Drinking from the Fire Hose
Some of you may have bumped into me over the last year and a half as I have been learning to fly and then working on an instrument rating through the 141 program here at Sweet Aviation. This program is geared toward customers who want to turn the fun and magic of flying into a… Read more »
What Makes My Prop Spin
Note from Joel: For those who haven’t yet met him, or who have and want to learn more about what makes him tick, check out the following article from Craig Agapie, who, in addition to being our Chief Pilot and Flight Department Manager, is also our primary instructor for the Super Decathlon. Below, Craig shares… Read more »
Don’t Panic!
My fellow sci-fi fans will instantly recognize this as the advice given in large, bold letters on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But it actually is rather good advice for aviation. Human beings are prone to what is called the startle reflex. Startle reflex is the brain’s reaction to a startling stimuli.That stimuli can… Read more »
Seizing the “Perfect Opportunity”
How many times does a “perfect opportunity” present itself in life? Well, that’s certainly an impossible question to answer. However, those who actively pursue personal improvement and challenges greatly enhance their chances of recognizing these opportunities. They are also more likely to seize rare opportunities by pursuing a new adventure, working to realize a lifelong… Read more »
The Forgetting Curve
We all have times when we have gaps in our training. Perhaps life gets busy or an aircraft goes down for maintenance and Mother Nature unleashes a deluge of rain. Once we finally get ourselves back up and running, how do we keep that proficiency? There is one obvious answer: fly regularly. This will actually… Read more »
California or Bust: A Young Pilot’s First Solo Cross-country Adventure
“N572DS is cleared to the Papa Romeo Charlie airport via runway heading, direct VINCO, join V107, then Papa X-ray November, join V113 to PRIEST, then as filed. Climb and maintain 5,000, expect 11,000 one zero minutes after departure. Departure frequency 121.3, squawk 3757…read-back correct.” Gauges green, airspeed alive. “N572DS I have an amendment to your clearance, advise when ready to… Read more »
So Many Reasons to Fly
While I haven’t had occasion to fly fixed-wing lately, I have been doing a lot of rotary-wing work courtesy of the Michigan Army National Guard. I was recently at Fort Rucker, AL, finishing up a 5-week Tactical Operations course, which is just one of the many qualifications I am expected to achieve and maintain as… Read more »
Fishing and Flying
It’s common knowledge that the some of biggest freshwater fish live in the waters way up north — those places where bear, moose, and wolves roam the shores; the eagles fly overhead; and the loons and beavers glide on the surface of sparkling blue waters. At least that’s how the stories go. If you’re a… Read more »
Destination: Lunch at the Fly Inn
Since earning my private, one of my most favorite destinations has been lunch! You can fly in nearly any direction and you’ll eventually find it. On one of the many unseasonably warm days we had this winter, I found myself, along with Sweet Aviation student, Michael Alberico heading to Plainwell, MI for lunch at The… Read more »
The Miracle of a Dream
My love affair with flying began when I was watching airplanes fly in and out of Lowry Air Force Base located in Denver, Colorado. Though my father was a Master Navigator there, I never revealed my fascination with flying to him. After graduating from high school, I went to work for United Airlines in the… Read more »