Innehållsförteckning för May 2025 från Flying

LAST MONTH, I shared a special place in my life. This time, I want to talk about a special plane: the Beechcraft Bonanza. Featured in this issue’s “Used Aircraft Guide,” the Bonanza holds the distinction of being one the longest produced air-craft in history. Its status as an icon in the GA industry is well-earned, thanks to its impressive combination of speed, comfort, and quality build. In this article, Aviation Consumer provides a comprehensive analysis of the Bonanza 36’s performance and features, examining what continues to make it a standout choice for pilots. While the Bonanza’s qualities prove timeless, it holds a more personal significance for me—and I’m sure for many FLYING readers as well. For me, this is the airplane that brings back memories of family trips during the…

WHEN FRANK Sinatra popularized “Fly Me to the Moon,” he was probably envisioning a trip up on NASA’s Apollo Lunar Module, which to date is the only lander to deposit humans on the rocky satellite. But space, once the domain of governments and militaries, is an increasingly commercial arena. In March, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander touched down near the moon’s Mons Latreille, a 4-mile wide mountain rising from the lava plains of the Mare Crisium basin. Over the following lunar day (about two Earth weeks), the car-sized vehicle beamed back a treasure trove of data and, by the time it powered down, accomplished more than any private lunar lander in history. Blue Ghost carried with it NASA’s Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), which took stunning photos…

SINCE I began my column over 10 years ago in IFR Magazine, I’ve strived to write as though you’re with me in the weather operations center. During most of my Air Force career, I worked as an aviation forecaster. For many years, this was a constant succession of four days on, three days off, with rotating shifts. After driving to work, we would begin a shift-change briefing. If this was in the morning, the entire weather station would participate. If it was evening, the events would be more relaxed, with just me and the outgoing forecaster reviewing things. The outgoing forecaster began by covering the current weather picture. We would go over their forecast, itemize any warnings and advisories and review their expiration times, then discuss special aircraft operations, morning…

AN AIR TRAFFIC controller’s primary responsibility is to separate aircraft flying under IFR. Yes, controllers have many other ancillary roles that include helping circumnavigate adverse weather, but it’s not their priority to provide a pilot with weather guidance. Nevertheless, controllers do make an attempt to assist pilots around weather when workload permits. Let’s take a look at the challenges that controllers face in the National Airspace System (NAS) and how to best work with them to minimize your exposure to adverse weather. At the macro level, you’ll find air traffic controllers located at the 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) and at various approach control facilities that serve one or more airports throughout the United States and its territories. Lastly, there are controllers that spend their day in the…

WE ASSOCIATE biplanes with the infancy of aviation, but monoplanes existed from the very earliest days as well. The Bleriot XI that was the first airplane to cross the English Channel was a monoplane, as was the first really effective fighter of World War I, the Fokker Eindecker. German industrialist and all-around genius Hugo Junkers even built an all-metal cantilever low-wing monoplane fighter in 1915—probably the most remarkable example of prescience in the entire history of aviation. A monoplane has aerodynamic advantages, but for one to achieve its full potential its wings need to be cantilevers, and they have to be built in such a way as to resist twisting. That combination of requirements was incompatible with very thin wings, and in the early days of aviation it was widely—though not…

LAST MONTH, we explored how the Aeronautical Map can supplement your charts with dynamic, data-driven overlays. But with a lot of customization options and quick-access toggles, the Aeronautical Map also lets you tailor the look and feel of ForeFlight’s display to your specific needs. Understanding the Basemap The aeronautical map builds on a customizable basemap that provides terrain and geographic context when no other charts or maps are enabled. You can adjust the basemap settings by tapping the map settings button (gear icon) in the toolbar at the top of your screen and experimenting with different configurations: » Dark and light themes: Choose a theme that works best for your environment, whether you’re flying at night or in daylight. » Terrain styles: Shaded terrain emphasizes local terrain variations while colored…

Staff photographer Jon Whittle captured this 1945 Martin JRM-3 Mars, Hawaii Mars, at the sea-plane base at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Hawaii Mars was one of five aircraft built as transport air-craft by Martin Mars during World War II. It went into service for the U.S. Navy in 1945 and “flew cargo between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands during World War II. It later supported the Korean War with medical transport between Hawaii and California before transitioning to cargo operations between the two states,” according to Canadian-based Coulson Aviation, which purchased the aircraft in 2007. Hawaii Mars remained in operation until 2016, then in 2024, Coulson donated the water bomber to the British Columbia Aviation Museum, where it resides today.…

