Okay, it’s time for a quiz. No, not a quiz, it’s more of a poll, really. Let’s find out what’s on the mind of FlightMonkeys everywhere. It’s a quick poll, only one question long. And nobody is going to call you, or knock on your door, or try to convince you that it’s your civic duty to participate. We’re sure hoping you will, though. The whole things goes like this…
The FlightMonkeys Poll Question: Why don’t you fly?
Okay, we’re amending the original question for those who do fly. We’ll ask it another way…
The Amended FlightMonkeys Poll Question: Why don’t you fly more often?
Tell us the truth. Leave a single word if that’s all you’ve got in you. Write a full essay if your feelings are strong. You can comment right here, or leave us a note on our Facebook page (and Like us while you’re there). Send us a private e-mail if you’re shy. But tell us something.
We’re dedicated to knocking down barriers, getting more people into the game (affordably) and making the social attributes of the flying life more accessible to those who didn’t see themselves as part of the pilot breed up until now.
Don’t be shy if you’re not a pilot, either. If you’ve ever dreamed of flying, or daydreamed about flying, or drew a picture with crayon of someone flying - what’s keeping you on the ground rather than prompting you to get airborne.
Be honest with us. We can take it. We might be able to do something about whatever your perceived limitations might be, too. So let loose, give us your best shot, tell us whatever’s on your mind – but tell us.
We’re really, truly, genuinely curious. And when we’ve got all the answers compiled, we’re going to get to work solving those problems, to the best of our ability.
Wanna go flying? Here’s your chance to tell us all about it.
The wait may have been long, but we’d like to think it was worth it. One of our favorite guests, Baird Campbell, Skyped in from his luxury layover in Dubai, to jabber with Jamie for your education, illumination, and entertainment. It isn’t often you get to chat with a commercial pilot in the midst of a twelve day jaunt across the globe. Baird makes it all look easy, but he’s happy to share his perspective on what just might be the greatest job in the world. From grabbing naps, to WWII era aircraft recoveries, to photography exhibits, and even the burning issue of technology in the cockpit – Baird dishes the data and shares his own unique perspective about the business he loves so much.
Subscribe to the FlightMonkeys Podcast on iTunes, listen in at YouTube, or just click on the tab at the top of our homepage and settle back for a podcast like no other.
We’re FlightMonkeys. We don’t know how to do things the normal way. (And we wouldn’t want to even if we did).
There may be no technological device that has rushed into the cockpit more quickly than the iPad. Flight decks the world over have been inundated with them, and pilot’s bags have gotten noticeably lighter as the books have been jettisoned in favor of the lighter, brighter, easy to operate solid state computer designed by the big brains in Cupertino, California.
Now Boeing, the iconic manufacturer of transport category aircraft that have literally changed the world around us by shrinking it to the point that almost any two destinations on the planet are a manageable commute apart, has jumped onto the iPad bandwagon in a big way. They didn’t do it by putting handy connectors in the cockpit, or installing fold-away iPad mounts that nobody but turbine pilots would ever see. Nope. Boeing has done better than that. They’ve created an iPad opportunity that is available to everyone. Well, everyone with access to an iPad anyway.
The Boeing iPad app is free. As any FlightMonkeys fan knows, free is our favorite price range, so we’re recommending this new app for anyone who has any interest in aviation. The photographs alone are worth twice the price of the download. Add to that value the tidbits of information the Boeing historians share, and the forward looking dreamland of aviation they give us a peek into – and we’re talking about a seriously interesting product.
The history of Boeing is broken up into eras. Starting with the aptly titled, “Beginnings,” the timeline kicks off in the year 1916. That’s pretty early in the era of powered flight. The fact that Boeing had a presence that early on, and still remains viable and vibrant today is a remarkable achievement to mark with the introduction of the app.
Marching on to the Early Years, World War II, Post-War Developments, Jets and Moon Rockets, Higher, Faster, Farther, and ultimately segueing into Defining the Future of Flight, the app walks the user through the full history of one of the world’s major aircraft manufacturing dynamo’s and keeps right on going.
In addition to the still shots and nifty notes about the development and operation of these aircraft, Boeing is giving us a ringside seat to their Innovation Video Series. These short videos introduce the viewer to the critical questions that aircraft designers have to wrestle with. Speed, efficiency, durability, and reliability are all issues that designers, buyers, operators, and the general public have an interest in. And nearly one-hundred years into the game, Boeing is not only still at the head of the pack, they’re inviting the rest of us along for a close-up view of what they’re thinking, what they’re building, what they’ve done in the past, and where they might be going in the future.
In a word, it’s cool. Mega-cool. So take a quick digital trip to the app store and grab a copy of the Boeing app for the iPad. It just might make you say, “Wow!”
We’ve been playing with it for days and we’re still fascinated.
