company resources such as fuel by extending flights, provided poor customer service because “why should I care about the passenger who will miss the connection…”, and brags about how, “there are things I could and did do which cost the company thousands…”.

She submits that employees “aren’t doing anything wrong” when they act in these ways but therein lies the problem. Just because you haven’t technically broken any rules does not mean you didn’t do anything wrong. In fact the greatest contradiction in the article came right before that last quote, and it was easy to spot because it included the word “but”, “I was proud of my position, and I have a deep appreciation for my comrades, so I would never do anything to harm my professionalism, but there are things I could and did do which cost the company thousands…”

You are not proud of your position when you reject your own personal discipline in favor of petty retaliation that has no impact on the person that upset you. There is no professionalism in admittedly costing your company thousands of dollars because you didn’t like the way you were treated. We all have aspects of our jobs that suck, but you deal with it if it means enough to you, or you find a new profession. Discipline is not just punishment, it is a willingness and determination to do your best and to do the right thing because that is who YOU are, not because everyone else gives you what you want, or what you think you deserve. That is what true pride in your position entails, standing tall because you did your absolute best despite the challenges you faced.

We live in a world right now where people call foul when everything doesn’t go quite their way, even when they signed up for it. Many people are quick to point out the shortfalls of an industry or company or person, and want to place the blame for everything squarely on somebody else’s shoulders. Nobody wants to take accountability for the role they played in the situation no matter how minor. It is no wonder that we see this in our leaders because so many of us exhibit it ourselves.

Fortunately, she actually provided the answer to her own contradictions near the very end of the article, and I could not agree more with the assessment. “Just a few people with a positive ideology can change the world.” WOW! Those are powerful words that could not be more true.

The only way the next generation will be as passionate about aviation as we are is if we exhibited pride in our profession and discipline in our actions.

The only way the next generation will be as passionate about aviation as we are is if we exhibit pride in our profession and discipline in our actions.

If you stop and think for a minute, almost all of us can think of at least one person, if not many, that had a positive influence on our life that changed our world. Maybe it was a teacher, coach, or family member, but their “positive ideology” inspired us to set and achieve goals that we never thought possible. We saw the impact they had on us and we wanted to be like them.

We wanted to have an impact for good, but somewhere along the way many of us lost sight of that. Instead we focus on the things that suck and how we were wronged by this person, or that stupid supervisor, or some company that screwed us over, and that is the ideology we have chosen to sell to anyone that will listen. The relative anonymity of the internet has allowed us to project that negativity in ways never before possible, but there is absolutely no reason we can’t turn the tables back in the other direction.

We can look at people like Ron Rapp who is quick to call out the FAA and other organizations when they damage the industry he has such a passion for, but also immediately follows that up with a solution that will meet the intent of proposed changes while at the same time improving the industry as a whole.

Or Eric Auxier who actively promotes the wonders of aviation to anyone that will listen. He acknowledges the challenges he has faced, and continues to face, but chooses to have a positive outlook and focus on the good.

To quote something attributed to Abraham Lincoln in the movie Pollyanna , “If you look for the good, you will surely find it.” That is true of everything in life, but is something that can be a great challenge if you never look for it. It takes a concerted effort to get past all of the crap that happens and choose to focus on the good.

It bears repeating what the author said near the end of her article because it is the message she should have shared instead of the paragraphs of complaining and negativity that she chose to focus on. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with this same challenge, which is maybe why I was so quick to recognize it, but all of us would be a lot happier, and our industry would be a lot more appealing if each of us would commit to the following phrase:

“Just a few people with a positive ideology can change the world.”

Christmas in a Piper Cub

The first attempt to fly didn’t get much past the hangar, but even there she sure is pretty.

It is amazing how much life can change in only one short year. Last year at this time I was deployed to Afghanistan thousands of miles away from my family. While not the worst Christmas I have had, it was certainly not where I wanted to be.

A year later I am back in Arkansas enjoying a break with my beautiful wife and kids. On top of the much-needed family time, I was able to take part in an amazing experience this afternoon.

I have a friend that I work with that is the proud owner of both a Pitts and Piper Cub that he bought a couple of months ago. I was thrilled to find out he had gotten a plane with a second seat because all I want to do is fly anytime, anywhere. We tried to go flying a few weeks ago but it was just too dang windy to fly. This really sucked because he is scheduled to deploy soon.

Few things bring me more joy than walking out to a plane to fly.

