Free Republic

This Flying FReeper (Catchy - should have used that as a sign-up name!), and other pilots here, need your help! While congressional and grassroot wars have been raging around Illegal immigration, border security, and conduct of the War On Terror, another quieter, but important, battle is being waged which pits supporters of General Aviation (GA) against the airlines. In a nutshell, the airlines want to take over the FAA function and funding. They want to do this by creating an Airline Transport Association-sponsored program named "Smart Skies". The resulting "panel of experts", comprised of airline executives, would result in...

Do terms like MOA, Windage, and Elevation get your attention? Know a Barret from an AR-15? Love the sight and sound of a long brass cartridge being driven into the breech by a bolt? Understand mil-dots on the cross-hairs as seen through a precision scope? If so, you'll love the movie "SHOOTER". This adaptation of Stephen Hunters' book, "Point of Impact", to the big screen will warm the heart of any firearm affecinado. Hunter knows firearms. Anyone one who has read his books ("Havana","Dirty White Boys","Time to Hunt", among others) knows the level of firearm detail and experience which he...

Tom Sullivan (KFBK/1530 AM) will feature an interview with Mitt Romney in the 3:00-4:00PM (PDT) hour. The call in number (toll free) is 800-834-1530.

Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness assigned two homicide detectives Wednesday to investigate the apparent water-intoxication death of a Rancho Cordova woman who competed in a radio-station stunt to win a Nintendo gaming console.Jennifer Strange (deceased), her husband, and children.

This is the first picture I've seen of the cockpit of the new A380 Airbus. You can see the location of the aircraft by looking at the GPS (yes, That's France) on the ECIAS (or Engine Indications and Crew Alerting System) and also on the split screen you can see a view of the aircraft from the tail camera view and under the aircraft looking at the nose wheel. This is to assist during taxi and landing. Note the keyboard and the computer screen and the flight control "stick". Also note the almost total absence of levers and switches (mostly...

B-52 Flyby of USS Ranger This picture is real because I witnessed this flyby personally. This picture was taken in the spring of 1990 as we started our deployment to the Persian Gulf. I was up in the "tower" with the air boss as the Viking squadron rep for the launch/recovery and these Buff drivers (2 of them) called that they were at 8 miles for a flyby. They had been 'orange air' for a big war - at - sea exercise we were doing When they called 5 miles the boss said "we don't see you" and we heard...

Cessna's Model 172 has taught and shaped the careers of thousands of pilots for 50 years. The list of superlatives affixed to the 172 refers to manufacturing numbers and hours amassed rather than sexier terms like "fastest" or "prettiest." It is truly an unsung hero of general aviation airplanes. It's hard to believe that the design is 50 years old and, following the darkest days of the industry, has evolved into what is now among the more advanced single-engine airplanes in the sky.19562006

Two American airshow performers, Bobby Younkin and Jimmy Franklin, were killed during an acrobatic performance at the Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 Airshow yesterday afternoon. Follow the link for the story and bios of the pilots involved.

Sixteen reasons why airplanes are easier to live with than Women! 1) Airplanes usually kill you quickly - a woman takes her time. 2) Airplanes can be turned on by a flick of a switch. 3) Airplanes don't get mad if you do a "touch and go." 4) Airplanes don't object to a preflight inspection. 5) Airplanes come with manuals to explain their operation. 6) Airplanes have strict weight and balance limitations. 7) Airplanes can be flown any time of the month. 8) Airplanes don't come with in-laws. 9) Airplanes don't care about how many other airplanes you've preflighted and...

My daughter was home for spring break and her somewhat older boyfriend came to visit for the first time. After he left, I found two pair of handcuffs next to where his luggage had been in the living room—obviously left behind. This man is not a policeman. While he seemed to treat my daughter well, I'm not sure what to do with these items

Since 1992, AOPA President Phil Boyer has held Pilot Town Meetings across America, reviewing national developments in General Aviation and engaging pilots on local GA issues. In more than 330 such meetings, Boyer has set the pace for direct communication with the nation's pilots. AOPA's Pilot Town Meetings offer pilots and aircraft owners a lively forum in which to discuss matters that are important to them, exploring issues and concerns with AOPA's president and with each other.

I've a recent acquaintance, a foreign-born licensed M.D., working in CA for the past 18 months on a LEGAL technical resident visa. I took him out to our local range (he had expressed an interest in firearms) where he, very carefully, revealed that he, too, "owned a pistol", though it was in storage. Asked why he hadn't brought it to the range, he stated that, as a non-U.S. Citizen, it was his understanding that even possession of a firearm was illegal. 1) Does anyone here know if that is true? He stated that it was a gift from his deceased...

Talk host Tom Sullivan (KBFK, Sacramento) just announced that the SCOTUS refused to review a ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowing a personal damage lawsuit against gun manufacturer Glock to proceed. Sounds like a felon purchased the handgun from a gun collector and proceeded to murder; wrongful death and emotional distress, etc, claims.