Did I Miss Tuesday’s Blog Post? Yes… But It’s All Good
Some of you might be asking yourself, “Did I miss this past Tuesday’s blog post?” The short answer? Nope, you didn’t miss anything. My brother Doug even called me Wednesday afternoon, concerned that he didn’t get his usual email notification. He asked, “Is everything alright?” First of all—yes, everything’s fine! Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been…
Flying Blind for Love: Revisiting “Cupid on Instruments”
Some aviation stories are about daring rescues, record-breaking speeds, or brilliant designs that changed the world. And then there are the quiet, relatable tales—the ones that sneak up on you. “Cupid on Instruments,” first published in Flying magazine back in November 1956, is one of those. It’s not about glory or innovation. It’s about a…
Yank in the Black Cat Squadron: Hollywood, Humor, and High-Flying Hijinks in WWI
Most folks hear “French Foreign Legion” and picture some rugged adventurer wandering through the desert with a thousand-yard stare and sand in his boots. But in the skies above World War I France, a different kind of legend was being written—one that involved not only dogfights and daring missions, but also practical jokes, stolen grapes,…
The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane: The Helicopter That Carries the World
If you’ve ever spotted a helicopter that looks more like a flying skeleton than a traditional chopper—no fuselage, just a framework with massive rotors on top—you were probably looking at a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane. And if you thought it looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie or a LEGO Technic set, you…
Inside the Hurricane: A Pilot’s View of Terror and Data Collection
I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with the Hurricane Hunters and the types of planes they use, but I just saw a very interesting interview that I had to share with you.From what I knew, they fly a few different aircraft—definitely a modified C-130, and I believe a G-IV—but I had no…
Katherine Stinson’s Forgotten Flight: A Record-Breaking Journey to Help the Grizzlies
In December 1917, as America was deep in the throes of World War I, a young woman made aviation history—but not for the reasons you might expect. Katherine Stinson, already a well-known aviator and stunt pilot by her mid-twenties, set out from San Diego on a daring nonstop flight to San Bruno, California. Her destination:…