On Christmas Eve we were two of the roughly 10 people who showed up to work for some strange reason and he suggested that Christmas should be a good day to fly, so we agreed to get together in the afternoon after the traditional festivities. Fortunately, the weatherman was right and it was a gorgeous day to fly.

By the time I got to the airport he was already up in the pattern getting a little work in and it got me super excited to actually get up in a small plane again. He pulled into parking and I hopped in to begin an amazing hour and a half.

The awesomeness began with takeoff as with a slight headwind we were able to takeoff in only 200 feet. While it was no zoom climb up thousands of feet, there is just something fun about taking off in less than the length of a football field with the wind blowing past the open door next to you.

While not really for those afraid of heights leaning out the side of a plane is just awesome.

That is one of the amazing things about the Cub, with the door open you gain a sense of freedom that really is like nothing else.

We casually flew our way down to the Arkansas river at about 1000 feet enjoying an extremely pleasant December day. There were a handful of other people out enjoying the amazing Christmas weather which was nice to see. Once we got to the river we followed it out to the West and my friend showed me some of his favorite spots to play around.

The first was a small island in the middle of the river with a nice open grassy area surrounded by leafless trees. We came in low and dropped below tree level until the end of the island and then popped back up over the top of the trees. With my weight added to the plane and the tail wind it just wasn’t a safe move to put it down there.

This is what freedom looks like from the air.

We then spent the next hour or so cruising up the river checking out sandbars, a small abandoned runway, and the newest airport in the area which just recently began IFR service. We never broke 1500 feet or 95 knots which may sound incredibly boring, but it was quite the opposite.

It was incredibly exhilarating to literally fly amongst the birds and enjoy the wind blowing through the plane. It is something that truly must be experienced to fully appreciate. I genuinely hope this is the first of many flights in not only the Cub but in any other old tail-dragger that reminds me of how much fun flying is supposed to be. Planes like this are what bring the wonder to aviation in this modern age of technological bells and whistles.

There are few better ways to spend an afternoon than VFR flying with a friend.

One of the incredibly cool things about this experience was the landing. At our local airport they have an agreement to keep the grass mowed down so those who want to can land on the grass next to the runway. Just one more example of the fun that can be had in a plane like the Cub.

I am incredibly grateful to my friend Harrison and wish him the best of luck and safety during his deployment. The world needs more true aviators like him that really understand what flying is all about. I have already learned a lot from him and I look forward to continued adventures once he returns.

Lessons Learned: Flying for Others Can be Better than Flying for Yourself

Flying is an interesting hobby as it is generally one that is limited in how many people you can include, but at the same time is an incredibly tight-knit, and large, community.

Unless you have the means to own a private jet or even a large twin, you are really limited to only about 2-3 other people coming along in your plane, if that. However, fly-ins can bring together dozens, or even hundreds, of people who are passionate about flying. Look at events like AirVenture in OshKosh where tens of thousands gather every year and it is clear that aviation is really a giant family.

Given the time of year, there have been a number of great articles talking about organizations that utilize planes to do good for others. Ron Rapp wrote a great piece about avgeeks who are “the best” because of the charitable work that they perform using their aircraft. Cap’n Aux also gave us a great look at individuals who opened their hearts to support others who may have personal struggles through the wonder that is aviation.

Both of these stories are great examples of the huge hearts that aviators have, and their amazing willingness to help other people. It made me wish that I was in a better position to help in the ways that these great men have. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that I have done at least a little good.

Just last weekend I spent about 15 hours flying during which I got essentially no training, but facilitated the training of 18 aeromedical personnel. I have performed three such trips in the last year including one which included returning 7 wounded military members to their home states.

This week I am at Ft. Benning, GA supporting the Basic Airborne Course (look for more on this next week) which will provide the training for about 400 soldiers to get their jump wings. This is the third time I have done that this year.

I don’t say all of this to toot my own horn, but to point out that we often overlook the good that we are doing because we consider it to be insignificant. All I did last weekend was get the plane where we needed to go, but that allowed for training that could not have been received on the ground.

I was also the beneficiary of a generous pilot this weekend when my friend took me up in his Piper Cub for a little fun VFR flying. It proved to be a short trip because of high winds, but it was some of the most fun flying I have ever done, and it further deepened my commitment to getting my PPL during the first of next year so that I can help others to enjoy the liberating feeling of small aircraft VFR flying.

It was a small thing to my friend, but it was a big deal to me. Each of us avgeeks has the ability to do these great things, and I am sure most of us do them without even realizing it.