Blake Scholl’s is a familiar Silicon Valley story. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in computer science, worked at Amazon and Groupon, among others, and in 2014 sold a startup he had developed. An instrument-rated private pilot and flight enthusiast, he used the proceeds to create, with two partners, a new company, which they named Boom Technology. The company does business under a less generic and more dramatic name: Boom Supersonic. The none-too-modest aim of Boom Supersonic is to design and manufacture a supersonic airliner, which it calls Overture. Early this year, Boom successfully passed Mach 1 with a one-third scale demonstrator called XB-1. Boom boasts that XB-1 is the first privately developed jet to break the sound barrier. (Privately developed rocket planes, like Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne, did so previously.)…

Most pilots will tell you they enjoy their jobs. This is particularly true when the work involves making a positive difference in the community. Flying for state patrol is one of these flying jobs. These flying law enforcement officers pilot helicopters and airplanes in support of troopers on the ground. But you don’t just walk off the street and get hired. For most flying LEOs, their career in the air division begins on the street as a state trooper. This requirement throws some people, said Washington State Patrol (WSP) Lieutenant Krista Greydanus. The WSP allowed FLYING to spend a morning with the unit learning about the type of flying it does. Greydanus joined WSP after being furloughed from her job as a pilot at Horizon Air. She graduated from the…

IF THERE’S anything I’ve learned in my 31 years in aviation, it’s that just about every pilot claims their spiritual hometown as Lake Wobegon, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Which is to say that if we weren’t all a bunch of raving egomaniacs before we started flying, the experience of soaring through the sky and looking down upon oblivious earthbound folks didn’t do us any favors. I have yet to meet anyone who describes themselves as a below-average pilot, and the least competent people I’ve flown with were all supremely confident in their abilities. And yet, I too have always nursed the secret conceit that I’m an especially capable aviator—at least until recently, when I received incontrovertible…

UNLIKE MOST columns, this one wasn’t much fun to research and write. But it’s late winter in the lower Midwest, and I’m not flying much in a steady diet of snow, rain, high and gusty winds, and low ceilings with clouds full of ice. And besides, this is information every pilot should know. A few months ago, I wrote about the difference between FAA administrative actions in dealing with an alleged violator of the regulations versus civil or criminal prosecutions. I dug in (which was not fun) and learned a lot more about how things can and should work, but often don’t. To begin, what to do if you answer a phone that starts, “This is FAA Inspector Blodgett, calling for Mr. Hotshot Pilotte.” OK, identify yourself as Mr. Pilotte,…

YOU WANT to be connected with everything in your life. Your car, your house, and now your airplane. Garmin Pilot streamlines your connectivity to your airplane using PlaneSync technology. To get the most out of PlaneSync and the GDL 60 datalink in your Garmin Pilot app, try out these features that will assist you in every phase of flight: Preflight Before heading out to your airplane, you have to get a few things in order. How much fuel is in my airplane? Did the FBO pull it out of the hangar? With Remote Aircraft Status, you can keep tabs on your aircraft from the comfort of your couch. Open Garmin Pilot to the aircraft dashboard page and check your fuel quantity, as well as Hobbs, tachometer, flight times, battery voltage,…

AFTER OVER two decades of flying, I have been forced out of aviation, not be-cause of poor health, bad eyesight, or poor judgement, but by insurance carriers who say I am too old to fly. My birth certificate says that I am 78 years old. My body says that I am at least 20 years younger. I am one of the lucky ones. My health is excellent. I take absolutely no medications. My height and weight are perfect. I work out every day by waking 5 to 10 miles. A broken leg stopped my jogging, so now I speedwalk every day of my life. I have no sugar problems, no high blood pressure problems, no ongoing illnesses, no heart problems, no cancers, or any other health problems. I have not…

