Click here to find out how I set up the video camera in the cockpit.

May 6, 2005 - Between winter weather, work schedules and the plane going in the shop for avionics upgrades, my flight time hasn't been what I typically make it over the last few months. This flight was intended to polish off the last vestiges of winter rust and to provide a bit of in-flight training for some of the new cockpit toys we had installed. The evening approaches allowed for some interesting scenery (which I mostly missed in flight since I was "blinded" at the time).

October 16, 2004 - I was lucky enough to get tickets to the GM/UAW 500 NASCAR night race in Charlotte. For those unfamiliar with the area, Lowes Motor Speedway (actually in Concord, NC) is practically under the traffic pattern at KJQF. The landing was in gusty conditions, but the race was absolutely worth the ride down. Any red-blooded male can't help but grin at the sensation of 34,000 horsepower straining for the green flag.

Video

041017 Departing KJQF (12:02) Windows Media Modem 4.7MB Broadband 22.4MB Real Media   Broadband 19.6MB

041017 Crosswind Landing KJYO (7:10) Windows Media Modem 2.8MB Broadband 13.4MB Real Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 11.7MB

Still Shots

September 18, 2004 - NASA gave me an opportunity to provide some feedback on some cockpit display systems so I flew down to Newport News, VA (KPHF) on September 17th. The low pressure system formerly known as Hurricane Ivan was approaching the area from the Southwest and threw a bunch of clouds and some rain ahead of it. Winds were quite smooth, though.

I was given the ILS 7 approach into KPHF with winds out of the south reported at 10 knots. They seemed a bit more than that, though. I forgot to bring my tripod and had the camera sitting on the dash and with the crosswind correction on final to KPHF the camera kept sliding around. I wasn't about to let it become a distraction so I ended up putting it on the seat.

The flight home, however, did not go quite as planned. I intended to fly home the night of the 17th. However, the day's activities lasted until after 8pm and a look at the current radar showed a continuous line of heavy (Level 3-5) thunderstorms stretching from north of Washinton, DC through Charleston, SC. I decided to stay overnight in Newport News. Turns out to have been a wise choice since multiple tornados were spotted in my home area and Leesburg Executive Airport suffered a lightning strike that destroyed two hangars and a Piper Aztec.

The next morning dawned cloudy and breezy, but no thunderstorms to be seen anywhere in the area. I picked up my IFR clearance from KPHF and flew most of the trip home (about 2 hours flight time) in clouds. Having the instrument rating definitely made this trip possible.

Winds under the 3000 foot cloud bases were out of the north at 15 gusting to 25 knots. Luckily, the windsock at Leesburg was pointing directly down the runway and I didn't have to hold any crosswind correction at all on final approach. The crab on the 45 degree entry was interesting, though. The touchdown was almost surprisingly smooth considering the winds. A late gust held me in the flare a little longer than anticipated, but the mains chirped quite nicely on landing. All in all, a very nice flight.

The NASA connection? Well, I got an invitation to give my impressions of a couple new cockpit display systems they're working on. One of them was a full-blown "synthetic vision system" for general aviation planes. Very cool stuff. "Highway in the sky" nomenclature with 3D landscape (yes, terrain and even towers, buildings and other obstructions) and visibility so good on-screen that runway numbers and markings were clearly visible - even when in solid IMC. They asked me to run through a number of simulated approaches in varying weather conditions and I must say that I left salivating for this technology. In light of the flight there and back home, it was quite a timely demonstration of "what's to come".

Video

040917 Departing KJYO (15:16) Windows Media Modem 5.9MB Broadband 28.4MB Real Media Modem 5.6MB Broadband 24.9MB

040917 Landing KPHF (14:19) Windows Media Modem 5.6MB Broadband 26.6MB Real Media Modem 5.3MB Broadband 23.4MB

040918 Skimming Ivan (10:00) Windows Media Modem 3.9MB Broadband 18.6MB Real Media Modem 3.7MB Broadband 16.3MB

Still Shots

August 8, 2004 - Just a short pleasure flight, but it offered the chance to capture my activation of a DC ADIZ flight plan.

July 11, 2004 - I flew down to Georgia to pay a visit to family. Along the way, stopped for fuel in North Carolina. Conditions along much of the flight were typical East Coast haze with thunderstorms visible in the distance.

