Although he has been out of the newspaper business for a couple of decades, the "reporter" in AOPA Pilot Editor in Chief Thomas B. Haines is still alive and well. "The chance to get an exclusive sneak peak at a brand-new general aviation airplane causes me to reach for my reporter's notebook," Haines says. "Like a lot of publications, we've been following the Honda aviation story for a number of years, putting together the pieces best we could for a project that has been kept very secret." A few months ago, Haines was invited to be the first to interview the HondaJet's designer and to learn more about this unusual airplane and this giant company's plans for general aviation. Read the results in " Behind the Curtain" on page 70.
What could be better than getting to play with a rare flying machine in Montana's Big Sky Country? Aviation safety consultant Michael L. Stockhill, a recently retired NTSB senior investigator, shares his experiences with a Hoffman Dimona motorglider (see " Soar Like a Seagull," page 88). "I always found it interesting that many professional pilots return to basics when they own personal aircraft. Corporate jocks own J-3s and airline drivers fly Pacers. With the Dimona, I also leave behind some complex cockpits for something simple. On top of that paradigm shift, the Dimona's soaring capability provides a whole new learning opportunity."
"What's the big deal?" was writer Rich Nagle's reaction when someone suggested he add speed brakes to his turbo Piper Saratoga (see " Lowdown to Go Down," page 131). But he soon discovered that an aerodynamically clean retractable with a big, hot engine out front doesn't like to slow down. Since he had the speed brakes installed, managing speed and engine cooling are a lot easier. "The speed brakes take all the excitement out of descent planning and really save wear and tear on the engine," he says.
After the initial excitement of attending the unveiling of SpaceShipOne in 2003 and the three flights to space in 2004, journalist Jason Paur still had many lingering questions about what it was like to actually fly the first-ever private spacecraft (see " You're the Pilot," page 78). So, long after all the headlines faded, he went back to Scaled Composites in Mojave, California, to talk with the three pilots who flew it. "It was hangar talk like no other," Paur says of his experience of sitting down with Pete Siebold, Mike Melvill, and Brian Binnie in Scaled Composite's Hangar 78. Paur also got some firsthand experience of the piloting after a few flights in the ground-based simulator and several approaches in the air with Mike Melvill. "The simulator really gives you an appreciation for the challenges the pilots face, and flying with Mike demonstrated the creative lengths they went to in order to pull it all off," says Paur.
Visit the AOPA Pilot Web site ( www.aopa.org/pilot/) for links to this month's issue, back issues, calendar of events, and information on the AOPA Commander Countdown Sweepstakes.
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