A Pilot's Blog » General

A Pilot’s Bag

MrPilot — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:07:14 +0000

“I’m a biker,” Captain Z explained of his quirky motorcycle stickers. And what about the pink stickers on the bag?

He smiled and said: “Those are for my daughter.”

The flight bag is an essential piece of gear for any pilot to carry, from weekend hobbyist pilots to professional airline pilots. The bag contains your logbook, charts, flight computer(s), essential manuals, a flashlight, and anything else you might need during the flight. Author Jonathan Littman posts about his experience meeting a pilot and his “bag”.

MrPilot.org Receives Award

MrPilot — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:59:24 +0000

I was sent a note from a website called Tripbase informing me that I had been nominated as a finalist in the Flight Awards category of their 2009 Blog Awards. I poked around their website and they’ve got a clever idea going. Using a slider tool, you tell them what you want in a vacation based on several different categories and it presents you with a list of destinations you can go to based on those criteria. They’re currently in beta, but I think it will be a cool site when they get it finished. Thanks for the nod, Tripbase!

Note: Since this is my first award, I’ve created a new awards section you can navigate to from the top menu.

Tripbase Blog Awards 2009

Falcon 1: 4th Time is a Charm

MrPilot — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:50:43 +0000

Today, on their 4th launch attempt, SpaceX successfully sent their Falcon 1 spacecraft into orbit, becoming the first private company to do so with a fully liquid fueled rocket. Congratulations SpaceX!

Happy 32nd Birthday to the Space Shuttle!

MrPilot — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:03:39 +0000

The public was introduced to the Space Shuttle Enterprise on this date in 1976. After her came Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. We celebrate the incalculable benefits mankind has gained from their collective service, and will never forget Challenger and Columbia and their crews for giving their lives in the advancement of human knowledge.

The Treadmill Problem: Busted?

MrPilot — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:03:43 +0000

Last year, I posed on this blog the question of the “Treadmill Problem”. That is, if a runway was turned into a giant treadmill that could exactly match the rotational speed of the wheels of an aircraft trying to takeoff, would the aircraft ever takeoff? Well, earlier this week the infamous MythBusters took on that very problem.

They first performed a small-scale test with a model airplane and a real treadmill. The result? The model airplane took off. They then performed a much larger scale test with a real ultralight aircraft on an actual runway. They used a huge roll of tarp material pulled in the opposite direction of the aircraft by a pickup truck. The result? The airplane took off with little effort. They explained the science behind it. In a car, forward motion is generated by friction between the tires and the road surface, so on a treadmill a car would remain still. However, in an aircraft, the actual forward thrust is provided by the propeller or jet engines, the wheels just allow the aircraft to easily roll. So, no matter how fast the treadmill moves under the wheels, the aircraft easily takes off. It makes sense.

Reflection

MrPilot — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:45:31 +0000

As the year 2007 draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect back on perhaps one of the saddest events of the year for me, the disappearance of Steve Fossett. At the outset of that ordeal, I had held out the hope that somehow, by the grace of God, he had only had a minor problem and would either walk back to the remote airstrip he took off from a couple days later, or be picked up by a rescue helicopter from the Nevada desert. Sadly, we now know that would not be the case. For whatever reason, Mr. Fossett lost his life out there and I can only hope that his remains will some day be recovered to both give closure to his family and to hopefully find out what happened.

Because of this, I feel so very fortunate that I was at the right place at the right time to witness his non-stop solo circumnavigation flight into history. While attending Kansas State University – Salina, the campus of which is directly adjacent to the Salina Municipal Airport, I was able to watch him takeoff from beside the runway, and was also there to watch his return three days later, and witness the festivities that followed. It is certainly an experience that I will treasure forever.

Godspeed Mr. Fossett, wherever you are.

A Pilot’s Year

MrPilot — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 05:01:55 +0000

Today is the one year “blogiversary” of A Pilot’s Blog in its current form. So, I’ve decided to create a little round-up of five of my favorite posts (not that I post all that often) from the past year.

Happy 7-8-7 Day (July 7, 2007)

Project Constellation (June 10, 2007)

Lunar Eclipse (March 3, 2007)

The Treadmill Problem Revisited (January 5, 2007)

The Treadmill Problem (December 12, 2006)

Talk Like a Pilot Day!

MrPilot — Sat, 19 May 2007 18:40:32 +0000

Apparently today is the First International Talk Like a Pilot day.

Jolly good!

Fancy a Drink?

MrPilot — Sat, 05 May 2007 23:57:55 +0000

This morning I was treated to a surprise gift from my father. In his usual Saturday morning yard sale excursion, he found an incredibly cool item. A 747 decanter! It appears to be ceramic, weighs a pound or two, and has a wonderful picture of a Boeing 747 in an old-style livery. The bottom is embossed with “Fieldbirds by A Singer – 1969″ and a small sticker on the back says “Bottled by the Dant Distillery Co. Louisville, KY – Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey – 4/5 Quart”. It has quickly earned a prominent spot on my shelf.

Wonderful 787 Animation

MrPilot — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:11:47 +0000

A company called 3-D Aviation has produced a wonderful animation showing what the soon to be debuted Boeing 787 might look like. The animations are extremely photo-realistic and very well done. I think you’ll enjoy it.

You can download it in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats right here.

Hat tip to Airliners.net for the video.