Affordable Aviation

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — Well, we’re into 1998 and news is already starting to provide advance notice of an interesting year. ••• But first, I want to go back a few months and reflect on comments I’ve written about the so-called "decline of hang gliding." At the November ’97 USHGA board of directors meeting, a […]

ST. PAUL, MINN. — A couple months ago, this entire column focused on D-Cell gliders. Now a new story seems to be emerging, even in the depths of a cold winter. The operative words in the story are: Tow Airparks. Actually, several terms are used to describe these flying places, but nothing obscures the trend […]

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Can you believe another year is about to slip away? Sure seemed to fly by to me. I’ll bet the same is true for Ken Brown. He’s had quite a year since about this time last fall when we discussed activities at Pacific Airwave. ••• As you are all aware now, […]

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Whew! I’ve never seen rigid wing fever like this. Based on several reports received — plus intensifying chatter on various Internet lists — these gliders have more inertia than during any of the 19 years that I’ve been writing this column and reporting on rigid wing developments. Throughout that long period, […]

KINGMAN, ARIZ. — Where? Kingman is north of Phoenix and isn’t far from the popular soaring site of Mingus Mountain. Why am I here? Because BRS hires a large aircraft here to drop heavy weights as the company conducts final R&D tests for the Cirrus parachute. Cirrus will certify their four-seater SR20 early next year […]

ST. PAUL, MINN. — As I prepare for the big Oshkosh Airshow (like getting ready to meet an 800-pound gorilla, say some), I’m baffled by surging interest in powered trikes. For years, European producers have tried to sell these machines to Americans. It was always slow going because those who knew weight shift, delta-winged flying […]

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Summer’s hot and so’s the season. Here we go as the summer thermal season reaches a zenith. El Niño is predicted to cause fluctuations in worldwide agriculture this year, acting up as it reportedly does on a ten-year cycle. Dependent as we both are on weather patterns, Niño is also of […]

DUNLAP, TENN. — Back in the Chattanooga area and up at Henson Gap for Memorial Day weekend, I was hoping to do a lot of soaring on the newly completed Cumulus motorglider. However, with only one day remaining, a stationary weather system was foiling those plans. Meanwhile I had some time to put out another […]

ST. PAUL, MINN — Back home after attending the big Sun ‘n Fun airshow and just before that another USHGA board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs (the HQ of the association for those of you just back from another planet). ••• One of the evenings involved a little party at Yoo-shga offices. While the […]

ST. PAUL, MINN — We’re in the high season now, and except for the excess moisture in some parts of the country, hopefully it’ll be a year for some excellent flying. One place this will happen in in North Carolina at the oldest ongoing hang gliding event in the world. ••• In just a few […]