Why on earth does the state of Maine charge general aviation pilots a ‘use tax’ for merely flying into the state? This article states that the use tax “is intended to discourage residents of the state from purchasing planes in states with lesser sales tax, then flying them back home to Maine.” So, anyone that stays in ME with their airplane longer than 20 days would have to “make up the difference between Maine’s five-percent tax, and whatever tax they paid in the state where they actually bought the plane.” Give me a break. This use tax supposedly gives ME residents a tax break and puts that money into their pockets. Are they that cheap? This scares me because once one state does it others could follow. Someone here is obviously trying to make a quick buck and I think its fishy as hell. I’m definitely following this one closely. Its funny that no one knows about it until they get a bill in the mail. HERE is where I found about all this. Come to find out that Maine pretty much followed suit from Florida. Yay! Let’s go to Maine and Disneyworld this summer in our new plane. Oh wait…they charge that stupid GA use tax. Forget about it.

Little did most people know that Frank Sinatra was an avid pilot. He wrote many many songs in reference to aviation and his love for flying found on the album Come Fly With Me. The song, “Strangers In The Night” was originally called “Strangers On My Flight”. The song is one of my personal favorites and for some reason, unknown to anybody, the original version was never released to the public until a couple of days ago. I’m so thrilled I found it. Definitely worth a listen.

Here is a video that shows a couple of STOL Grasshoppers in a short landing/takeoff competition held in Alaska. I personally like the landing one. I’m wondering what the actually speed of the airplane was just before touchdown. The video makes me giggle in astonishment.

Continuing in Alaska, this one is shot from the cockpit showing a pilot landing on a gravel-bar in the middle of a river. I can do that. Swear. This Super Cub pilot takes a dip in the water just before landing on some river rocks. Definitely the mountain biking of flying.

And last but not least, this pilot demonstrates a landing on the world’s shortest runway. I want to land here for my PPL checkride. I’m sure the FAA examiner won’t mind.

Check out these videos of an Atlanta Journal Constitution staffer taking a ride in a Blue Angel F-14 before an airshow. Gotta love the facial undulations and pass outs. Love the fact that they flew over Athens (AHN) to say hello. Click on each individual scene to watch em’ all.

After doing some serious thinking and research I’ve decided that becoming a CFI to earn a living isn’t the best idea. The initial investment of getting certified is so high (no lower than $45,000) it really doesn’t make any sense unless I wanted to fly with the big boys for a living. The problem I have in my particular situation is that I don’t live next to a very active airport (AHN) with many students coming in and out so the guarantee of getting paid is just not there. And I don’t want to commute two hours everyday to an airport. No thank you, been there done that. I would rather get my private, instrument and muti-engine rating and save the rest of my dough and possibly buy an airplane; a Piper PA-24 Comanche to be exact (ahhh love to dream). After some time passes, then maybe I’ll get my commercial and initial CFI. All I can do is wish the cost of flight training would lower so the desperate individuals who just want to get in the air like myself can burn some blue.

Its exactly like going to cooking school. You pay close to 50-60 grand for 2 years of education and come out earning $9 an hour at some fancy schmancy restaurant starting out at the bottom. Mmmm. I understand we all have to start out somewhere but companies have to understand that the student has paid a crap load of money in order to get where he or she is at. I think tuition reimbursement is completely underutilized and more companies should offer a student or greenhorn contractual deals. Therefore, employment retention is stronger and dedication to do a better job comes second nature.

So, my dream continues to linger. The good thing though is that I finally know what I want in my life after all these years. I think. The abridged version: to live on a farm with a wonderful family that has a garden, four goats, some chickens, two horses, a smokehouse to cold smoke some salmon, and an airplane parked at AHN ready to hit the skies so we can count the chicken houses from 2500 feet. It’ll take close to 10-15 years to accomplish but I have patience because the older you get, the faster time flies. wink wink.

Took a great ride yesterday in the Piper PA-30 from AHN to an airport community called Mallards Landing. The ride took about 22 minutes to cover approximately 54.6 miles. My girlfriends parents are building a house there with a nice big hangar that can hold at least three aircraft. The place is almost surreal - for a pilot it’s a kid in a candy store. It will be a great place to practice grass strip landings when I start my training. The difference was amazing between landing on the completely different types of runways. The grass strip obviously has its own challenges.

A buddy of mine sent me a few photos of the AMARC, the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration more commonly know as “The Bone Yard”, located in Tuscon, AZ. The United States Air Force base was originally established to provide a storage location for old and retired aircraft no longer used by the armed forces following WWII. It is now “an active industrial complex that primarily promotes the regeneration of aerospace assets.” In other words, most of the aircraft there are able to be restored to capable flying condition if the need ever arises. It’s quite impressive how exact and accurate they park the aircraft. Like my friend said, it hard to comprehend how many aircraft are stored here until you see some pictures.

Yesterday I went to Atlanta to checkout the Aviation Atlanta flight school based out of PDK (Peachteee/Dekalb). My first impression was positive. It seemed that the school was very busy and from a business perspective that’s a good thing. I’d rather see it busy than dead. They must be doing something right.  One of their flight instructors told me that they were definitely the busiest in Atlanta compared to ATP and others.

I sat down and spoke with the owner and we went over the professional pilot program that takes you from your Private Pilots Certificate all the way through your CFI ratings. The cost was surprisingly economical compared to others I’ve researched. You try to cut your costs by flying in airplanes that aren’t more sophisticated or newer. What I’ve found so far concerning your PPL, it seems that if the planes are kept in good mechanical shape, it doesn’t matter what you train in; Like a Cessna 152 compared to a 172. The basic mechanics of the plane haven’t changed in 50 years except maybe avionics. I don’t know I may be wrong.

Aside from cutting costs with the particular aircraft you train in, most of the instructors at the school were trying to gain hours for the majors. Doesn’t make me too happy but I should get rid of the idea that just because they’re young doesn’t necessarily mean that they lack ability. I got some instructor email addresses and a reference list of pilots working in the industry that graduate from the school so that’s my next step.

Anyhow, the program seemed very sufficient. My plan still is to get my Private Pilots Certificate here in Athens for logistical reasons (aka short commute) and then go on to Atlanta for my advanced training. I’ve got a long way to go to get my CFI but its attainable. Have to look five years down the road.

Here is an excellent Google video on an Private Pilot Oral Exam. I imagine that once I get to this point, the exam will be very similar to this one. Doesn’t seem to bad if you’re well prepared. The length of the oral exam is up the particular FAA examiner. This one lasts about 90 minutes.

Look how the pilots have to compensate staying on course by maintaining a yaw orientation with respect to the runway. The technique is called “crabbing.” The plane drifts laterally instead of horizontally flying sideways towards the centerline of the runway and the pilot corrects the aircraft after touchdown.