Rumor has it that the economy has been a little tight lately. So as a public service, and in the hopes of spreading the word to every corner of this wacky world – the Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association has a job opening that might be right for you. Somebody’s going to grab that brass ring. Why shouldn’t it be you?
That’s not entirely true, actually. In reality AOPA has several job openings ready to be filled, ranging all the way from an Aviation Technical Writer, right through the Human Resources office, where they’re looking for a Generalist, and those openings run all the way up through a Director of New Market Development. Any one of those posts would be a dream come true for some fortunate aviation nut. If you’re looking for something that would put some excitement in your life, give you the opportunity to support the general aviation market in a tangible way, and put you smack dab in the midst of the largest most influential aviation association on the planet – well, dust off that resume and get cracking. These openings aren’t going to last forever, you know.
There are others, too. The one that caught our eye has a slightly longer title, though. It’s the newly created Vice President of the Center to Advance the Pilot Community, and this opening shows signs of being a real doozy. If you want to be the coach who leads the home team to a big win, you might want to consider taking a closer look at this opportunity. The VPCAPC (aviation is filled with acronyms, even if they are unpronounceable) is designed for someone who is an experienced pilot, knows how to marshall the troops, build coalitions, innovate on all fronts, and most important of all, expand the pilot community by leaps and bounds.
This is not an opening for the meek or the demure. It’s an opportunity that you may never see again, though. So if you’re the kind of person who knows how to get things moving, if you can motivate and inspire followers, if you can build a team and get them moving in the same direction while filled with a burning desire to accomplish heady goals – well this might be your lucky day.
AOPA is one of the premiere aviation advocacy organizations in the world. With more than 400,000 members (including a FlightMonkey or two), they speak with real authority and conviction on all aspects of the general aviation market. So take the opportunity seriously. Tell a friend, post the opening on your favorite social networking site, share this blog post, make a few calls to old friends who might be interested. Heck, make a new friend and tell him (or her) the good news. General Aviation is calling, and AOPA’s got a plan. So saddle up and let’s ride off into the sunset together, building new relationships, inviting new student pilots to join up, and motivating legions of formerly apathetic ground-pounders to become seriously excited aviation enthusiasts.
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment, FlightMonkeys. Let’s get into the headhunter game and find the perfect candidate for this job. Share the link, spread the news, and let’s all have a hand in making General Aviation a whole lot more attractive to an ever increasing audience, for a good long time.
If AOPA wins on this one, we all win. And we like it when we all win. Those of us hunkered down at the FlightMonkeys home office are ready to do our part! How about you?
He doesn’t just talk fast on the radio – he flies fast, too! Check out the Talkmaster’s cockpit cam on his trip home to Naples, Florida. Chief Monkey’s note: that’s not a recording of Ol’ Blue Eyes and his orchestra. Neal removed them en route from the liquid nitrogen!
Another note – do not attempt to taxi at Talkmaster speeds. Your aircraft may not have the exclusive outrigger gear that keeps Boortz upright as he whips through the corners. .
Howard Hughes purchased land in Culver City, California to build the Hughes Aircraft Campus during World War II. It became the site on which he built the Spruce Goose, also known as the H-4 Hercules, although he and his team also built many other airplanes and helicopters at the Campus. Measuring five stories tall and the length of a football field, this flying boat was the largest plane built to that time and for many years after. The Hughes Aircraft Campus is rarely open to the public and no longer houses the Spruce Goose. The iconic aircraft was taken to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, just south of Portland, in February of 1993.
The Spruce Goose was built mostly out of wood due to a wartime shortage of aluminum, although the primary material was actually not spruce, but birch. The idea for the Spruce Goose originated with Henry Kaiser, a ship builder. He and Hughes entered into an agreement with the United States War Department for government funds to build the plane. It was to transport personnel and war supplies to Britain during World War II, but it was still not completed when the war ended. The behemoth aircraft was designed with the intent that it could carry an M4 Sherman tank or nearly 750 fully equipped soldiers.
Kaiser eventually discontinued his affiliation with Hughes because the project was taking so long, blaming Hughes’ need for perfection plus the shortage of materials as the reasons for the delay. The original project was called the HK-1 contract; after Kaiser left a new contract was signed, giving the plane its final official designation — the H-4 Hercules.
The Spruce Goose’s first and only flight took place on November 2, 1947. After taking the plane out on a few taxi runs, Hughes flew it 70 feet off the water for about one mile at a rate of 135 mph simply to prove that it could actually fly. He was appearing in a series of hearings before the Senate War Investigating Committee at the time due to allegations that he had improperly used federal funds designated for the plane while building the H-4 Hercules. After the flight it was returned to a hangar near Long Beach, CA where it had been moved from the Campus in Culver City in preparation for the flight. It stayed there until it was moved to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon in 1993.