Much has been written about aviators asking others to go with them and have some fun flying, but I would like to turn the tables just a little. I would strongly encourage anyone that is longing to get up and fly to ask any pilot you know to take you up the next time they go. If you don’t know a pilot then head down to your local FBO and hang around for a little while. You will inevitably make a few new friends and get that ride you have been longing for.

As I mentioned before, we aviators are really just one big family that is anxious to help our fellow aviators in any way we can. Most pilots would love a little company when they go flying if you will only ask. Don’t be afraid to ask because as most flyers will tell you, the stories are so much more fun when they are stories that you have shared with someone else.

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November 30, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation Education/Training Aviation People Pilots

Tags:Basic Airborne Course Cap'n Aux Charitable Flying Pilots Giving Back Ron Rapp

Veterans Day is a Celebration of People

The venerable P-51 Mustang was actually designed by the German-born Edgar Schmued.

The venerable P-51 Mustang was designed by the German-born Edgar Schmued.

I have probably thought more about this article than just about any other article that I have written, and I still am not exactly sure what I want to say so I will start with a little education and see where I end up.

For those who may not know exactly where Veterans Day comes from or why we honor it, let me explain it for you. The original holiday was designed to honor those who had died in WWI and was celebrated on November 11 in honor of when the Armistice with Germany went into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Armistice Day is still celebrated in other countries, and is also referred to as Remembrance Day in places like Canada and the UK.

After WWII a movement was started by a veteran named Raymond Weeks who thought the holiday should celebrate all veterans, and not just those who died in WWI. In 1954 the Veterans Day that we know was officially established to honor all veterans who have served this great nation. Just to be clear, Memorial Day is to honor those who died in service to the country, while Veterans Day is to celebrate ALL who served.

I guess maybe that is the message I want to focus on is that this is a celebration of people. Many people have played many different roles in multiple different wars in the last century.

We are often quick to recognize those who died or performed heroic acts, and rightfully so because they made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom and the freedom of others. They deserve our utmost gratitude and adulation for their actions, and I will never tire of hearing their stories and honoring their example in any way that I can.

It is also important to recognize those whose contributions may easily get overlooked. Being the avgeek that I am I think of people like Edgar Schmued, the German-born designer of the P-51 Mustang that had a huge impact on the air war and directly impacted the final outcome of the war.

I only recently learned of my Grandma’s involvement in the Navy.

I think of my Grandma who served in the Navy as a clerk in the Brooklyn Shipyard ensuring that parts were getting to where they needed to be.

I think of my friend, and fellow Airman, Joe Kaelin who comes from a family of military members that have served for over 70 years including 32 years consecutively.

I think of my dad who served in the Army in both tanks and helicopters; which ultimately inspired my love of airplanes and my own military service.

I think of standing on the yellow footprints at MCRD San Diego 11 years ago and ultimately crossing the parade deck with 214 other young men. Sadly, I have little contact with many of them now but it is not unreasonable to think some of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice, or at least been wounded defending our freedom.

I think of the young men and women I had the opportunity to support last year in Afghanistan bringing them valuable supplies, or bringing them injured back to a hospital where they could receive the care they needed.

You see there really are no words to describe exactly how I feel about this day. It is one of those things that you can’t really describe unless you have experienced it yourself. There are so many amazing people who fulfilled their duty in whatever way they were asked that makes it possible for all of us to live our lives the way we want to.

The sacrifices made by each of us as individuals varies dramatically depending upon the era in which we served, and the missions which we were called to perform. But, no matter what those sacrifices were we accepted them willingly and performed at our best to ensure that those around us could return home safely, and if that wasn’t possible that at least their sacrifice would mean something in defending the freedoms of those they were fighting for.

Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

It is one of the great honors of my life to serve with amazing men and women who have sacrificed so much for people they don’t even know.

Veterans Day is a special day for me because it helps me to take a second to stop and think about the legacy that I am leaving behind. We military members have been entrusted with a very solemn legacy that means so much to so many people and it is important to stop and think about that sometimes. The most important part of that legacy is the people themselves who sacrificed so much and asked for absolutely nothing in return.

I would encourage you to seek out those that you may know that have served, or are currently serving. Maybe it is a friend, family member, or coworker. Take a moment on this day to thank them, and more importantly ask them about their story. For those who are capable of sharing, ensuring that legacy lives on can be one of the greatest expressions of gratitude that they will ever receive.

I would love to hear their stories in the comments below, or through any other means you deem appropriate. As I said before, keeping their story alive is one of the greatest honors we can give them so please help me to do that. Thank you for your support.

