Aircraft insurance underwriters might demand hefty premiums for some high-performance taildraggers, but the tame Cessna 120/140 series could put them at ease. With the right initial training, a focus on staying current and keeping up with maintenance, these little Cessna classics are decent airplanes for pilots stepping into the world of tailwheel flying. The reality […]
In the 1960s and 1970s Beech, Piper and Cessna worked to instill brand loyalty and encourage owners to progressively step up within the product line. More than a few pilots who learned to fly in a Musketeer, Cherokee 140 or Cessna 150 eventually became owners who wound up flying Barons, Aztecs or 400-series Cessnas and […]
In a market where used aircraft prices are skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the Aviat Husky models are premium priced. As of spring 2021, the earliest Husky (from 1998) has a typical retail price around $75,000, while later models are we’ll north of $200,000. Seem pricey for a two-place fabric taildragger? For some people. For […]
The bugaboo with today’s avionics upgrades is dealing with the sharp learning curve that tags along. It’s nothing new, and in my work on the shop level, I saw countless owners struggle with their new interfaces, and some almost became smoking craters because they didn’t know how to push the new buttons when workload got […]
We’ve been owning and flying airplanes long enough to know for certain that the sport has many things going for it. But let’s be real—membership also comes with some downsides. This includes rising insurance premiums, ever-changing fuel prices, monthly database updates and, of course, maintenance and upgrades. While we encourage owners to perform as many […]
Park a later-model Cirrus SR20 nose-to-nose with its big-brother SR22 and you’ll be hard-pressed to tell which is which. And that’s a hint for why the SR20 is a good primer for flying the higher-horsepower SR22, and for many new pilots, starting in an SR20 is the better way to move up. It may never […]
Not surprisingly, the FAA has issued specific guidance for airman (and air traffic control specialists) who plan to get any of the available COVID-19 vaccines. According to a release issued by the federal air surgeon (via the FAA’s Office of Aerospace medicine), FAA medical certificate holders may not act as pilot in command, or in […]
As we’ve been reporting ad nauseam, the hardened aircraft insurance market is presenting challenges for aging pilots and even younger, inexperienced ones looking to step up to high-performance pistons and turbines. So when reader Keith Rosema reached out and asked for advice on picking the right insurance agent, we asked two highly experienced insurance pros […]
Getting a glider into the air is a community affair—assistance is required. While a launch can be carried out via a winch and a long cable or a car and a long cable, by far the most common method is to use an airplane and a 200-foot nylon rope to launch the sailplane. That means […]
Earn your wings in an entry-level Piper PA-28 and a logical step-up may be a PA-32R. From the early 300-HP Lance to the late-model Saratoga II TC, these high-performance retrac singles are nicely supported (both in maintenance and aftermarket mods), plus pilots and passengers like them for load-hauling go-places travel. Comparable-performing singles are the Beech […]
The sale of a homebuilt/experimental category amateur-built aircraft—either completed or under construction—adds a few variables beyond the change of ownership of a factory-built machine. The buyer may not have experience flying aircraft that don’t meet FAA requirements for such things as stability and control and may not have realistic expectations about his/her ability to fly […]
