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Video: What an old Soviet Antonov An-2 Colt is capable of

Hat tip to the Aviationist blog for finding and posting this old video of an Antonov An-2 Colt’s appearance in a 2006 Krakow air show showing just what the aircraft is capable of. The Antonov An-2 was a Soviet-era workhorse airplane designed by Oleg Antonov that was intended as an all purpose aircraft for just about everything from crop dusting to training parachutists. They even saw combat action in the Korean War, clandestine action over Laos during the Vietnam War and were last used in the Croatian War of Independence against Serbia/Yugoslavia back in the early 1990s.

According to the Antonov An-2’s Wikipedia Page, the aircraft’s high noise levels, increasing maintenance costs, high fuel consumption and unsophisticated nature (as the pre-flight checks take between 30 and 40 minutes) mean they are obsolete for commercial service in Europe and huge numbers are available for very low prices (for as little as $30,000). This of course makes them an ideal aircraft for the developing world where they are used to carry large loads into short airstrips.

The video shows the types of maneuvers an Antonov An-2 is capable of, from aerobatics and low speed passes to loops and extremely short landings:

Meet Britain’s only full-time “flying banker”

The Wall Street Journal recently posted had an article along with a video segment about Anne Rendall, the Royal Bank of Scotland’s “flying banker” who’s a real jetsetter in the sense that she has racked up over 9,000 flights over the years, but that’s because she has been serving customers in the sparsely populated Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland for 25 years. She’s also a regular on the 1.7-mile and minute long flight between Westray and Papa Westray, the world’s shortest commercial flight:

If it were not for Ms. Rendall, residents on remoter Orkney Islands would have to spend a day going to and from the main town on a ferry, plus the island’s Internet service can’t handle a large amount of traffic. So its up to her to come and set up a hut or community center to collect checks, dole out cash and open new accounts. Her great-uncle had also sailed the floating bank that served the islands up until the 1960s before being replaced by a commercial air service.

RBS apparently declined to say whether the “flying bank” is profitable as its costs (including Ms. Rendall’s plane tickets and other travel expenses) are borne by the bank’s main branch in the Orkneys, but a spokesperson did say that her costs are offset by the leads she generates to offer customers products such as loans and the like.

Videos: How to mount and fly with an iPad in the cockpit

Jason Schappert, the pilot blogger behind MzeroA.com, has recently made a couple of useful videos about how to mount and use an iPad in the cockpit. In the first video, Jason takes you into the cockpit of his Cessna 150 to show you how he uses his iPad with a kneepad (instead of a yoke mount). Keep in mind that Jason is TALL, as in 6 ft 4 inches or 193 cm’s, and the cockpit of a Cessna 150 is SMALL:

In this other video, Jason shows you some tools he uses and the ways he uses an iPad in the cockpit. This includes on how to run a split screen on the iPad:

It should be mentioned that Jason has a couple of iPad in the cockpit videos under the posts, Check Weather On The iPad and Flight Plan on the iPad. In addition, we also have a number of posts here covering all aspects of iPad usage by pilots, including whether or not to upgrade one, what apps to use and general tips or tricks for pilot users.

Key aircraft buying tips

We have covered the topic of aircraft buying a few times in the past (see Five questions to consider before deciding to buy an aircraft and Aircraft buying mistakes and questions to ask), but the PlaneGrazy.com blog has a great post with several important tips for buying an aircraft that was written by Alan Carr who works for aircraft classifieds site, globalair.com. Alan started out by writing that buying an aircraft is not like buying a car because chances are, you just aren’t familiar with the process and there are some unknowns associated with aircraft purchases.