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November 11, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation History Aviation People Military Aviation

Tags:Armistice Day Edgar Schmued Honoring the Military Military Remembrance P-51 Mustang Veterans Day Women in the Military WWII

Changing the Stereotypes of Aviation

Stereotypes are the simple reality of life. While they often have a negative connotation, that is not necessarily the case. There are good and bad stereotypes and there is also a certain level of truth to all stereotypes whether they are positive or not.

One of the biggest things that is killing the aviation industry as a whole are the stereotypes that many people associate with the world of flying. One of the most common stereotypes that gets talked about regularly is that you have to be a rich person to fly on anything other than an airliner. While money can be restrictive to the aspiring aviator, there are some great references out there, most notably to me being Brent Owens, the Fixed Wing Buddha, for ways to fly as inexpensively as possible.

Personally, I think there are two much bigger stereotypes that we must change if we want to see a resurgence in the industry.

The first is that aviation is only for boys. While there was a time that women in aviation were either flight attendants or travel agents, that just isn’t the case anymore. I am well aware of the fact that there are substantially more men in aviation than women, but there are some serious powerhouses out there that are doing their part to change that.

One of the biggest voices, and more important examples, is Karlene Petitt. I don’t have the space to list all of her accolades, but the short list includes being type rated in just about any aircraft that starts with B7xx, incredible author (you should check out her books), grandma, and just because she had too much spare time, doctoral student. We need more incredible women like this that have not only made it to the top of the industry, but are actively promoting it.

We also need more of the major players in the industry to actively pursue and encourage women like Airbus recently did with their “Girls for the Future of Aeronautics” event at their Toulouse factory. Not only do events like this actively encourage women to pursue careers in aviation, it shows them how many different careers there are in aviation which is the second major stereotype that we must change.

Tell someone that you work in aviation, and 99 times out of 100 their next question will be, “Are you a pilot?” Not that there is anything wrong with that, I am trying to become a pilot myself, but pilots make up only a small percentage of the world of aviation. Even in the Air Force there are tons of jobs that are not done by pilots.

There are lots of different jobs with airlines which are relatively well-known, but there are also tons of opportunities at FBOs that are relatively easily attained. There are tons of jobs at airports that get entirely overlooked by the vast majority of the flying public. There are jobs for aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers, public relations, social media, and even a few jobs left for navigators. However, we are a dying breed, which really just makes us more special.

The point I am trying to make is that aviation used to be an exciting environment that attracted the best of the best and that almost everyone dreamed about in some way, but somewhere along the way aviation lost some of that appeal. We need to start attracting those people who don’t want to be pilots but would love to work around airplanes.

There is a growing community of avgeeks brought together by the wonder of social media, but these people would work in aviation for free. We need to find the closet avgeeks and bring them into the fold where their passion can infect others and bring aviation into the next generation.

We are on the precipice of a major change in aviation, I can just feel it. We really just need each member of the aviation community to bring along a friend and the industry will be changed forever. Who knows, that friend you bring along may be the next Wright, Earhart, Lindbergh, or Armstrong. Or they may just be a guy with a PPL and a Piper Cub, either way we will be one step closer to changing the stereotypes that are holding us back from incredible growth.

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October 19, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation People Women in Aviation

Tags:Airbus Aviation Stereotypes Fixed Wing Buddha Future of Aviation Karlene Petitt Women in Aviation

Crew Resource Management: A Crew Save is a Good Save

Flying is a part of my life is most everything that I do. At the very least I think about flying during just about anything else that I am doing.

Growing up I always thought of flying as a solitary exercise. Even if I had become an airline pilot with a plane full of people it just seemed like most of the work would be done alone. Even as I went through training I thought I wanted to be on a plane with just me and the pilot. I could not have been more wrong.

The C-130H generally flies with a crew of two pilots, a navigator, engineer, and two loadmasters.

I ended up on the mighty C-130 Hercules with a crew makeup of up to 6 people on most missions, and honestly, that is one of the things I like most about my job. I love the chance that I have to work with other people to accomplish things that could not be done otherwise.

Sure, technology is great, and it can do a lot, but there is really no replacement for a group of people working together to get things done. I have already seen this numerous times in my short career. There have been times where a crew member simply came up with a better idea, or easier way to do something, and other times they have literally saved my life.

When we go in for a check-ride one of the common phrases that the evaluator often uses is, “a crew save is a good save.” What they mean is that even if the person being evaluated misses something they won’t be penalized if someone else on the crew catches it before there are any adverse affects.

