One of the first things most newly certificated pilots want to do is take a friend, loved one, or co-worker for an airplane ride. Such a flight, well flown, can have the magical effect of inspiring another new aviator to pursue the flight-training track. The short-and-sweet sightseeing flight over familiar territory, or to view a well-known local scenic area, is an effective way to demonstrate what general aviation is about. However, a short flight shouldn't be short on pilot preparation. See the Project Pilot feature " High Entertainment," page 96, for some ideas from author Dan Namowitz about how to transform a routine introductory flight into an unforgettable experience that the passengers will cherish forever.
"Everyone is buzzing about very light jets, or VLJs, but there is nothing new about the concept," says contributor Barry Schiff. In " SIPA S-200 Minijet: Fun to Fly," page 80, Schiff reports on the very first VLJ, which was built by the French in 1951. The SIPA S-200 Minijet also was the world's first civilian jet, but its original performance was anemic. A recent owner substituted a larger engine that dramatically improved performance. "Trouble is," Schiff says, "it consumes fuel so rapidly that you must think about landing almost as soon as you take off. This made it truly difficult to get into formation with the camera platform and get the air-to-air images recorded before running out of fuel. The pressure was really on photographer Mike Fizer, who had precious few minutes to get the job done." Schiff says that he would not have minded landing a few times for fuel. The scampering little Minijet is that much fun to fly.
"After flying the new Garmin G1000- and GFC 700-equipped G36 Bonanza and the new Piper Mirage with its Avidyne Entegra panel, I started to get the idea that big-screen glass cockpits were taking over the world," says AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Thomas A. Horne (see " G36 Bonanza: Gimme a G," page 72 and " The Avidyne Mirage," page 127). "But while writing this month's 'Wx Watch' another truth became obvious [ " Wx Watch: Ice Surprises," page 137]. High-tech is great, but there's no substitute for good old-fashioned low-tech icing survival rules. All that glass will certainly tell you if the OAT is at 0 degrees Celsius — but when did you first notice it?"
It's not easy to contact a successful actor, as AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Alton K. Marsh found out when trying to reach James Franco, who stars in Flyboys, a movie about the Lafayette Escadrille, scheduled to open September 22. There were two public relations agencies guarding the actor; the agency for the movie had to contact the agency that represents Franco. Two weeks passed, and the article " Flyboys: The Passion of Tony Bill," page 121, was well past its deadline, but Franco hadn't called. It was decided that Marsh would fly to Atlantic City where Franco was to ride aboard a Navy Blue Angels jet. The jet needed a new altimeter, giving Franco some down time, but then it was decided to have Franco call Marsh from the airport. The result was a phone interview conducted while a ticket agent recited a warning about carrying shampoo in carry-on luggage. What appears in the article is the part that Marsh could hear.
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