IT’S THAT time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere—finally—when many pilots set their sights on flying to fun places offering short sleeve weather. One popular destination is always a local or regional fly-in, and literally thousands of pilots save up their nickels for the big, international events like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (July 21-27). I’ve flown into my share of these events over the years, with both good and bad experiences. The good include a “Nicely done!” from a Sun’n Fun controller; the bad involved an ex-perimental amphib cutting through the arrival corridor at my altitude. At one local event on a nearby island’s grass strip, my passenger and I touched down, rolled out and parked smoothly, only to be greeted by some glum faces. Turns out there was a…

“IS IT supposed to look like this?” the pre-solo learner asked, pointing to the right wingtip of the Cessna 172. The wingtip light was askew, hanging by a wire and a piece of what looked like duct tape. Someone or something had whacked that wing tip hard. There was some paint transfer and a scrape on the underside of the wing. This first-flight-of-the-morning discovery turned into a lesson on what to do when you find damage to the airplane. The learner was very concerned that he would have to pay for the repair because he found the damage. That’s not how this works, I assured him, wondering out loud how many times the airplane had flown like that, and if another pilot had noticed the damage but not reported it for…

IN THE realm of business aviation, travel options include one-off charter flights, assorted leasing options, jet card memberships, fractional ownership, and owning your own eight-figure aircraft. Dozens of private aviation companies offer some or all of these options. Some companies often jump into the business believing they have an innovative solution or can offer access for less than competitors—then they’re gone. Others that have hedge fund backing may believe that their financial strength will help them through the natural ebb and flow of business travel when the economy shifts, travel drops off, or fuel prices skyrocket. None of that matters if the experience falls short. Enter NICHOLAS AIR—self-made, unrivaled, and unique among a crowd of would-be competitors. After 25 years, a video on its website still self-professes the company is…

EUREKA SPRINGS IS LOCATED IN Northwest Arkansas, an area that has seen an infusion of capital focused on arts, entertainment, and recreation in the last several years. The historic town is an attractive destination for those looking to step back, both in time and from the demands of daily life. Incorporated in 1880, Eureka Springs boasts many of its original buildings and leisure-focused spirit. The downtown area is continually abuzz with pedestrians enjoying themselves, with its eclectic buildings containing a diverse selection of shops and restaurants. Eureka Springs is nestled in the Ozark Mountains, which are a central asset for the town’s activities and visual appeal. Many of the streets in the main business district have bends and significant elevation gains in order to accommodate the rising terrain—which is why…

IT’S TOUGH to argue that the iconic Beechcraft Bonanza has long ago established itself as one of GA’s most respected piston singles. For buyers searching the six-place, piston-single market, the 36-series Bonanza is certainly worth a look. With a good blend of speed, cabin comfort, and solid build quality, buyers are drawn to them for the same reasons they always have. Still, don’t expect any bargains. Sales pros tell us that while inventory might be more plentiful than it was just a couple of years ago as older pilots walk away from their Bonanzas (many forced out by the hardened insurance market that frowns upon senior pilots flying retracs), resale prices remain strong. In our estimation, Bonanzas might always be premium priced. While still in production in limited numbers by…

THERE IS something both exciting and a little intimidating when the DPE hands you the temporary certificate for your CFI rating. You are now an instructor, the person responsible for training new pilots. And although you passed the check ride, there will still be a learning curve as you apply the knowledge and experience you have acquired. Getting the Job You may be able to get an instructor job as a plain-vanilla CFI, but when airline hiring slows, the preference of the flight school may be to hire instructors who also hold Instructor Instrument (CFII) tickets. Pro tip: While training for your initial instructor rating, learn how to teach instrument approaches. There is no extra experience requirement for the CFII, you just need to know the material and be able…

IF YOU'VE flown in a Garmin glass cockpit with synthetic vision, then you may have seen the “Pathways” feature, a series of constantly moving rectangles on the primary flight display (PFD). Candidly, I’ve never liked Pathways, so I was delighted to recently find a good use for them. Best of all, this tip works in any Garmin glass cockpit with Synthetic Vision technology, so you can use it in anything from a G1000-equipped Cessna 172, up through Cessna business jets with the G3000 and G5000. The following comes from my Max Trescott’s G1000 and Perspective Glass Cockpit Handbook: “Pathways, also known as highway in the sky (HITS), guidance is provided by displaying a series of rectangles that a pilot flies through to maintain the desired course. NASA originally developed this concept,…