Video

040710 Landing 65J (10:34) Windows Media Modem 1.5MB Broadband 7.3MB Real Media Modem 1.4MB Broadband 6.4MB

040711 Departing 65J (10:59) Windows Media Modem 2.4MB Broadband 11.3MB Real Media Modem 2.2MB Broadband 9.9MB

040711 Landing KHBI (11:22) Windows Media Modem 2.1MB Broadband 10.2MB Real Media Modem 2.0MB Broadband 9.0MB

040711 Departing KHBI (11:22) Windows Media Modem 2.3MB Broadband 11.1MB Real Media Modem 2.2MB Broadband 9.7MB

Still Shots

May 25, 2004 - The Commemorative Air Force's National Capitol Squadron brought in a number of historic World War II aircraft for this year's Memorial Day (well, close to it, anyway). I had the opportunity to visit the airport to get a close up view of the B-17G "Sentimental Journey".

Still Shots

May 9, 2004 - This was a flight to Cincinnati, OH for a short Mother's Day visit to a new mom in the family. This flight included the first hold I've actually been instructed to fly by air traffic control (there was a thunderstorm over Leesburg when we got home).

The highlights video shows some of the sights available during the flight - including some that you just can't get while flying VFR (OK, at least not legally).

Video

040509 Landing KLUK (10:34) Windows Media Modem 4.1MB Broadband 20.3MB Real Media Modem 3.9MB Broadband 17.2MB

040509 Departing KLUK (10:59) Windows Media Modem 4.3MB Broadband 20.4MB Real Media Modem 4.0MB Broadband 17.9MB

040509 Highlights (11:22) Windows Media Modem 4.6MB Broadband 21.7MB Real Media Modem 4.2MB Broadband 18.4MB

Still Shots

February 27, 2004 - I was given the chance to provide some input on a new weather display being developed by NASA for use in general aviation aircraft. This required a flight to Newport News, VA (KPHF) on a nice almost-Spring day.

On the way, however, I diverted to Hanover, VA (KOFP) to check on my engine. Everything checked out, but it was enough to make me nervous for a few minutes.

Video

040227 Departing KJYO (7:34) Windows Media Modem 3.0MB Broadband 14.0MB Real Media Modem 2.8MB Broadband 12.3MB

040227 Divert to KOFP (18:20) Windows Media Modem 7.2MB Broadband 33.9MB Real Media Modem 6.7MB Broadband 29.9MB

040227 Landing KPHF (11:50) Windows Media Modem 4.7MB Broadband 22.0MB Real Media Modem 4.3MB Broadband 19.3MB

040227 Departing KPHF (9:35) Windows Media Modem 3.8MB Broadband 17.8MB Real Media Modem 3.5MB Broadband 15.6MB

040227 Landing KJYO (6:18) Windows Media Modem 2.5MB Broadband 11.7MB Real Media Modem 2.3MB Broadband 10.2MB

Still Shots

February 6, 2004 - Bad winter weather and work schedules have been conspiring to keep me grounded for the past several weeks. However, I was able to pay a visit to the new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air & Space Museum recently.

I also reduced the number of thumbnails on this page to improve loading time.

Video

040206 Udvar-Hazy (11:33) Windows Media Modem 4.4MB Broadband 20.4MB Real Media Modem 4.2MB Broadband 18.8MB

Still Shots

December 19, 2003 - This was a flight to Bay Bridge, MD (W29). It was a night IFR flight, but the conditions remained VMC throughout the flight even though the forecast called for few to scattered clouds in layers from 3500ft and higher. That was a concern due to the possibility of icing in the clouds, but the only clouds I saw were well outside my flight envelope for the night.

December 18, 2003 - A flying buddy and former neighbor now flies helicopters for a company in Houston, Texas. His company had bought two brand new Agusta A119 helicopters (12 hours on the tach) that were in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they needed to be ferried to Texas. Luckily for me, their flight brought them close to my home and they made a fuel stop in Leesburg (JYO) and offered me a ride in the 'copter.

These craft do things that are just simply amazing.

Video

031218 Agusta Helicopters (6:48) Windows Media Modem 2.7MB Broadband 12.1MB Real Media Modem 2.5MB Broadband 11.1MB

Still Shots

December 10, 2003 - This video is from a US Air Force Thunderbird F-16 that crashed during the "Gunfighter Skies 2003" air show at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho on September 15, 2003. The pilot ejected safely. [Original footage from http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/eject.mpg]

Video

030915 Mountain Home T-Bird Ejection (0:24) Windows Media   Broadband 804KB Real Media   Broadband 737KB

030915 Mountain Home T-Bird Ejection (Slow) (1:17) Windows Media   Broadband 2.1MB Real Media   Broadband 2.1MB

Still Shots

Additional Still Shots

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III

November 15, 2003 - Just a quick jaunt to Hagerstown, MD (KHGR). Landing at KHGR demonstrates the difficulty of spotting airports at dusk even with two experienced pilots in the cockpit.

