Beating the AZ Heat  By Connor Barrett & Amon Haghighat @AZPILOTLIFE Flying in the heat of the Arizona desert can be physically strenuous on any pilot. Our recent cross-country flight had to be to a place that was going to beat the heat. After searching through our VFR sectionals and researching different airports in the valley, we decided to take the Lake Havasu...  Read more...Beating the AZ Heat

What Will You Do?  Surviving an Emergency By Mark Spencer There is nothing quite like flying through the backcountry, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You’ve got your camping gear all packed, perhaps do a day hike while on the ground, and certainly you’ll enjoy the company of your fellow aviators while on your...  Read more...What Will You Do?

Vice President's Report  Passing the Baton  Once upon a time, way back when, a long long time ago, sometime around the year 2000 plus or minus a year or so, I was asked to join the Arizona Pilots Association Board of Directors. Within about a year, I was elected as President and have been doing so ever since (with the exception of about one or two years). As a...  Read more...Vice President's Report

Porsche Aircraft Engines  by Hal Tretbar  Reprinted by permission from the Zuffenhausen News, Spring 2018 Issue (pcasar.com) I really appreciate the Porsche 3.2 liter motor in my 1987 Carrera. This air-cooled, 6 cylinder boxer engine is powerful, dependable, and efficient. Ferry Porsche (company: Porsche AG) must have liked these attributes also. In 1980 he...  Read more...Porsche Aircraft Engines

Flying the KC 135 Simulator  Howard Deevers  My daughter, Barb, moved back to Western Pennsylvania a few months ago. I assisted her in exploring this option last year. We stayed with her best friend, Cindy, who lives in Murrysville, just East of Pittsburgh. Cindy is married to a Lt Col in the Air National Guard at Pittsburgh International Airport, the...  Read more...Flying the KC 135 Simulator

Women Pilots  Howard Deevers  The opinions expressed here are of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Arizona Pilots Association or any other group of aviators. By now you must have heard of the emergency landing of a Southwest Airlines flight in Philadelphia on April 17, 2018. The Captain on that flight was a female pilot; the...  Read more...Women Pilots

When Things Go Bump In The Night  Howard Deevers  Is it true that when you are flying at night your airplane makes strange noises? When in IMC you hear things that you didn’t hear only a few minutes ago when in the clear. The airplane is probably just fine, but our senses are in a higher state, so we do think we hear things that we didn’t...  Read more...When Things Go Bump in the Night

Winter Flying  Howard Deevers  The Private Pilot check ride is the final glorious moment in our basic training. You have just finished your check ride, and the examiner hands you your Temporary Certificate. Wow! What a feeling! Now I can take my family members or friends for a flight and demonstrate my newly acquired skills and knowledge. I am a Pilot!...  Read more...After the Check Ride

Winter Flying  Howard Deevers  While Arizona was enjoying exceptional flying weather in January, much of the rest of the country was experiencing harsh winter conditions. We saw sub-zero temperatures, snow, ice, and the "windchill" we all hate. My nephew, John, has come from Minneapolis to Tucson several times for a week of relief from the cold....  Read more...Winter Flying

Looking Both Ways  Howard Deevers  Do you make New Year Resolutions? Almost all of us do, but many of us fail to follow through. The usual resolutions, such as losing a few pounds, eating healthier, exercising more, earning a new rating, or attending more safety seminars, may not materialize, even though we have the best of intentions. But the...  Read more...Looking Both Ways