I’ve always loved the message that sends. The message that you are all there as a crew and that the actions of the crew as a whole are what will bring the final results. While it is true that any individual can do things that lead to an unsafe result, there is almost always a chance that someone else on the crew can save them before any damage is done.

I am so grateful for the hundreds of different people I have flown with in my career already. They have each provided me with insights and knowledge that could not have been developed in any other way.

Our crew with a special guest visitor. Best crew I’ve ever flown with.

In particular I am grateful for the crew I flew with while in Afghanistan. I learned more in the two months I had with that crew than in the rest of my flying time combined. Our most experienced crew member was a loadmaster who taught all of us every chance he got, and I will forever be indebted to him for the lessons he taught me.

That is the other message that I want to share today. Whether you just started flying, or have been flying for 50 years, you have worthwhile knowledge that should be shared with others. As aviators we can never stop learning if we want to remain safe. We must constantly be broadening our understanding of the wonder that is flight, and it is the duty of all who have gained experience to share it with others so that we all may stay safer.

Even if you are the only licensed pilot in a 172 with friends, educate them on the basics so that they are an active participant. You never know when their eyes may spot something that saves everyone’s lives.

Never forget, “A crew save is a good save.”

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 12 Airplane

The Global Express has long been my favorite corporate jet.

The last day has finally arrived, and like I said earlier, I have saved the best for last. For the twelfth and last day of Avgeek Christmas, I strongly recommend you buy your favorite avgeek an airplane.

But it can’t just be any airplane. If you really love them a lot then you should buy them a Bombardier Global 5000. That’s right, for the incredibly reasonable price of only $30,500,000 the beautiful plane to the left can be yours. I mean is there really any question here. Just buy it, and thank me later. (If anyone does buy this plane I expect a finder’s fee.)

Okay, so maybe a Global Express is not the right plane for everyone, or most people actually. If however it is in your price range, please send me an email with your contact information, we need to become friends. For the rest of us, there are still quite a few options believe it or not.

The SD-1 minisport is one of many LSA’s that really opens up flying to more people.

One option if you are looking to buy a new plane at a comparatively reasonable price is a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). Not only are they cheaper to buy, the training is simpler, and you don’t even need a special medical certificate. There are quite a few out there now, but one that I found that looks like a lot of fun is the SD-1 Minisport by Skycraft Airplanes.

This LSA cruises at 120 knots with a range of just under 600 miles. The engine is so efficient that it burns only 1.8 gallons per hour at cruise, and has an overall operating cost of only $12/hr. It even has a glass display in the cockpit with GPS and wings that can be removed to transport it in a trailer if you want to. All of this can be yours for the reasonable price of $55,000 and only a $2,000 deposit.

In the event that price is still a little to high for you might I suggest something in the used aircraft category. As always there are tons of options depending on what you are looking for. Sites like Browse the Ramp and Aviation Classifieds will give you plenty of fun stuff to browse through if you have a free afternoon. Here are a couple I found recently.

The Piper CUB is an iconic aircraft that any avgeek would love to fly.

Again in the LSA category, I found this Piper Cub for sale at only $33,000. The Cub is one of those planes that just about every avgeek can admire. Even people who are diehard followers of a certain company will often have a soft spot in the heart for the Cub. I don’t even really know what it is, but they are just a fun little plane that hearkens back to the early days of aviation.

The second one I found is an experimental tail-dragger that you may run across at your local airshow because it is also fully aerobatic. This Pitts S1S is simply stunning and according to aerial demonstrator Lauren Richardson, “They are the best fun you can have with your clothes on. Trust me!” That right there is a pretty ringing endorsement if you ask me, and all of that fun can be yours for the rock bottom price of only $31,500. If you think about it, I bet most people spent more on their last car, and I don’t think any car could be this much fun at that price.

The Pitts S1S is a fully aerobatic plane that will take you for a trip every time you start it up.

I for one was surprised to find such nicely maintained planes at prices that low, but there is still no way I could buy a plane even at that price as I am sure most of you couldn’t either. But that’s okay, there are still a few more options that I had never even really considered until just a couple of weeks ago.

If you read my blog very often, and I hope you will, then you probably saw my post titled, “Becoming a Pilot at a Discount”. The post was mostly just my thoughts on how we could make flying cheaper, but the comments were what truly inspired me. One person in particular, Jeff, left a string of comments about how restoring an older aircraft is possible for just about anyone who is willing to do the work.

The best advice that was given over and over was to find a mentor who can help you pick the right plane and get you through the process. Another great resource is your local EAA chapter who is devoted to helping with experimental aircraft in particular, but any budding aircraft enthusiast.