Alan then went on to concisely summarize some key aircraft buying tips:

Know what you need in an aircraft. Alan suggested the 80% rule where you find an aircraft that fulfills your flying needs 80% of the time rather than look for one that fulfills your needs 100% of the time. He also suggested looking at your needs in a three year block (in case you decide to upgrade) and buying something you are familiar with. Finally, he noted low hours and high performance tend to be a concern for insurers as you will need to find someone willing to ensure your purchase.
Have a budget and stick to it. Alan wrote that you need to know what you can afford on a monthly basis and you should plan for an additional 25% increase in the event of an unexpected maintenance cost. Alan also made it clear that you need to know what you qualify for if you intend to finance something and to consider partnerships or co-ownerships, but those types of arrangements will require as much attention to detail (like selecting a suitable partner) as picking the aircraft.
Its not just the sticker price. Alan wrote that you need to look beyond the sticker price as a bargain aircraft could come with staggering upkeep costs even if it’s the same model but a different year. For that reason, he suggested speaking with knowledgeable people (e.g. current owners and mechanics) about the maintenance costs associated with a particular aircraft model and added that you should not overlook the value of online forums as most pilots are happy to give advice or tips.

With the above tips in mind, would you have any further tips to add from any personal experiences buying an aircraft?

You might be a redneck pilot if…

You might be a redneck pilot if:

1. Your stall warning plays DIXIE.
2. Your cross-country flight plan uses flea markets as check points.
3. You think sectionals should show trailer parks.
4. You’ve ever used moonshine as AVGas.
5. Your 172’s wheel pants have mud flaps with a chrome silhouette of a reclining nude.
6. Your toothpick keeps poking your mic.
7. You’ve ever taxied around the airport just drinking beer.
8. You wouldn’t be caught dead in a Grumman Yankee.
9. You use an old sweet mix sack as a wind sock.
10. You constantly confuse “Beechcraft” with “Beechnut.”
11. You’ve never flown a nosewheel airplane.
12. You refer to formation flying as “We got us a convoy.”
13. Your matched set of lightweight flying luggage is 3 grocery bags from Piggly Wiggly.
14. You have a gun rack in the rear window.
15. You have more than one roll of duct tape holding your cowling on.
16. You figure mud and manure in your weight and balance calculations.
17. You siphon gas from your tractor to go flying.
18. You’ve never landed at an actual airport even though you’ve been flying for over 20 years.
19. You’ve ever ground looped to avoid hitting a cow.
20. You consider anything over 500 ft AGL as High Altitude Flying.
21. There are parts on your aircraft labeled “John Deere.”
22. You don’t own a current sectional, but have all the Texaco road maps for your area.
23. There’s a brown streak down each side of your airplane; exhaust on the right side and tobacco on the left.
24. You have to buzz the strip to chase off the livestock before landing.
25. You use an old parachute for a portable hanger.
26. You’ve ever landed on Main Street for a cup of coffee.
27. The tread pattern, if any, on all three of your tires is different.
28. You have a pair of fuzzy dice and some small copper shoes hanging from the Magnetic Compass.
29. You put straw in the baggage compartment so your dogs don’t get cold.
30. You’ve got matching bumper stickers on each side of the vertical fin.
31. There are grass stains on the tips of your propeller.
32. Somewhere on your plane, there’s a bumper sticker that reads “I’d rather be fishing.”
33. You navigate with your ADF tuned to only AM country stations.
34. You think an ultra light is a new sissy beer from Budweiser.
35. Just before the crash, everybody on the UNICOM frequency heard you say, “Hey Y’all…Watch This!”

Video: Spectacular sideways flying in a Sukhoi 31

Back in the 1980s, Lithuanian born pilot Jurgis Kairys apparently set the standard for how competitors on the international grand prix flying circuit are judged for their flying skills, but in this really cool video posted on Facebook (apparently a segment from the official Australian International Airshow 2005 DVD), he makes his Sukhoi 31 fly sideways about half way through the video:

When asked how it was done, Jurgis just smiled and said: “You know maybe it was a mistake!”

A quick look at Jurgis’ website reveals a couple of other really cool flying videos along with a photo gallery showing some of his stunts at various air shows or aerobatic competitions from around the world.

Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts