Tag Archives: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

Random Aviation Photo

Back in September 2013, a very special aircraft came to Maryland’s Frederick Municipal Airport, home to my former employer the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) — a fully restored Ford Tri-Motor.  The 1929 three-motored aircraft is owned and operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association. For $70 in advance or $75 on the day of the flight, you can take a ride in this piece of history.

Click here to see where the aircraft will be — and spend the money to take the flight.  Below is a shot I took from my window seat as we flew over Frederick. Go to the 6:35 minute mark for my 3-minute  video clip of the very first story I did for AOPA Live This Week  on my ride, and see all my photos from the event at my Flickr account. Enjoy!

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Best Of Aviation Queen: Tail Dragging!

 

Yesterday, my regular flight instructor was a bit under the weather, so she suggested I fly with my original instructor. Dave Hirschman has one of the best jobs at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Not only is he the senior editor of AOPA Pilot magazine, but he’s also the handler for our sweepstakes aircraft, the Aviat Husky.

Dave asked if I wanted to fly in the Husky, and I leapt at the chance. The Husky is what’s called a tail dragger. It has a wheel on the tail and an actual stick to control the yoke. The website describes it thusly:
“Access areas that will take your breath away in a Husky. Its rugged, handcrafted construction, wide-field visibility and tandem seating create an extremely comfortable and secure environment for safely flying into places other planes simply can’t.”Two Huskys (one owned by our CEO Craig Fuller) were the stars at the AOPA Tent at the recent Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.  Folks stopped by to take a look, have a seat at the picnic tables and even chat with Craig, who was there most of the time. 

The views from the Husky can’t be beat, with large windows.  Because you fly slowly, you can actually fly with window or the door open. And I had the smoothest landing ever — in the grass!  Below are some pictures I took during the flight. Enjoy!!

Husky cockpit
The view from my window

Best Of Aviation Queen: Tail Dragging!

Editor’s note: I’m off in Palm Springs this week at the AOPA Aviation Summit, so you guys get the best-of this week.  First up is a post I originally did back on April 10, when I got to take the AOA sweepstakes plane out for a spin.  Enjoy!

 

Yesterday, my regular flight instructor was a bit under the weather, so she suggested I fly with my original instructor. Dave Hirschman has one of the best jobs at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Not only is he the senior editor of AOPA Pilot magazine, but he’s also the handler for our sweepstakes aircraft, the Aviat Husky.

Dave asked if I wanted to fly in the Husky, and I leapt at the chance. The Husky is what’s called a tail dragger. It has a wheel on the tail and an actual stick to control the yoke. The website describes it thusly:
“Access areas that will take your breath away in a Husky. Its rugged, handcrafted construction, wide-field visibility and tandem seating create an extremely comfortable and secure environment for safely flying into places other planes simply can’t.”Two Huskys (one owned by our CEO Craig Fuller) were the stars at the AOPA Tent at the recent Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.  Folks stopped by to take a look, have a seat at the picnic tables and even chat with Craig, who was there most of the time.

The views from the Husky can’t be beat, with large windows.  Because you fly slowly, you can actually fly with window or the door open. And I had the smoothest landing ever — in the grass!  Below are some pictures I took during the flight. Enjoy!!

Husky cockpit
The view from my window

What Aircraft Would Buy If You had Won The PowerBall Lottery?

A Cessna Grand Caravan. Photo courtesy of Mautau via Flickr/Creative Commons license

Like many people, I’m one who buys a lottery ticket only when the jackpot gets really large, and I’d have to say that $305 million would be considered that.  On my drive to work in Frederick, Md., earlier this week, I started thinking about what I’d do with all that money.

Of course, as a member (and employee) of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and student pilot, buying a plane would be in my top five list.  That got me wondering what other AOPA members would buy, so I posted the question on our Facebook Fan Page.  We got 167 comments and counting; our members posted a wonderful assortment of aircraft.   In a completely unscientific poll, the top three seem to be the Pilatus PC-12, the Cirrus SR-22 and the Piper Cub.

Some of the more unusual aircraft listed included: Grumman HU-16B; F-22 Raptor; Chaika L-44 flying boat; a fully restored PBY 5; P51 Mustang; and a Twin Otter on floats.  I think I’d probably buy a Cessna Grand Caravan and pick myself up a NetJets or XoJet card and call it a day.

My favorite comment?   “A Citation Latitude, King Air C90 and Corvalis TTX. Reason? Because I just won $300 mil!” So tell me – what plane would you have bought if you won the lottery?

Tail Dragging!

Yesterday, my regular flight instructor was a bit under the weather, so she suggested I fly with my original instructor. Dave Hirschman has one of the best jobs at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Not only is he the senior editor of AOPA Pilot magazine, but he’s also the handler for our sweepstakes aircraft, the Aviat Husky.

Dave asked if I wanted to fly in the Husky, and I leapt at the chance. The Husky is what’s called a tail dragger. It has a wheel on the tail and an actual stick to control the yoke. The website describes it thusly:
“Access areas that will take your breath away in a Husky. Its rugged, handcrafted construction, wide-field visibility and tandem seating create an extremely comfortable and secure environment for safely flying into places other planes simply can’t.”

Two Huskys (one owned by our CEO Craig Fuller) were the stars at the AOPA Tent at the recent Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.  Folks stopped by to take a look, have a seat at the picnic tables and even chat with Craig, who was there most of the time.

The views from the Husky can’t be beat, with large windows.  Because you fly slowly, you can actually fly with window or the door open. And I had the smoothest landing ever — in the grass!  Below are some pictures I took during the flight. Enjoy!!

Husky cockpit
The view from my window