A couple of other sites that were mentioned for finding aircraft were Barnstormers.com and eBayMotors.com. In just a few minutes of searching on those sites I found dozens of aircraft for less than $20,000 and many below $10,000. Obviously, the cheaper they are, the more work that may be involved, but that sounds like part of the fun to me.

One of my recent excitements that I hope to carry through the rest of my life is the desire to spread aviation to more people who have the interest but just don’t know where to start, or don’t think it is even possible for them. I know those people are out there, it is just a matter of getting them involved.

I know I started this post with a ridiculous option that most of us couldn’t afford with our lifetime earnings, which is still fun to dream about. However, I hope that I have shown you in some small way that owning your own plane is a very real possibility. If I haven’t, go read through the comments from the post that I mentioned and maybe the great people who commented there can get you just as excited as I am.

My Christmas Day is coming to a close here on the other side of the world, and it has been a fine day with some good friends around some awesome aircraft. I hope that you are able to enjoy this day doing something you love with the people that you love, because that is what these holidays are all about, people.

So whether it is Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or whatever holiday you may celebrate. My best wishes to you and your family, and lots of wonderful aviation adventures in the new year.

12 Days of Avgeek Christmas:

Day 1: Aircraft Models and RC Toys
Day 2: Aviation Books and Guides
Day 3: Aviation Apps and Flight Simulators
Day 4: Flight Lessons
Day 5: Headsets
Day 6: Bags and Kneeboards
Day 7: Sunglasses and Watches
Day 8: Handheld GPS
Day 9: Handheld Radio
Day 10: Cameras and Video Recorders
Day 11: Random Aviation Accessories
Day 12: Airplane

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December 25, 2013 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aircraft Aviation Aviation People Bombardier General Aviation

Tags:Bombardier Global Express EAA Light Sport Aircraft Piper Cub for Sale Pitts S1S for Sale Project Airplanes Sd-1 Minisport Skycraft Airplanes

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 11 Random Aviation Accesories

There are lots of aviation inspired items for your home out there.

As I mentioned at the very beginning of all of this I’m not sure why my wife thinks I am hard to shop for. As an avgeek there is tons of stuff that I would love to have for Christmas. There hasn’t been a single thing I have posted that I wouldn’t be happy getting. On top of all of the things I have already posted, there are tons of little odds and ends that are sure to make any avgeek happy.

There are lots of fun ideas people have come up with utilizing aviation instruments as their inspiration. One of the most common creations are clocks with an instrument as the background all of which would look great on a desk or wall.

For the little avgeeks out there you could always go for an awesome pair of Dusty Crophopper slippers from the amazingly wonderful movie Planes. I know my son got a pair and he flipped out he was so excited. Just about anything from that movie, or the movie itself, would make an awesome present. The funny thing about us avgeeks is that most of us never really grow up. Flying keeps you young.

My son loves his Dusty slippers, I just wish they had them in my size.

For a little more gown up clothing option, you can always go with a leather bomber jacket. I know it was a pretty big deal to me when I finally got mine from the Air Force. Along with the sunglasses, it is just one of those classic looks that you think of when you think about a pilot. There are plenty of good options out there starting at around $100, but just remember, you often get what you pay for.

Personally, I have always hated getting clothes for Christmas, so I would be more interested in something useful/fun as opposed to something I would buy for myself anyway. One of the most useful things you could buy an up and coming aviator is an iPad. Just browse through these few posts alone and you will see how often I mention the usefulness of iPads.

Now for the sake of full disclosure I am an avid Apple hater, but even I can’t ignore the practical applications of the iPad. I would hope that Android options would catch up, but for now aviation is clearly an Apple dominated world. If you are looking to save a little bit of money, an iPad mini will be just as useful, and in many cases a little easier to handle in a smaller cockpit.

Leather jackets are something that have always been synonymous with flyers.

Maybe you are more of a refined avgeek and in that case you may be more interested in an aviation poster or painting.

Another great suggestion I received from a fellow avgeek was a trip somewhere. It may be hard to believe, but many of us avgeeks take as much pleasure in the plane ride as in any destination we may be going to. If I might make a particular suggestion of an amazing trip that would be incredible for any avgeek I would suggest a trip to Seattle (technically Everett and Renton) to visit the Boeing factories.

