Recent content by Witmo

If you own a 150/150, your paperwork should include the STC for installing the O-320 engine and in that paperwork would be any increase in the gross weight of the aircraft. I flew a 150/180 and it increased the gross weight to 1750 as per the STC.

Unfortunately there is a wide range of competence from FSDO to FSDO and from inspector to inspector.

Is a safety pilot required to log anything in his logbook? I think not. Even for just flying, a pilot doesn't need to log any flights unless they are to prove currency or are used for a ratings requirement. Some pilots who don't intend to carry passengers or fly under IFR or pursue further...

I imagine somebody drops a dime on him to the FAA and they check his log book and contact the "safety pilot" to confirm. Falsifying his log book could conceivably result in all his certificates being revoked.

Looked up the requirements for safety pilot as I was asked to accompany a friend doing some currency work. The last time I was a safety pilot I knew I had to have a current medical but didn't need any currencies. Turns out since I had Basic Med instead of a medical, I could only be safety...

Several years after buying a 150, I had gotten (overly) comfortable with gnarly crosswind landings. On a cross country I was overflying an airport and noticed the windsock was 90 off the runway so I decided to drop in and do a touch and go. I don't remember exactly the wind velocity but the...

Stomp on the rudder when you're at a high angle of attack and tell me what happens.

Somebody does a W&B for every airline flight. It may be the dispatcher or one of the pilots but I would be flabbergasted if there wasn't an official W&B done as part of the dispatch process.

I did all my initial training in a Cessna 150. We were always at max gross :)

The point I was trying to make was having a dedicated airframe for one single mission is an expensive solution to a single requirement. Having a roll on, roll off, module that can be used when needed and stored when it's not which allows the use of the airframe for other missions, is a more...

The Air Force has dedicated E4 Command Post 747s for Strategic Command and Control for flying around the continental US. I would suspect that we have capability today of rolling onto a C17 a similar connectivity capability for combatant commanders when they are traveling around their AOR so...

I haven't seen a transcript of what was presented at the court martial so I can't say. My comment was based on the only information available to me. I've seen officers who have behaved badly get a similar punishment when a junior enlisted would have been dishonorably discharged. It may be...

Reminds me of a story when I was an instructor at Mather AFB and my squadron moved into a new building. We painted reserved parking spots for all the permanent party in the adjacent parking lot. All the parking spots but one or two in the far corner were "reserved." Worked out great until the...

I don't think some of y'all are clear on what the chain of command is concerning commanders of combatant commands. As CC of CENTCOM the only people above him are the SECDEF and President. He is the big cheese in his AOR and is probably really antsy when he's out of the loop of what's going on...

The accident pilot was placed in command of a prestigious test unit 6 months after the accident board released its findings. The accident pilot was undoubtedly on the fast track for a star and had been assured that the accident would not affect his new assignment. The Commandant of Marines had...