What’s in a name?

I enjoyed the article “What’s in a Name?” in the July 2021 issue. I’m surprised you didn’t come across this one yet, but when I was living in El Paso and actively flying, I adopted a stray Chow mix puppy—and named her Mayday. The desert Southwest is no place for a stray pup, so the name seemed to fit her perfectly.

Thanks for the great article.

Jim Miedema / AOPA 1131008
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Fun article in AOPA Pilot this month. Of course, I had to see if my two West Highland White terriers (Westies) were named and I didn’t see them. They are Jeppeson (sic)  “Jepp” and Captain. Thanks for the read. —Karl Van Nostrand / AOPA 1274414, Austin, TexasOccasionally a couple of our Skye Terriers have flown with me, but I’m really writing about a friend who breeds and professionally shows Field Spaniels who names her dogs aviation names. Why, you ask? She is Bob Hoover’s daughter.

Jay Turnbull  / AOPA 824215
Windsor, Colorado

Frugal or foolish

Nice article on used avionics (“Frugal or Foolish,” July 2021 AOPA Pilot). I had the same concerns, but three years ago I stumbled onto a brand-new, in-the-box factory install kit Garmin GNS430W, which sat in an OEM warehouse from 2012 until 2019, never installed with everything needed. Garmin would not honor its warranty, but the price was right, so I bought it.

When one of the switches was sluggish, I did call Garmin, gave them the serial number, and was told that the unit had never been installed and it did have a warranty from the date of installation even though they were no longer selling it. They suggested using the switches and the problem should go away as some new units had this problem until the switches were broken in.

Walt Roberts / AOPA 937095
Jasper, Indiana

Terrain at every turn

That was a good article on the mountain approach to Vail-Eagle County (“Waypoints: Terrain at Every Turn”). You might take a look at the Juneau, Alaska (JUN or PAJN), LDA approach and minimums. Take note of the missed approach spot in relation to the runway. What the LDA plate doesn’t show anymore is the 3.2-mile long S-shape sequence flashing light string leading to the runway end. Back in the 1960s and ’70s there was not a DME associated with the LDA approach and of course no GPS. Also look at the Juneau Six Departure.

In 1974 an Alaska Airlines 727 got the DIBOL intersection wrong and ended up in a mountain at the cost of 117 passengers and crew. A week later there was a DME at Coghlan (CGL). I was sitting on the ground in our Boeing 720A in Juneau waiting for the Alaska Airlines flight to land so we could get our takeoff clearance. It was a long wait.

Dick Welsh / AOPA 1665837
Bellevue, Washington

Misfueled!

I enjoyed reading Mike Busch’s informative article “Misfueled!” I appreciate his tips. I’m a student pilot and professionally I’m a state retail fuel inspector for the Department of Agriculture. I have been trained and also checked many airports’ tanks and fuel trucks. I agree with Busch about contamination. When we do our state inspection you will be surprised what I find and end up issuing violations. I like his perspective: Don’t trust them. Smell it to double check. Don’t become comfortable; someone else is doing the job but it’s your life up there.

Waseem Akbar / AOPA 6414408
Atlanta, Georgia 

Farm to capital

The article “Farm to Capital” (July 2021 AOPA Pilot) was very interesting, and the photos were outright stunning. I have been an AOPA member since the early ’80s (oh, boy, how time flies!).

My wife and I are also longtime horse people; she got a horse when she was 13 and has had many and multiple at the same time ever since.

We live on a 200-acre horse farm in seacoast New Hampshire. Coincidentally my wife adopted a rescue horse many years ago. He too was a racehorse. And while we can’t read his tattoo to get his exact age, we believe that he is mid-40s based on piecing together his history and having had many vet checks over the years.

He is turned out 24 hours a day on 25 acres of pasture and he is healthy, happy, and still somewhat athletic. 

Chris Rider / AOPA 863772
Exeter, New Hampshire

All in the family

I have enjoyed Barry Schiff’s “Proficient Pilot” column for more than 37 years. His July 2021 column, “All in the Family,” touched me deeply. My father learned to fly in Hickory, North Carolina (HKY), in his thirties, when I was in junior high, circa 1975. I started my flight training at the same airport in 1977, just after my seventeenth birthday, leading to my private pilot certificate. After college, I flew in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring as a lieutenant colonel with 22 years, combined active and reserve service. I am currently a captain and line check pilot on the Airbus A350 at Delta Air Lines, where I have been employed for 31 years. Our youngest son, Will, also began his flight instruction at HKY in 2015, just after his eighteenth birthday. He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (DAB). He is a pilot for PSA Airlines, based at Charlotte (CLT), on military leave. He is a second lieutenant, currently on active duty attending U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training for the North Carolina Air National Guard, where he will fly the C–17 at CLT. It is special to have three generations begin their aviation journey at the same airport.

Andy Rice / AOPA 843944
Granite Falls, North Carolina

The smile in Barry Schiff’s photo on the masthead of his column now has a whole new and different meaning to me. I kept reading this column and feeing “better” all the time.

I can’t even come close to understanding Schiff’s pride after reading and rereading this one. I secretly had hoped that maybe my daughter and/or grandson would have taken in my two passions of flying and golf but, unfortunately, no such luck. To have a son and grandson knee-deep in aviation is beyond anybody’s wildest dreams.

Joe Kessler / AOPA 471871
Ashland, Ohio

I loved the article about Barry Schiff’s grandson. It had to be a wonderful feeling.

Harold Wood / AOPA 244419
Shelocta, Pennsylvania

Generations

Barry Schiff, thanks for a great article in the latest AOPA Pilot! My family also has three generations of pilots—all military and civilian. My dad, Ed Scherer, flew P–47Ns on Ie Shima, Okinawa. I flew the T–37/T–38/C–5A/B for 26 years after the Air Force Academy. My son Andrew Scherer, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, Naval Academy class of 2010, flew P–3Cs and now flies the MQ–4 Triton. I have read Barry Schiff’s articles for almost 50 years. I just received the FAA Master Pilot Award in February of 2021. I soloed in a Cessna 150 in October of 1969.

John Scherer / AOPA 1665837
Bellevue, Washington

We welcome your comments! Send letters to Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length and style.