Author Archives: David Megginson
UNSAR
Update: The ELT is back and recertified with a new battery, but the forecast tomorrow calls for cloud and ice from about hilltop level to 9,000 ft, so the Hope Air flight is canceled. UNSAR is the Transport Canada acronym … Continue reading
Tagged owning, regulations, system
7 Comments
Thank you for smoking
When I bought my Warrior, there was a small plastic sign in the middle of the panel reading “If you wish to smoke, please step outside.” My daughters were angry with me for removing the placard, but I’ve never been … Continue reading
Posted in General
2 Comments
Night and day: two perspectives on a small airport
Since I moved from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International to Ottawa/Rockcliffe at the beginning of this month, I’ve had a chance to take only two flights, but with two drastically-different results. Night … One fine evening I decided to drive to the airport … Continue reading
Tagged owning, places
6 Comments
A distinctive plane
Yesterday, under a low ceiling and poor visibility in showers, I made my shortest-ever point-to-point trip in an airplane, flying the 7 nm from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier to my plane’s new home at Ottawa/Rockcliffe. There are dozens, if not hundreds of light … Continue reading
Tagged canada-us, owning, places
6 Comments
Cell phones, planes, and the Canada-U.S. border
I just finished a three-day business trip to Boston, once again using the very friendly Norwood Memorial Airport (the Wikipedia article needs some TLC) to the south of the city. Boston has a nasty airport security zone with high security … Continue reading
Tagged canada-us
4 Comments
Great flying weather, and a bit of boneheaded flying
Warm front pushing in, ceilings at 800 ft AGL with occasional 400 ft, light rain, freezing levels above 10,000: it looked like great flying weather to get in some IFR approaches in actual IMC. Recency Pilots have to do a … Continue reading
Nice landing in downtown Montreal
I have no idea how the flight got to this point, but according to this CBC article, once the pilot found himself low over downtown Montreal in a Cessna 172M without a working engine, he seems to have done a … Continue reading
Tagged news
3 Comments
Moving to a new airport
After a lot of agonizing, I’ve decided to move my Warrior from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier (CYOW) eight nautical miles northeast to Ottawa/Rockcliffe (CYRO) effective 1 October. The short flight means a huge number of changes for me: I’ll be leaving Canada’s 6th … Continue reading
Tagged owning, places
8 Comments
Wake turbulence as art
A reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) sent me the link to this picture. Here’s a high resolution version. The photo was taken over the Atlantic Ocean near Charleston, SC on 16 May 2006 — a C-17 released flares, and … Continue reading
Posted in General
5 Comments
Land and Hold Short 