A colder than anticipated autumn night mixed with the faintest of winds out of the northwest made the evening a cold one. Battling the physics of sleeping on uneven ground to being slightly elevated on an ultralight cot, one soon learns that in the balance of warmth versus comfort, warmth will always win. Multiple layers […]
A necessary reprieve from the rigors of a busy summer flying schedule brought forth a week of sunshine, crystal clear waters, and soft sandy beaches. The benefits of the entire world being accessible makes organizing these semi-spontaneous sabbaticals somewhat strenuous. This time, a few last-minute changes to my schedule opened up more time, and an […]
How do you explain to the uninitiated what Oshkosh means to you? Do you lead them on over ten miles of wandering between the wings of the hundreds upon hundreds of flying machines that make their annual pilgrimage to the place the Poberezny’s built? Do you share with them the tales of these machines, each […]
I want to think that I’m a better pilot than most. Looking back at logbooks that span shelves in my study one would have a hard time finding any intentional or unintentional bent metal, broken bones, or even nicked propellors in those volumes. However, I find myself watching airplane accident videos on repeat trying to […]
Often times I find myself saying I’m a father of five children and it’s certainly easier to explain that than the six I’ve brought into this world. When the observant notice the alphabetical nature of the names of our kids, they’ll sometimes ask “Where’s the N?” Well, Nora Catherine’s enjoying an eternity of love and […]
In a dramatic turn of events, the seniority percentage has reversed course. Having successfully completed my Captain upgrade training and required operational experience and evaluations, the eastern seaboard will once again be graced by the presence of yours truly. While the battle continues to be fought, the scheduling gods decided to take an unblemished record […]
the following words were written as part of a presentation I gave on Backcountry ADM as part of my involvement with the Backcountry Safety Coalition Before I begin my dissertation, I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes from the great Wolfgang Langewiesche. “We pay attention to the wrong things; we miss […]
These last few weeks, there’s been something weighing on my mind. More than my thoughts on ArkanSTOL, more than my most recent sunburn thanks to a lower latitude. Lately, I’ve been being reminded of a lacking number of entries in my logbook across the many backcountry airstrips across southern Utah. Thanks to a springtime of […]
In my quest to understand where backcountry flying sits within my personal risk versus reward balance, I’ve learned volumes through the shared experiences of others who’ve gone before me in my chosen field. Revered backcountry aviators, willingly or not, have become not only my mentors, but confidants as I have worked to find a community […]
Last month I spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on the balance between risk versus reward having completed the last leg of my journey home from Montana in less than favorable conditions. What drove me to reflecting on those tense moments when the smoke obscured my visibility beyond expectations was an airplane that took […]