ICAO Flight Plans in FAA Flight Plans Out!

This last week was the official changeover from using FAA flight plans to using ICAO flight plans. There are a few things that need to be addressed about the changeover and how it will affect General Aviation.

If filing VFR, a pilot has the option of using either the FAA flight plan or the ICAO flight plan. If an IFR flight plan is to be used, the ICAO flight plan will need to be utilized. Filing by phone has not changed and can still be accomplished by calling 1-800-WX-BRIEF.

The switch from FAA to ICAO flight plans continues the standardizing of U.S. operations with the rest of the world flying community (e.g., remember position and hold?).  The ICAO flight plan gives the pilot more options when it comes to informing air traffic control what types of navigation equipment is on board the aircraft. With advances in navigation technology, WAAS and ADS-B for example, the ability for ATC to have a better understanding of the aircraft’s navigation performance is a good thing.

I have been flying in Japan for a couple of years now and I will admit I was bit thrown off by the ICAO flight plan when I first had to start using them. It doesn’t take much to figure them out though and in no time a pilot will be able to use them efficiently and effectively.

How do you feel about the switch? 

A GA Hero

As a kid, I always loved the adventures of Indiana Jones. I loved his movies and would watch them again and again. Playing in the back yard, I would pretend to snap my whip around a tree branch and swing off of high bridges, seconds before they collapsed, to save the damsel in distress and simultaneously save a priceless artifact.

Pay Now or Pay Later

A great pilot and an experienced airplane owner told me recently, “In aircraft ownership you either pay now or pay later.” I thought this was a great piece of advice for anyone thinking of getting into aircraft ownership.

EAA Heading in a New Direction?

Anyone noticing a change occurring with the Experimental Aircraft Association? The organization has historically been centralized around creating and building experimental aircraft. Over the last year since Tom Poberezny retired from his position as Chairman for EAA, the company's main focus seems to have shifted.

Radar Contact! Flying into Controlled Airspace.

Many pilots fear flying into controlled airports in class D/C/B airspace. For many, who blast around with no radios, operating off of grass strips and mountain valleys, their backcountry skills are top notch but visits to controlled airspace can be few and far between. Often pilots become rusty, begin to doubt their abilities inside controlled airspace and begin to avoid it.

This is sad because even though romping through the backcountry and gently touching onto a grass runway behind the farm is incredible, there are also many great experiences located inside these airspaces. Great airfield restaurants, museums and attractions are often collocated on these fields or a short courtesy-car ride away.

Here are some tips to help when talking with approach and tower so you can enjoy all flying has to offer.

Free Ways to Boost your Airplane Ad's Marketability!

Photos like this make it into For Sale ads all the time.
Dusty and neglected with a bunch of trash in the background. 

I admit it; I am an airplane shopaholic. Well browseaholic anyway, seeing as I am not in a great location to buy right now. I can spend hours aimlessly sifting through ads on Barnstormers, Trade-a-plane and Controller.com.  Though my first instinct is to browse the taildragger section, my flavor of the week could be just about anything from Taylorcrafts to Meridians.

One thing I have noticed when it comes to ads is the difference in the quality of photos people use to market their items for sale. Photos are a must in today's marketplace and a bad picture can quickly turn a potential buyer off.

Five Great Books You Have Probably Never Heard of, for when the Weather Turns Nasty.

Okinawa has felt the effect of six typhoons so far this season with another brewing down by the Philippines right now. This works out to a typhoon roughly every two weeks. Generally I am required to evacuate aircraft to a far off place while my family is left behind to weather out the storm. Twice this year however, I have been required to stay behind. 

The winds gradually pick up and the skies grow darker and darker. When the humming winds develop into a full blown freight train attempting to drive through the front window, television goes out and the loss of power is right around the corner.

I have found this is a great time to curl up on the couch, throw in some headphones and dive into a great aviation book.

Flying in an Airshow!