The Hughes Aircraft Campus is now used as a movie location; for example, the blockbuster “Titanic” was filmed there. The Los Angeles Conservancy has held tours on site to allow the public to learn more about Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose. Also known as the Culver City Campus, this 28 acre site did not appear on maps during World War II; eleven of its original buildings remain to this day. The Spruce Goose continues to be known as a historic relic and will always be associated with tumultuous legacy of Howard Hughes — both man and machine were grandiose, larger-than-life, troubled and yet still absolutely incredible.
Chief Monkey’s Note: This post was contributed by Marissa Harper, on behalf of FHR – An airport services company that offers hotels with parking, at all the major UK airports, including hotels near Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airport parking. We thank her for sharing her enthusiasm for aviation, history, and the inimitable, Mr. Hughes.
To learn more about Howard Hughes and the Hercules, visit: the Spruce Goose H-4 Hercules Prototype Heavy Transport Aircraft History Facts and Pictures
Here are the FlightMonkeys office we were talking about wings today. The discussion turned to the weird when we began to realize that the wing of an airplane has undergone only minor changes in structure since the Wright Brothers put their first powered Flyer in the air one-hundred and nine years ago. The spars, ribs, and skins may have gone from wood, to aluminum, to composites – but the principle is still the same.
Imagine, after hundreds of years when humans dreamed and prayed for the ability to fly – this simple structure was one of the major roadblocks in their path. It took a couple bicycle mechanics (perhaps more accurately portrayed as self-taught engineers) to come up with a truly workable plan.
This got us reviewing some reference material of course – because we just seem to have something wrong with us and we refer to reference materials constantly – and that brought up a question that we’re going to include you on. The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge is an outstanding book. We recommend it. Heck, we even include a link to it under our Resources tab at the top of the page. But while looking over their wing diagram in Chapter 2, we noticed that there seems to be something missing.
Shouldn’t there be a forward spar in there somewhere? Click the picture to get a larger view, and let us know what you think.
Pilots do a preflight inspection before every flight. Or at least they should. You’ve got to make sure the paperwork is right, lest an FAA employee stops by for a chat. And you need to know you’re using clean, water-free fuel of the right type, lest the engine take offense and quit working while in flight. You might even want to make sure the pilot who flew the thing last didn’t try to teach himself (or herself) aerobatics and overstress the airframe to the tune of a row of popped rivets and buckled longerons.
If you’ve never done a preflight, Nikki the new hire is going to walk you through the high points. If you have done a preflight before, maybe you can find what’s wrong with this airplane before she points it out to you. It’s pretty obvious, so try not to be embarrassed if you miss it. We won’t tell.
It’s called the Sonex. It’s a kit plane, which means you build it yourself. Much like the models you built as a kid, this one comes in a multitude of pieces, with an instruction manual that tells you which tab goes in which slot, and what type of glue you should use to hold the whole thing together.
In reality it’s a tad more complicated than that. But not much of a tad. The Sonex, which is sold by a company of the same name, is a straight-forward, all metal airplane. The two seat side-by-side configuration is nothing new, and while the forty inch wide cabin won’t support two-big boys unless they’re very good friends, for many pilots and passengers the aircraft actually borders on being roomy.
Fitted with engine options that range from 80 to 120 horsepower, the simplicity of the Sonex does not translate to sluggishness in the air. It’s Light Sport Aircraft compliant, yet zips along at a decent clip.
The Sonex company is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin – the home of AirVenture and a whole lot of cows. This particular example of the breed found its way into FlightMonkeys territory in central Florida, but it’s not a locally owned flivver. This one lives down south of our home base most of the time. It gets out and around, though.
Aside of the kit that shares their name, the Sonex company also produces kits for the V tailed Waiex, the motorglider-ish Xenos, and the folding wing Onex. You may not see one of their creations on the ramp every day, but that might change in the future. They’re anything but predictable and pedestrian.
Check ‘em out. You just might fall in love with a new, quirky, inexpensive airplane with a high fun factor. You could do worse.
At Sun ‘n Fun this year we spent some time sharing a camping area with a couple motor glider aficionados. They got us thinking about perhaps logging time in an aircraft that can launch itself from a traditional runway, cruise for hours without using a drop of fuel, and land back at the same airport it took off from. Then again you might choose to land hundreds of miles from your starting point.
They made a great case for trying motor gliders. But even their enthusiastic praise of the machine pales in comparison to the giggling right seater in this video. We’re convinced. Anything that makes someone this happy must be worth trying.
Take note of the prop in this video too. Sometimes it’s turning and sometimes it’s not. That’s pretty unique to those of us who fly airplanes exclusively. A stopped prop appears to be an invitation to jubilation for these two. While for us it signifies a time when we should really be looking for a place to land. Soon!
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