November 13, 2003 - This is a video of a Mooney landing (almost crashing) at Langley Airport on Whidbey Island, Washington. The original MPEG-1 video can be found here:
http://www.aviating.com/mooney/video

No, I don't know what's up with the color.

November 8, 2003 - This was a night proficiency flight I took from Leesburg, VA (KJYO) to Cumberland, MD (KCBE).

Conditions were crystal clear (which also provided a nice view of that night's lunar eclipse) and I was spotting airport beacons from 30+ miles. This night's approach into KCBE was made more interesting by the unavailability of their longer runway forcing me to land on their "short" strip (2442ft long).

Video

031108 Departing JYO (4:49) Windows Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 8.2MB Real Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 7.8MB

031108 Landing CBE (8:48) Windows Media Modem 3.4MB Broadband 15.0MB Real Media Modem 3.2MB Broadband 14.3MB

031108 Departing CBE (2:07) Windows Media Modem 835KB Broadband 3.6MB Real Media Modem 791KB Broadband 3.4MB

031108 Landing JYO (13:25) Windows Media Modem 5.1MB Broadband 22.8MB Real Media Modem 4.9MB Broadband 21.8MB

Still Shots

No still shots this flight.

October 14, 2003 - Back in June, Air France donated one of their Concordes to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. Today, British Airways flew one of their Concordes into Dulles International as part of its farewell tour. Washington was one of only three North American cities (along with Boston and Toronto) to get a visit from this historic aircraft.

Unfortunately, the weather was lousy with low clouds and mist. Also, the plane landed on runway 19R while I was in a far better position for runway 19L (meaning the plane ended up being about a mile or so away from my position).

Video

031014 British Airways Concorde (1:37) Windows Media Modem 649KB Broadband 2.3MB Real Media Modem 534KB Broadband 2.5MB

Audio Capture (9:42)

MP3 3.89MB Windows Media 3.39MB

Still Shots

October 3, 2003 - These are some pictures I took while flying safety pilot for an IFR currency flight from Leesburg, VA to Martinsburg, WV and Winchester, VA.

Still Shots

September 20, 2003 - These are some pictures taken during this year's annual Plane Pull event at Dulles International Aiport near Washington, DC.

Video

030920 Plane Pull (3:05) Windows Media Modem 1.2MB Broadband 4.9MB Real Media Modem 736KB Broadband 4.6MB

Still Shots

September 20, 2003 - Hurricane/Tropical Storm Isabel breezed through my area on September 18-19, 2003. I was curious to see whether the rest of the area weathered the storm as well as my own neighborhood. Here are some pictures of the Harpers Ferry, WV area (NW of Leesburg, VA).

Still Shots

September 7, 2003 - This was just a pleasure flight down the Shenandoah Valley from Harpers Ferry, WV to Front Royal, VA.

Still Shots

August 21, 2003 - This was planned to be an instrument proficiency flight with a safety pilot. However, the extremely hazy conditions at altitude pretty much negated the need for a safety pilot. On the way back home, we were routed just north of downtown Baltimore and we had a great view of the Inner Harbor and Oriole Park (where the Orioles beat the Devil Rays 5-4).

Video

030821 Departing JYO (11:00) Windows Media Modem 4.3MB Broadband 17.8MB Real Media Modem 3.4MB Broadband 17.1MB

030821 Landing MTN (10:44) Windows Media Modem 4.2MB Broadband 17.4MB Real Media Modem 3.3MB Broadband 16.5MB

Still Shots

August 17, 2003 - This was the Wings of Freedom airshow at Frederick, MD (KFDK). Unfortunately, I was not able to get there until the flight portion of the show was almost over. Nonetheless, I was able to capture some of the action.

Video

030817 Wings of Freedom Airshow (4:49) Windows Media Modem 1.7MB Broadband 6.5MB Real Media Modem 1.6MB Broadband 7.7MB

Still Shots

August 14, 2003 - I haven't been flying as much as I'd like lately. (I've been saving pennies to buy a share of a local flying club, but that deal has been struck so look for more updates more often!! :)) Anyway, a flying buddy called me up this afternoon wanting to know if I wanted to go flying in a Diamond Star (DA40). Well, duh! I rushed home, grabbed the flight bag and camera and met him at the airport. No video on this flight, but I did get some pictures of...well, interesting happenings at JYO. For instance, the Baron that wanted to parallel our path on downwind. And the "Courting Cessnas" that...well, you'll just have to see the pictures.

