I love my job. I get to travel the country introducing people to the wonders of modern aircraft with their glass panels, Sythetic Vision and all the trimmings. I get to meet the best folks and hear lots of great stories.

Today I had the pleasure of giving an impromtu flight to Captain JJ Quin.  We just struck up a conversation at his home airport and I offered to give him a flight. At first he said, “No…I’ve got some paper work to do.” I looked at him and cock my head and said, “Are you really going to turn down a ride in a brand new SVT G1000 airplane?” All of a sudden he came to his senses and said, “Let’s go!”. I arrived home later to receive this email. I had no idea I was flying with a legend! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most amazing things about our new digital glass panels we lucky pilots get to enjoy is their connection to the satellites. We not only use the GPS satellites for easy advanced navigation but we also obtain our current weather radar, Metar, Sigmet, Airmet, TFRs, Freezing levels, winds and more via satellites.

This wonder of technology is made possible through the delivery of the data from the XM Radio (nasdaq: XMSR) satellite network. Yes, this is the same network that many of you use to entertain yourself in the cockpit of your Chevy or Lexus as the case may be.

We can also enjoy the many channels of audio while we fly too. Don’t underestimate the enhanced enjoyment this little addition brings. I’ve enjoyed many a sunset evening coming in to land with just the right tune playing in the background and a smile on my face…it is the perfect crowning touch to our new digital cockpits and it’s quite refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing… Read the rest of this entry »