Recent content by tawood

Not an accident, but almost. Especially relevant to me right now, as I just missed a powered parachute the other day. I was flying into the sun at 4500 MSL (3500 AGL) and I just missed it off my left wing.

This case is interesting...they suspected the plane was drug smuggling because the flight made frequent stops for fuel, frequent altitude and course changes, and at one point turned off its transponder for a whole THREE MINUTES (gasp!). This pretty much describes every flight I've ever made...

Not sure of the magnitude (looks like the article is behind a paywall). But, on a similar vein, I came across some audio/video of an incident yesterday that would be classified as an incursion...when I listened to the recording, I could totally understand how this pilot made his mistake. The...

I've always been a flashlight nut. I bought a new flashlight for the airplane a couple months ago, and I really like it: Only $20 bucks but seems well made, takes AAA batteries (which I prefer over chargeable for flying), and best of all, it has 2 separate buttons: one for white light, one...

Although I think cost is part of the problem, I also think in today’s age, flying doesn’t have the “magic feel” it once did. When I was a kid, I’d look up at every plane or jet flying over as if it was some sort of magical object. While on vacation at our summer cabin, we would go to a laundry...

And I think that's were the perception of the FAA "being lazy" comes in. As a former investigator myself ( not FAA investigator btw), I could see where the FAA investigators at first thought this whole affair could be handled at the FSDO level....when it became clear through push back or bad...

^^^This^^^ I could only guess as to the “why” he buzzed, but it could be just a friend in a somewhat sparse desert area as a way to hotdog a little…or more nefarious that it could be to stir up and aggravate the neighbor, since there does seem to be an on-going neighbor dispute between the...

No Debonair experience for me, but...when I upgraded from a Cherokee 140 (which I found absolutely fabulous and completely controllable in a crosswind) to an Arrow I was SHOCKED at the loss of rudder authority in the Arrow (especially since they are pretty much the same body). I think it was a...

I noticed that too…but…I’ve had flying days were once I’m above a certain altitude my planes shadow seems to disappear. Also, so it isn’t casting a shadow when it should, then what is it? Some of these cases aren’t just video recorded, they are also eye witnessed, which would rule out some...

Curious what others think of some of these UAP, such as the "Mosul Orb" video that was just released: And some of these other cases: Myself, I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to presuming these types of things are extraterrestrial in origin. They do have my curiosity up though.

Good job! I'd have to clean my shorts afterward! In my younger days, I had an engine out, and I remember thinking "I should be scared but I'm not". Helped that at the time I was flying a light/slow high-wing bush plane type. I think I'd feel differently now!

I often see them over the southern Atlantic/Pacific around South America...someone told me they are there to provide wifi to cruise ships...I don't know if that is true though. They are usually around the same altitude as the one you saw.

Just saw this one in the news this morning: https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-man-arrested-shining-laser-pointer-police-helicopter-pursuit

Along the same lines, several times around Christmas, I've read articles about unintentional laser / plane incidents due to those holiday light displays made with lasers....if you allow your Christmas display to shine into an airplane, is that a felony too? I actually had this happen to me...

As a reference (and understand that I'm sure every DPE is different), mine let me substitute a VFR-only GPS for a DME. I did ask him first. Otherwise, we would have had to fly about an hour away to find the type of approach I needed...also, often times radar can substitute for DME...