Who cares?

21 Down, 29 to go.

2012-01-18T01:01:00.000-08:00

Recently we went on a family vacation to Arizona. Ahead of our departure I looked up flight schools (fixed base operators of FBO in pilot speak) in the Phoenix area and there are plenty. Unlike my seven state tour of earlier this summer, I knew I would not be crossing any state boundaries, and all I wanted was to land a plane. I didn't even want to get checked out. Just grab an instructor and

Convergence

2011-12-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

I love convergence. When what was once a wrist watch becomes a stopwatch, I consider that a good thing -- getting two functions where there was just one. When a pocket knife also becomes a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, its functionality multiplies, when a phone becomes a clock, email, flashlight, browser, magazine, game console... It becomes indispensable. When my game console lets me watch

This is NOT why I fly.

2011-11-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Took some time to go flying today. It was rotten weather, low clouds, windy, gusty, raining with limited visibility. It wasn’t supposed to be. When I checked earlier the clouds were middleish (I don’t think that is really a word). There should have been plenty of space between the ground and the clouds to fly. But once I left the immediate area of the airport, the weather set in. I headed

Ego Surfing 2.0

2011-10-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Jean expands my interweb fame. Read more.

Replacing the chain oil pump on a Stihl 034

2011-07-26T00:32:00.001-07:00

While running my chainsaw, I noticed the chain was getting tight on the bar, and not operating free. As I examined it closer, I found the bar was not being oiled. It turned out that my oil pump had stopped working. Here's how to replace it. Get out your tools. The 034 comes with a rudimentary tool kit that has almost everything you will need. A flat head screwdriver, a number x torx, a 5/8th

Most Active Blog Post.

2011-07-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Out of Tragedy comes Triumph.OK, that's a bit over-dramatic. The blog post I get most comments on is the one about replacing broken mirrors on my truck.It is nice to know I have helped others in some small ways. I took great joy in the comment from the Juanita Williams who was able to repair her husbands truck. I am excited every time someone says thanks. I figure maybe one in 10 folks

Why I Fly (Chapter 16)

2011-07-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was on a business trip to CT. I knew I also needed to spend the weekend on the east coast, so I decided to get checked-out for an airplane rental and take the plane on a quick tour of New England. As a result of casual conversation in the office, I decided to get checked out at Blue Sky Flight at Bridgeport's Sikorsky Memorial Airport in a Grumman AA-5. It was from this airport the

Why I Fly (Chapter 15)

2011-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Matt has decided to take up flying. He has done so before, but this time he is doing so with a vengeance. This time he has decided to not only get his pilot's license, but at the same time, build his own airplane. The idea of building your own plane sounds much crazier than it is in real life. Most folks building their own plane will also be flying their own plane, and are therefore

More on Sonic Booms

2011-04-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

A follow up to the sonic boom post.And by the way the vapor you see in the shock wave is called a Prandtl–Glauert singularity. Say that three times real fast.

Sonic Booms over Seattle

2010-08-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Recently there were sonic booms over the Puget Sound region. These sonic booms were set off by a pair of F-15 fighter jets that were scrambled to intercept a small seaplane that had violated a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) around the President of the United States. He was in town fund raising for our embattled Senator, Patty Murray. There is crazy amount of disinformation around events

Why I Fly (Chapter 14)

2010-04-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

I was sitting there on my way back from St Mary's, Georgia to Kissimmee, Florida, going 116 miles per hour. I was thinking, "Can't this thing go any faster?" and I was reminded of "Everything's Amazing and Nobody's Happy." I had just checked off two items from my States-I-have-Landed-an-Airplane-in list yet the plane feels agonizingly slow. Just how slow? Only 101 knots. Yawn.