The Dumbest Flight I Ever Made

Taking off on a flight right after you learn your mother only has months to live is, well dumb. Then, to fly into IFR conditions, well that’s dumber. And then, to scud run down a mountain valley is even dumber. But I survived to tell the tale. Now you can learn and read from it!!!

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Under the Verrazano Bridge

One sunny summer afternoon, I was the aircraft commander and had a helicopter and four and a half hours of fuel to burn. We, i.e. the crew, needed to log…

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Whaddaya Mean No F%&g Ice!!!

If you flown much, then you’ve encountered airframe ice. Everyone does at some time in their flying careers. Some of us more than once. While those who fly jets, either…

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Flying One’s First Love

My father started in the U.S. Army Air Corps flight training program in 1940. Before that, he went through a CPT course to see if he was qualified. Throughout the…

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We’re Going Where?

This story is from World War II. Early in the war to support the invasion of North Africa, the U.S. Army Air Corps had to fly planes to Africa. The…

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Pigeons to Rota

Pigeons in Naval Aviation parlance is bearing and distance to a place on this planet given by a radar controller either on a ship or airplane to another aircraft. So,…

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Lobster Run

Every once in awhile, one tries something in a helicopter that looks, at first blush, simple and easy to do. But, when you actually try, you find out it is…

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Winging Wetting Down

One of the hallowed traditions in Naval Aviation is celebrating the official designation of a Naval Aviator at the completion of the Naval Air Training command syllabus. In the ceremony,…

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An Air Force Pilot’s Last Words

My father was a career Air Force officer and in WWII, he was issued a summer and winter leather flight jacket. The winter one was fleece lined and when my…

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