If this sounds intriguing to you, might I recommend a particular weekend for this trip. President’s Day weekend is the annual gathering of avgeeks in Seattle known as Aviation Geek Fest 2014 in this case. It is an incredible weekend of serious avgeekery. Put on by the AirlineReporter himself David Parker Brown, it is full of special tours and events that you cannot normally experience. The official details have not yet been released, but it gets bigger and better every year.

Outside of the actual events it is an amazing opportunity to meet up with fellow avgeeks and do what we do best, talk about planes. There are often even unofficial gatherings at local bars and restaurants throughout the weekend for further bonding and merriment. Last year there was even one group that came all the way from Europe to join in, and they said it was totally worth the trip. You can sign up to be on the email list on the Airline Reporter website.

As you can see we avgeeks are not hard to shop for, it is just that most people just don’t understand the joy that we derive from such simple things. They don’t understand how we could enjoy sitting around an airport for five hours in the hopes that you might see that one plane you have longed to see forever. For us it is an adventure, it is thrilling, and it is not something that you can describe to someone else. There was a time when flying was a wonder to just about everyone, we have just continued that wonder through to the modern-day.

Due to a miscalculation on my part that I blame on the time difference, there will be two posts today, and I have saved the best for last. No matter how unrealistic you may think day 12 is, I encourage you to give it a read because you may find yourself as inspired as I am right now. Just read the post and I hope you will understand.

12 Days of Avgeek Christmas:

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 2 Aviation Books and Guides

One of the gifts that I have started to appreciate more as I get older is a good book. I have always enjoyed reading, but when I was younger it was more out of necessity than real pleasure. Now I realize the value of reading in all of its many forms.

Much of my reading these days is in the form of blogs and other online content. These provide a valuable resource of information that in the past just simply was not available. Much of what I read these days, about aviation in particular, could only be found by spending most of your life at an airport. Now as great as that sounds, I just simply do not have the time for that, nor do most people.

In all of these online interactions I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people that have endowed me with vast amounts of knowledge that I otherwise never would have had. Some of this knowledge has been practical, and some of it simply entertaining, but all of it has been worthwhile.

This book could make your aviation dreams a reality.

For the second day of Avgeek Christmas, I would like to share some of that knowledge with you, or at least give you the opportunity to go out and get it, because if you didn’t already know this about aviation, the sky truly is the limit, but you have to be willing to take the steps necessary to get there. Maybe the best part about these gifts is that they all come in around $20 or less.

The first piece of aviation related literature that I would highly endorse is one that is designed to help save you money no matter where you are at in your aviation pursuits. The Pilot’s Guide to Flying on a Budget is the most comprehensive guide written to help all of us avgeeks make our aviation dreams come true.

If you browse the internet you will find random articles with snippets of information that might be useful if you know how to apply them, but the author of this eBook has done exactly the opposite.

Brent Owens has spent his entire flying career in general aviation amassing nearly 10,000 hours of flight time in over 40 types of aircraft. His unique perspective is evident in the blog he writes, his comments on Twitter, and his new eBook, The Pilot’s Guide to Flying on a Budget.

This insightful book takes a look at all different kinds of general aviation flying and helps you figure out a way to make flying a reality no matter what your situation is. There really is something for everyone in this book to help save money, and suffice it to say that Brent definitely lives up to his goal: “My goal is to use this medium to promote, educate, and share this great gift of flight that we all enjoy!”

The Last Bush Pilots will leave you longing to fly in Alaska.

Now maybe you like aviation, but you want to leave the flying to others, and would rather just read about their adventures. No shame in that, I for one love a good read, especially if it is one about airplanes and flying. If that sounds like you, or your favorite avgeek, then I have the perfect book for you.

There may be no more exciting and dangerous flying than that done by bush pilots, and there is likely no more unforgiving destination for bush pilots than Alaska. Eric Auxier should know, since before he became an Airbus captain and insightful blogger, he was an Alaskan bush pilot himself.

In his second book, The Last Bush Pilots, Eric paints a picture of flying that will leave you in awe whether you are a true avgeek or not. He paints pictures with words that are every bit as beautiful and moving as anything ever drawn or photographed. The book is fiction, but based on many of his experiences in Alaska. I literally could not put the book down, until I had to so that I could get some sleep before flying.

This book was a recent read of mine and you can find my full review on my previous post.

Flying adventure is not necessarily for everyone either. Maybe you love aviation, and you also love a good suspenseful thriller where you never know exactly what will happen next. You may even be a fan of a little romance in your reading. Nothing wrong with that, I personally have a romantic attachment to planes. (I’d tell you not to tell my wife, but she is well aware of it.)