The Island of Oahu seen from our holding point
during the Kaneohe Bay Airshow 2012.

The entire trip was just shy of 9,000 nautical miles. Ten days, three practices and two airshow performances while visiting the gorgeous island of Oahu. Though our part was small, this was my first experience performing in an airshow and it was a great time!

AIRSHOW!

If anyone is in the Honolulu area this weekend September 29th through the 30th come out to the Kaneohe Bay Airshow!

There will be some great flying.

Some huge name performers, such as:

Kirby Chambliss

The Navy Blue Angels

Hank Bruckner

Clint Churchill

Allan Miller

There will also be some great shows by some not so huge name performers. One of those being Me!

Can not wait to tell you all about this coming weekend! We have been practicing all week. Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal before the big show starts on Saturday. Hope to see you there!

http://www.kaneohebayairshow.com/

I want to fly like, Carrie Underwood.

Last night I sat lazily on the couch, browsing Barnstormers.com and sort of watching the Country Music Awards’ performances. The live performances by the various artists were very energetic and entertaining and provided descent background noise as I sat daydreaming about all the different airplanes I would love to someday own.

Then Carrie Underwood came on. If you missed her performance I recommend watching. She rocked the stage with humongous vocals and smooth sounding melodies. The country singer hit all of her notes with rock solid perfection and made it look easy. Her ability to grip hold and captivate an audience with her performance is unparalleled; even country music haters have to respect her talents.

Going to bed I was still thinking about her singing as I attempted to fall asleep. It suddenly hit me. I want to fly like Carrie Underwood sings! I want to make my sailing craft whip and turn around the sky as effortless and carefree as Carrie captivates an audience.

After finishing five days of challenging simulator checks yesterday, I know I am not at this point yet.  Sometimes my flying looks more like a drunken hobo, singing an off key tune as he stumbles down the walkway. If there is one thing I have learned in this world though; if a professional makes their job look easy, it is a sure sign of years of dedication and hard work.  

With practice, training, encouragement and a little luck I hope someday my flying will appear as effortless and confident as Carrie Underwood sings.  

On a final note, in Japan the show wasn't really live. You have to wait until the day after it was filmed to watch Stateside prime time television. Unless you want to get up and watch TV at five in the morning!

A Pilot's Pilgrimage to Mecca

A steady wind whips across the sand and whistles through the low knarred shrubs.  The whipping wind carries the faint sounds of crashing waves and holds a heavy scent of sea salt as the ocean pounds against the beaches. The sea soaked air cuts through fabric, making a cold day seem even colder.  The dunes bellow and yell as the wind, coursing over their summits, creates a growling beast. The sudden barks and coughs of a homemade engine interrupt the winds. A small group of lifeguards, one with a camera, witness two brothers catapult a mess of fabric, wires and engine into the air; a man squished in the middle. For twelve seconds the small craft awkwardly bounces up and down before settling into the sand 120 feet from where it previously left.   

Facebook, Emails and So Much More!

Tailwheels and Flying Wires is expanding! Now you can hang out with us on Facebook! There, you will be able to get new blog postings, leave comments and easily see what other aviation enthusiasts are involved in. Like us today to receive all the latest updates from Tailwheels and Flying Wires.

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Check Rides, Check Rides....

Whether you are a private pilot doing a bi-annual flight review or an ATP rated professional pilot doing an annual check ride, we all have to deal with them.

Check rides. They are stressful for everyone.

Are they important? Absolutely! Do we learn from them? Usually. Do we get nervous and stressed out? If you are human, most likely.

This week is my turn. A week of fun filled; engine out approaches, fires, fuel leaks, go arounds and a test of all the knowledge I have shoved in my head, spilled out in a simulator.

This place is supposed to be about the lighter side of flying. However, in the spirit of this week's check rides, please feel free to share any crazy or exciting check rides you have experienced. Once mine are over, I will comment on some of the more comical experiences I dealt with this week.    

