Favorite Logbook Entries

After 20+ years and over 500 posts, there are a lot of entries in this logbook. This page contains shortcuts to my favorites.

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!":
Favorite flying trips



An Aerial Road Trip to Fort Myers (Or, How Kristy Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Airplane), June 2005
- My wife takes her first, multi-state cross country flight by general aviation and actually enjoys it. It was a big step for us both.

Flight of the Fudgies, July 2009
- Kristy and I flew to Mackinac Island (and other places) for our anniversary.

Spelunking Aviatrix, July 2010
- Family flight to Luray Caverns in Virginia.

A Bear's Odyssey, June 2011 (in seven parts)
- A flight from New York to Florida and back again with Kristy and The Bear.

The Pilgrimage That Almost Wasn't, October 2011
- Solo day trip at the 1000 hour mark to visit the Wright Brothers memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC.

The Flying Bear Visits Sleeping Bear, August 2012 (in four parts)
- The Bear flies to Michigan and visits the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, and other places.

"In Commemoration of the Conquest of the Air", August 2013
- Landing at First Flight Airport with the family.

Where the Waters Meet, June 2014
- Visit to historic Fort Ticonderoga with the family.

America's Castles - Part II: Return to Heart Island, August 2014
- Family flight to visit Boldt Castle on Heart Island.

"Living the Dream" on Alton Bay, February 2015
- Landing on the only FAA-certified ice runway in the continental United States.

Leitmotif, May 2016
- Kristy and I fly to Boston in some weather, experiment with Uber, and see John Williams conduct the Boston Pops.

Billy Bishop's Alternate Universe, Part 1, May 2017
- We make our first international flight to Toronto, Ontario.

Flight to Totality, August 2017
- Family flight to Copperhill, TN for viewing the total eclipse.

Expedition to the Outer Lands, October 2017
- Solo flight to Block Island.

Ice Runway Pilots, February 2018
- A return to Alton Bay with Ed C.

These Vagabond Wings Are Longing To Stray, September 2019.
- A circumnavigation of Manhattan.

Sublime, February 2020.
- A beautiful visit to the mountains in winter.

Tales from Braying Dock Manor | Part 6, Mission STS-481, July 2021.
- Shooting the approach to NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility in Titusville, FL.

Carolina Sojourn | Part 4, Where Red Tails Soared, August 2021.
- An inspiring visit to Moton Field in Tuskegee, AL, birthplace of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Ghost Ship: The Nighthawk, August 2021.
- I got some hands-on time during restoration of a Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter.

To Boldly Go..., September 2021.
- Exploring a recreation of the original Star Trek Enterprise in Ticonderoga, NY.

- Eighteen years worth of photographs through the windows of Warrior 481.

Breaking Away, August 2022.
- Returning to the laboratory of my late PhD advisor for the last time.

Aircraft Ownership:
And the joys and trials thereof...



- "Hi Dad!  Guess what?  I just bought an airplane."

All Shook Up, September 2004.
- How I learned that my aircraft troubleshooting skills could use some work.

The Second Breather, April 2006
- Engine issues on a cross country flight.  To fly, or not to fly...

Scattered, May 2020.
- A remote location heart transplant.

- Warrior 481 got an upgrade to an autopilot that subsequently tried to kill us.


Tales of the Flying Bear:
Adventures of a young aviatrix



The Flying Bear, August 2007
- The manifold challenges of flying cross country with a two month old infant.

Knoxville...Deferred, April 2009
- General aviation: bringing families together since December 17, 1903 (roughly).

New Copilot, July 2011
- The Bear rides shotgun for the first time.

Whirly Bear, May 2012
- The Bear flies in a helicopter for the first time.

That First Time Grin, September 2012
- Clear the skies, five year old at the controls!

Yankin' and Bankin', August 2013
- The Bear gets more comfortable at the controls.

Clan of the (Flying) Cave Bear, September 2016
- The Bear and I returned to Luray and stopped for incredible brunch at Latrobe.

That Old Autumn Magic, October 2016
- The Bear lands on grass for the first time in Basin Harbor, VT.

Bear Versus Airplane, December 2018
- A return to form for The Bear.


"One Peculiar Passing Moment":
Milestones and noteworthy experiences


Landing Blind, September 2001.
- First solo in a Cessna 150 (N9327U) at Dowagiac, MI.

Mishaps at Muskegon: Student Pilot Solo Cross Country Flight, July 2002.
- Set loose, alone, in southwest Michigan skies.  Learning ensued.

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad, DPE?, September 2002.
- Angst and the private pilot check ride.

Rocky Mountain Dawn Patrol, May 2008.
- Mountain flying training and a landing at the highest elevation public airport in the USA.

Mile High Soaring: A Not-So-Eerie Silence, July 2012.
- First flight in a glider.

Origin Story, May 2013.
- How I came into the world of flying.

Unscripted IFR, July 2013.
- My first serious flying in real world weather and possibly my best ever flying lesson.

With One Eye Tied Behind My Back: Instrument Check Ride (Part 2), July 2013.
- Overcoming a check ride bust to earn my instrument rating.

Majesty and Menace Aloft, August 2014.
- A serious introduction to IFR re-routes and weather deviations on a family trip.

Here There Be Monsters, June 2016.
- My first time ever truly frightened while at the controls of the airplane.

Dragging Tail, June 2017.
- Earning a tailwheel endorsement in a J-3 Cub.

The Human Chain: How Dougall Got His Wings, August 2018.
- My first animal rescue flight...for an old friend.

Thirsty, September 2018.
- Excessive fuel burn nearly became an emergency.

Two Decades of Flying, August 2021.
- A return to the scene of the crime 20 years later.

- Earning my seaplane rating in a 1947 PA-12S.

Essays and Commentary:



Stupid Pilot Tricks, August 2009.
- Good habits can still save the day when complacency sets in.

Carpe Diem, January 2010
- All kids should fly an airplane before driving a car...there's less to hit up there.

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", November 2010.
- It's the weather over Upstate NY that you have to watch out for...

Symphony in Jackson, March 2011.
- A masterful air traffic controller saves the day for a novice pilot.

Exodus: The Professional Life of a Private Pilot, May 2011
- How I came to be based at the birthplace of Jell-O.

"Remember", September 2011.
- On being a pilot and father on 9/11.

Caretakers, March 2012.
- On the bond between pilot and aircraft.

Attend the Tale of Eight Two Fox, April 2012.
- Reincarnation is real, at least for airplanes.

Know Your Limits, May 2012.
- Aeronautical decision making is not a one size fits all proposition.

Being a Good Neighbor, January 2013.
- Making peace with the community whenever possible.

"PIC" Is More Than Just a Column in the Logbook, March 2013.
- Difficult lessons are sometimes the best lessons.

Find Your Voice, February 2015.
- On the love/hate relationship I have had with the radio.

Special, June 2015.
- On the thorny matter of medical certification challenges.

- Flying in the midst of family tragedy.

- Now fortified with more corporate churn.

2 comments:

  1. Whatever became of that Corsair that got stood up on its nose during an air show practice at the Kazoo airport??? I believe it was in the early nineties!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't know...that was before my time there. Though I have to wonder, with a nose like that, I wonder how you could stand the airplane up on it!

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