Flight for Control paints a brutally honest picture of the airline industry today.

If this sounds like more your type of read then may I heartily endorse Karlene Petitt’s first novel Flight for Control. This is the first in a trilogy of books, with the second segment set to arrive around the New Year which will bring much joy to all of us who are anxiously waiting. Throughout the entire book I wasn’t sure what was going on, but in a good way.

Karlene does an excellent job of weaving a tapestry of incidents that all lead to the exciting conclusion where everyone involved has their world turned upside down. It is a very real depiction of the aviation world that we live in, and the challenges that face the industry. Much the way that Brent and Eric write from experience, Karlene is an incredibly experienced pilot that has run the full gamut of the ups and downs of being an airline captain.

While I found Flight for Control to be incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking, it is definitely not for everyone. Karlene makes it very clear that this book is written for adults that can handle some pretty intense topics and mature situations. That being said, anyone involved in aviation, even as a bystander, will benefit from reading this book. There is also great benefit to following Karlene’s blog as it provides limitless inspiration and insightful topics.

My last recommendation is a non-fiction offering from one of the greatest fiction authors of our time. Tom Clancy is well-known for his military themed novels that have enthralled millions of people in both book and movie form.

I would highly recommend every single one of his novels, especially the Jack Ryan series, as he is one of the most perfect characters I have ever experienced. If only he were a real person instead of the beautiful result of an extremely creative author.

Fighter Wing gives an insider’s view of how a fighter wing works.

Many of these novels have an aviation aspect, but like I said it is one of his non-fiction offerings that fits most closely with the theme of an Avgeek Christmas offering. Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing is part of the Clancy military reference library where he utilizes his special access to these military units to give an inside look at how they operate.

This book is definitely not a novel and it doesn’t read like one. It is a pretty straightforward look at the people and equipment that give the US Air Force the world’s premier air superiority. There are some pretty awesome pictures included, as well as a beautiful description of flight in the back of an F-15E by Clancy’s co-author John Gresham, because apparently Clancy gets air sick.

I thought this would be the fitting conclusion to a list of Avgeek books with the recent passing of Mr. Clancy. He, like all of the authors I mentioned here, provided an essential opportunity for people to fall in love with airplanes and aviation.

One of the greatest resources for industry insights and information is one of the many flying organizations that have been established. The two biggest that I would recommend looking into are AOPA and EAA, but there are all kinds of different groups depending on what you are looking for. They all provide great resources for flyers of all types, and are well worth the membership fees.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is the largest aviation organization in the world with over 400,000 members. They are incredibly active in supporting general aviation by trying to influence Congress and provide them accurate information so they understand how important general aviation is.

They also create numerous products in both print and electronic editions that are both informative and instructional. They are also becoming more involved in encouraging young pilots and trying to help increase the pilot population. If there is one organization you should join in aviation, this is probably the one.

They offer a handful of different membership options for pilots, student pilots, military members, and even youth. Annual memberships range from $25-99 as well as a few free trial options for students all of which include at least one of AOPA’s valuable magazines. It will definitely be money well spent.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an organization that focuses on supporting recreational aviation that has tons of great offerings. They support the Young Eagles program which aims to get kids excited about aviation, as well as likely there most well known offering, EAA AirVenture at OshKosh which is one of the most popular airshows in the world.

Everything that EAA does is designed to support the growth of aviation. One of their most unique attributes is the support they offer to aircraft builders and restorers. There is an incredibly network of people that are anxious to help anyone fulfill their dream of flying their own plane no matter what kind it is.

Membership for EAA is also incredibly reasonable at $40 for a digital membership meaning you get your EAA products digitally instead of print. It is slightly more for an international print membership, but still only $66. They also offer a family membership for an extra $10 that includes the entire family. They do offer a lifetime membership that is pretty attractive if you can afford the $1,295 one-time price tag.

Each of these offerings will provide valuable information, and in many cases entertainment. If you are looking for something a little more practical, possibly for a student pilot or a pilot working on a new rating, or even just other entertaining books, there are many different study guides and other resources that can be found on Amazon.

12 Days of Avgeek Christmas:

C-130J Crash Reminds Me of the Dangerous Nature of Aviation

Discipline and Positivity Will Help Improve the Pilot Population as Much as Anything

Christmas in a Piper Cub

Lessons Learned: Flying for Others Can be Better than Flying for Yourself

Veterans Day is a Celebration of People

Changing the Stereotypes of Aviation

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 12 Airplane

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 11 Random Aviation Accesories

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 2 Aviation Books and Guides

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