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Tracing Our Roots: Flying and Touring the Natchez Trace, Part 2

Tracing Our Roots: Flying and Touring the Natchez Trace, Part 2

Author’s Note: In Part 1, we explored many sites along the northern three-quarters of the Natchez Trace full of rich history. In this final installment, we’ll wrap up the tour, covering the southernmost 100 miles of the route, some nearby attractions and the city for which the Trace is named.  If you recall from Part…

Tracing Our Roots – Flying and Touring the Natchez Trace, Part 1

Tracing Our Roots – Flying and Touring the Natchez Trace, Part 1

As pilots, we all share a common interest in modern transport. Often, we fly just for fun, feeding our passion to be airborne. However, King Air category aircraft are primarily a means of rapid transport. They are magic carpets that, in a matter of hours, cover distances that once took weeks, months or even a…

The Upper Left Corner Part I: Taking your King Air to explore Washington State’s National Park Lands

The Upper Left Corner Part I: Taking your King Air to explore Washington State’s National Park Lands

Emerald or jade. Forest or hunter. Turquoise or teal. Whatever adjective one chooses to add to “green,” there is little question you’ll find it in Washington. As a state motto, it’s never been officially adopted, but Washington has long been called “The Evergreen State” for good reason. Seattle, the state’s largest city, is similarly referred…

Soaring  with  Condors –   Flying To and Touring Pinnacles National Park

Soaring with Condors – Flying To and Touring Pinnacles National Park

As we approached the summit of the High Peaks Trail, menacing Turkey Vultures circled overhead. Their inky black feathers and scarlet heads contrasted sharply against the pale blue sky as they effortlessly soared over the cliffs surrounding us. Riding thermals between and around the craggy spires, then crossing the valleys again to repeat each circuit,…

Expert Level Aviating:  Deliberate Practice

Expert Level Aviating: Deliberate Practice

Aviation, like most activities, requires a certain level of expertise. However, it can also be pursued at a wide variety of levels, from recreational for a few dozen flight hours a year, to professional for a thousand flight hours (or more) per year. Thus, “expert” is a loaded term that can mean a variety of…

Valley of Vapors

Valley of Vapors

Seeking a smoother ride, we had descended out of our lofty cruising altitude before crossing the northern border of Arkansas. To increase arrival options, I’d canceled our instrument flight plan in favor of VFR flexibility. The first smooth altitude we found was relatively low. Thus, 10 miles northeast of Hot Springs, Arkansas, the airport was…

Colorado’s Contours,  Part II: Discovering the Marvels  of Man and Nature

Colorado’s Contours, Part II: Discovering the Marvels of Man and Nature

In Part I of this series, we explored two of Colorado’s amazing national parks and the airports that serve them – Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), northwest of Denver, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (BCGNP), just east of Montrose. Colorado has two other national parks worthy of your exploration. However, if you…

Colorado’s Contours,  Part I: Flying To and Touring Colorado’s National Parks

Colorado’s Contours, Part I: Flying To and Touring Colorado’s National Parks

An old joke among pilots is that flying to anywhere in eastern Colorado is basically just a flight into western Kansas. Indeed, the eastern one-third of Colorado has more in common with Kansas and Nebraska than it does with the mountainous terrain that Colorado is famous for. What is easy to miss is the steady…

Understanding VOR in the Era of GPS

Understanding VOR in the Era of GPS

I already know what most readers are thinking, “Why should I care about VORs anymore?” Global Positioning System (GPS) has become the default form of navigation for all segments of general aviation (GA), while ILS and RNAV/GPS (with vertical guidance) approaches have become the norm at both large and small airports. Chances are, most of…