Monthly Archives: July 2011

AirVenture Is America’s National Air Show

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Mac

Every year a new and important segment of aviation—no make that the broader term of aerospace—learns what we AirVenture veterans have known for years. This really is America’s national air show, and it’s the best in the world. This time … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Airmanship, EAA, Flying for Fun, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog | 1 Comment

The FAA Doesn’t Take Away

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Mac

We blame the FAA for a lot of things we don’t like in aviation, and sometimes we’re right. But as I was standing there looking at the beautiful brand new Wacos here at AirVenture I realized the FAA isn’t in … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Airmanship, Industry & Government | 9 Comments

Flying For Fun Professionally

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Mac

I have always stumbled a little over the concept of recreational flying, or sport flying. Somehow those words—even though I know the intended meaning—don’t quite go together with the absolutely serious task of flying. The problem is that flying, any … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, Flying for Fun, Industry & Government, Safety | 16 Comments

Oshkosh Is the Place for Embraer Jets

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Mac

When Embraer launched its first clean sheet business jet design it came to AirVenture. That was six years ago, and the Brazilian airplane manufacturer has returned to Oshkosh every summer since to show off its growing line of business jets. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Industry & Government, Technology | 2 Comments

A New Day For An Old Turboprop

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Mac

When Alan Klapmeier announced that a Honeywell TPE331 engine would power the new composite turboprop single Kestrel that is now in development I started trying to think how long it had been since that engine had been selected to power … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Airmanship, Technology | 2 Comments

Keeping Your Head Up—HUD Avionics Help

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Mac

With each new advance in avionics technology traditionalist among us worry that we are all flying around with our heads down and locked—inside the cockpit. They do have a point. The most crucial information on your actual flight trajectory is found … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Industry & Government, Safety, Technology | 3 Comments

Can the FAA afford to come to Oshkosh?

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Mac

As of yesterday, the FAA is broke. Now it looks like the FAA leaders may not even have the money to come to Oshkosh. What a crazy system. The FAA has been operating on a long string of very short-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, EAA, Industry & Government | 17 Comments

Fisk(e) and Oshkosh, Here We Come

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Mac

With just the short hop between my new home airport at Muskegon, Michigan, and Oshkosh, I’ll be flying VFR to the big show this year. So it will be out to Ripon and the Fisk arrival for Stancie and me … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, EAA, Safety | 5 Comments

What Do Control Towers Control?

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Mac

Minneapolis Center controllers handed Stancie and me off to the temporary control tower at Tarkio, Missouri, with a clearance to fly a visual approach. We, and many dozens of other pilots, were arriving at Tarkio for the annual EAA Chapter … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, Flying for Fun, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Safety | 16 Comments

iPad Takes Aviation by Storm

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Mac

Pilots have been users of all sorts of personal electronic devices (PED) but I have never seen a new piece of electronics catch fire with pilots like the Apple iPad. The bright, colorful tablet is showing up in flight decks … Continue reading →

Posted in Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Technology | 27 Comments