Table of contents for July 2023 in Plane & Pilot

At its heart, general aviation has a great story of personal growth, innovation, and belonging to tell—but that’s because it’s made up of an incredible community of pilots. And every one of those pilots—save for a cadre who started flying in military service—first took flight in a light aircraft, whether a glider, piston-powered airplane, or helicopter. We started that journey typically under the tutelage of mentors, family, and friends who transformed into our aviation family. It’s a great story about GA, indeed. Many of us continue to call that community home—and that’s what we’re looking to do as Plane & Pilot moves forward under its new ownership by FLYING Media Group—publisher of FLYING, Business Air, and Aircraft For Sale—joining us as we kick off our Affordable Aviation channel. In this…

Luscombe 8A Guthrie, Oklahoma/Injuries: 1 Minor The student pilot reported that, while rolling out on landing, the airplane suddenly veered to the right, causing the nose to turn to the left. The student pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, proceeded down a terrace, and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The student pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the student pilot was landing the airplane on Runway 34 with wind from 300 degrees at 6 knots. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Cessna 172S Princeton, Minnesota/Injuries: None…

AT ANY AIR SHOW, THE LONG-STANDING MANUFACTURERS OF GENERAL AVIATION ALL BRING A SMALL PRESENCE TO THE WARBIRD RAMP. Piper built thousands of L-4 “Grasshoppers” used as liaison and artillery spotters. Cessna’s T-41 trainer was a Skyhawk in military colors. Beechcraft has pressed a variety of designs, from Staggerwings to King Airs, into service. After a two-year restoration effort, the one surviving airframe from Mooney is all that remains of the company’s dual attempts to gain military contracts. It now prowls above Texas after decades on the ground. Mooney’s absence from the warbird scene is not for lack of trying. Company founder Al Mooney designed the Culver Cadet, which was used as a World War II military trainer and drone, and after the war he pitched a lightly armored version…

A little after 9 a.m., 45 seconds after takeoff, one of the pilots of a Velocity V-Twin radioed the tower at Janesville, Wisconsin (KJVL): “We’d like to circle back and land Runway 32 and… work through some engine issues if we could.” ATC acknowledged the request, asked the pilot to report turning final for Runway 32, and if they needed assistance. The reply—“No, sir. We should be fine. Give you a call turning final.” That was the last transmission. N13VT went down while turning onto final, killing both pilots. Their journey began at 6:30 a.m. on February 16, 2021, leaving Appleton, Wisconsin (KATW). Their destination was Sebastian, Florida (KX26), for planned maintenance. The airplane had issues with its retractable landing gear and was being flown on a ferry permit, which…

In the spring of 2003, a couple years after the introduction of the Cirrus SR22, a group of dedicated Cirrus pilots invited a team of aviation university researchers and FAA safety professionals to Las Vegas to conduct a two-day seminar on flight training. A variety of subjects were discussed, including the emerging issues associated with the new glass cockpits, aeronautical decision making, and the proper use of the then-new Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), and on a lighter note, the apparent inability of any of the participants to win a single dime on the slot machines. It was a great pilot-to-pilot event focused on flight safety. However, the most surprising takeaway was the uniform opinion of this group of owner pilots that they were experiencing various symptoms of mild hypoxia,…

Mention the late Jim Bede to some, and images of the sleek little BD-5J Microjet, flown through a hangar by none other than iconic movie spy James Bond, come to mind. To others, the picture is of an incredibly visionary aircraft designer who unfortunately left more than a few dissatisfied customers in his wake. Over his lifetime until his death in 2015, Bede produced many efficient and capable general aviation aircraft designs. However, long before the BD-4, BD-5, BD-6, and eventually the BD-10 jet project, his very first design, the Bede BD-1, must be considered his most successful. This petite little two-seat trainer and personal travel machine led to an entire line of fast, efficient, and fun production aircraft. Fresh out of college in Kansas, Bede began his career in…

Welcome to the July 2023 issue of Plane & Pilot and to a new chapter in the history of the magazine. I’m joining you from the heart of “flyover country” and the ranks of FLYING Media Group. My 20-year career in journalism and communications includes time serving community newspapers, magazines, and corporations. I have a lifelong passion for airplanes, the history of aviation, and the magic of flight—and for the stories of the people who have created the vivid history and close-knit community that makes aviation so special. While you will see a few changes in the magazine, they’ll be mostly technical. You may notice the paper feels a bit different, and the page design changes over time. We may work on some new features and themes. But the writers…

The traffic targets were thick on ForeFlight, a swarm of blue triangles trying to wedge into the same path. I fell in behind a Cessna 180 to begin the arrival, and as we flew down the railroad tracks, a few pilots got peeled off to restart their arrival—15 over the speed limit works on Interstate 75, but on the arrival to EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, not so much. There are no passing lanes unless you’re a true “fast mover.” None of us were transmitting—because there’s no room to get a word in edgewise. “Friends, this is your afternoon ATC team taking over for the morning crew, who have been doing a fantastic job—and you pilots have been as well! As a heads-up, we’re landing on runways 27 and 36, and…

There are many trailblazers to celebrate in the world of aviation. Some well-known names wrote the first chapters of aviation history decades before each of us fell in love with the sky, and their accomplishments and pioneering are well worth celebrating. It’s also important to recognize the men and women making history today—many of them forging paths and inspiring the next generation of pilots. Jessica Koss, lead transportation pilot and safety coordinator at Garmin in Olathe, Kansas, is one of those quietly opening the doors to that next generation, whether flying with her three daughters, nurturing the skills of pilots she trains at Garmin Aviation, or introducing young people to aviation through its outreach efforts. Koss became interested in flying in high school, when her dad took her to an…