Recent content by Doug F

Not a lot of details. Flightaware data. Looks like a training flight.

When I had my 'unscheduled off airport landing' in a Skycatcher, it landed upside down. The seats pivot forward so the interior geometry changes. I spent at least 30 seconds trying to reach the out of reach door handle then decided to unbuckle. Being upside down, the belt was under pressure so...

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously denied a request from Red Bull to do the stunt, as reported by Fox 10 Phoenix. The agency wrote: "The FAA has considered the petition, and finds that granting an exemption from § 91.105(a) would not be in the public interest and cannot...

It's gotta be this

Everybody got out alive.

222.22 miles in a hang glider.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/05/28/plane-crash-cambridge-ohio-paul-emaus/5273172002/ I didn't see this posted. Pilot died the next day. RIP.

I'm an Air Force brat (Dad was a lifer) and that was how my parents approached service life. We got to go some really great places and it was a good life.

This is based on folks I know who are currently Naval flight officers. In general, if you're #1 in your training class, you get to pick your plane. #2 generally does as well. However, if the service decides that they need a bunch of <insert plane> jockeys, then you get what they want. Then...

I wear wire frame glasses and never had any issue with pain.

This makes me feel ever so slightly better about my off-field landing. I wish that this vid had been part of my training. It does a great job of explaining how an emergency unfolds. After watching this, I can add a few things to my original posting in Lessons Learned from Nov 2018. The place I...

This is from the USGS. The NWS uses 'gage'. You can look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls.

A web search turned up this post from 15 years ago. Most of the other hits were from entertainment sites.

If you have one, watch the carb heat gauge. Carb ice doesn't always cause a rough running engine. Side note; the Garmin G300 in the Skycatcher I flew offered all kinds of verbal warnings. I can't figure out why they didn't include verbals for some of the critical engine parameters. I know there...

I took my 89 year old mom (who has a really bad back) up in a Skycatcher. I brought along a small fold-up step to make it easier for her to get in and out of the plane. Check to see how long they can sit still and build your flight around that time. My mom was good for about an hour so I made...