You Call Yourself a Fan?

If it were up to me; no one would be allowed to touch the controls of an airplane unless they were in love with aviation. I never knew there was such a thing as pilots who didn’t love to fly. I just assumed if you went through all the trouble it takes with learning to fly, you must be infatuated with flying. Not everyone is! It is a crazy thought to me but there are many out there who view flying only as a way to travel somewhere faster, or a profitable way to make a living.

Want to know who they are?

Sunset Flights

Generally when I think of flying, my imagination sets the time of day to morning. I always envision pre dawn hours with just enough light to see inside the hangar. To the east, a bright purple sky though the sun has not yet begun to peak above the horizon.

However, some of my favorite and most memorable flights have been during the evening; when the setting sun cast a warm cherry glow on the western horizon. 

These flights always seem to start the same way, with no intentions of flying.

Honoring Two American Workhorses this Labor Day

Labor Day weekend. The long weekend marking the end of summer and for many, the last opportunities to take advantage of the warm summer breezes. Gentle winds enjoyed while flying in an open cockpit or a quick jaunt with the door open, elbow hanging in the slipstream.

With the thought in mind, which aircraft would you enjoy flying more on a carefree Saturday morning?

An open cockpit Stearman? The sound of the wind whistling through the flying wires. The throaty belch of a Continental W670 radial engine as it coughs to life and turns to a bellowing roar. Warm wind whisking at your face and a near 360 degree view of the earth, the feeling of ultimate freedom. Knowing as you touch down on a grassy runway you are at that moment connected with so many American heroes who spawned their young careers flying the same aircraft you are in right now.

Or a Piper J-3 Cub. Some might say the iconic image of American General Aviation. A quick flick of your wrist is all it takes to bring the spunky 65 horse engine to life. Don’t bother to close the doors so you can fully enjoy the rich smells of tasseled corn, mixing with a gentle hint of autumn hiding in the wind as you slowly swoop across dense corn fields at treetop height. Cocking your head slightly to one side so you can see around the family Labrador sitting comfortably in the front seat, giddy with the feeling of the rushing wind tickling his ears. A small pull of power is all it takes to bring the yellow legend scraping onto the grass as it has for over 70 years.

Both are examples of proud American heritage that are not only a picturesque portrayal of how many of us perceive aviation but both aircraft have served as workhorses, building the roots of aviation in America. They labored through thousands of hours of primary training for both military and civilian flight students. The stearman filling a specialized niche as the agricultural community discovered its ability to work, dusting fields. The J-3 served on America’s front lines during WWII, being used as an observation plane and was even flown in by Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Patton as they surveyed European battlefields. After the war the J-3 offered a financially feasible option for many young Americans to enter the general aviation community.

As we enjoy this Labor Day weekend, barbecuing and spending time with our families; If your head turns to the sky at the sound of a passing airplane and your minds begin to wander to the thoughts of an evening jaunt around the pattern, which example of American working history do you imagine yourself sitting in? The survey is on the right of the page and will end at the completion of the long weekend.

Let’s see which one you would rather have!   

What is this place?

Welcome to the beginning of Tailwheels and Flying Wires! I started this blog to meet, share and enjoy with other people the unique joys of flying. This isn’t about big commercial airlines and fancy corporate jets. Though I think those are a fascinating niche in the aviation community, I wanted this forum to be more about the; seat of the pants, wind in the hair, style flying. The type of flying we often daydream about in the middle of the work week when we are at the office, even if that office is a 747.

So what are we going to talk about?

We will talk to pilots, visit and discuss interesting locations, test products, share flying experiences and of course, talk about cool airplanes! Hopefully this site will become a great place to hangar fly when the weather is just not good enough to open up the hangar door or on those days when you cannot make it to the airport. This place is designed for you to sit back and really enjoy what aviation has to offer, possibly learn something and maybe make some new friends along the way.

I hope you enjoy, Tailwheels and Flying Wires!