Still Shots

June 30, 2003 - This was a night currency flight. There were scattered thunderstorms in the area, but nothing showed on radar in the Winchester, VA (KOKV) area at our time of departure. However, things changed between the time I got the weather briefing and the time we lifted off. We saw the thunderstorms that radar showed to the Northwest, but we saw no activity near our route of flight. That was not the picture ATC saw, though...

Video

030630 Departing JYO (10:43) Windows Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 17.0MB Real Media Modem 3.5MB Broadband 17.3MB

030630 Landing JYO 1 (5:20) Windows Media Modem 902KB Broadband 8.4MB Real Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 8.5MB

Still Shots

June 29, 2003 - This was another flight where I was not at the controls. I was, however, an actual passenger so I got to try out some different aerial photography techniques. (I'm still trying to figure out the best methods to get good shots.) These are some of the photos I got. It was a very hazy day even at 7:00am. That was quite disappointing considering we passed a hot air balloon that would have made a great shot on a less hazy day (or with a more experienced photographer!).

Still Shots

June 12, 2003 - OK, so I wasn't at the controls of this particular flight, but it was historic, nonetheless. These are pictures I took of Air France's last flight of the Concorde into Dulles International Airport as it flew over my office near the airport. This plane will eventually be on display at the National Air & Space Museum Dulles Annex.

Still Shots

Up close and personal with the Concorde, courtesy of Ed Levine:

June 8, 2003 - Another instrument proficiency flight (can you tell I'm still polishing after a longer-than-desired winter layoff?). The weather had been forecast to be VFR but, as usual it seems, Mother Nature didn't cooperate and my VFR-only flying buddy ended up getting a front-seat view of real IMC instead of playing safety pilot as planned.

Video

030608 Departing JYO (6:17) Windows Media Modem 1.3MB Broadband 10.1MB Real Media Modem 1.6MB Broadband 10.1MB

030608 ILS 26 MRB (23:34) Windows Media Modem 4.4MB Broadband 38.2MB Real Media Modem 5.9MB Broadband 38.2MB

030608 LOC 17 JYO (9:10) Windows Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 14.8MB Real Media Modem 2.3MB Broadband 14.8MB

Still Shots

May 19, 2003 - Instrument skills are quite perishable. This has been reinforced from ground training all the way through personal experience so I try to fly IFR regularly and in actual conditions whenever possible. Sometimes Mother Nature and life conspire to keep you grounded longer than desired, though, and a dusting of rust begins to gather on your IFR skills. On this date I was afforded the opportunity not only to knock the rust off but actually put a little polish on them, too.

Conditions were almost to minimums. Martinsburg weather was 700ft overcast, Winchester was 500ft and Leesburg was 700ft broken with an 1100ft overcast and scattered rain showers across the area of flight. I was in the clouds for almost the entire flight so still shots would have been useless during cruise and I'm not about to add the distraction of a still camera on final with ceilings this low. :)

As you'll see, the first approach on the ILS 26 into Martinsburg, WV is not quite up to the standard I like to keep. When I broke out of the clouds, I was a bit above glideslope, but could have made a safe landing if that were my intention. I redeemed myself a bit, though, on the ILS 32 into Winchester, VA and the LOC 17 into home base at Leesburg, VA.

All you'll be able to see in these clips is the instrument panel. Even with a heavy overcast, the contrast between the outside view and the interior lighting was too much to capture both without filters I don't have for the video camera. I'm looking into a filter or two that will allow me to fly on sunny/bright days and be able to capture both the outside and inside views in a viewable manner. Also, the quality of low-bandwidth video means that the only thing useful in those formats is the audio.

April 20, 2003 - No video on this flight, but I was able to snap a few still shots on my way from Leesburg, VA to Bay Bridge, MD (W29). Shots include downtown Baltimore, Baltimore harbor, the Bay Bridge, Baltimore-Washington International airport (or at least part of it), Lee Airport (Annapolis, MD, KANP) and an antenna farm (ostensibly for the NSA) at Fort Meade, MD. Click a thumbnail in the table below for a complete listing.

Still Shots

March 16, 2003 - Just a spur-of-the-moment flight to Charlottesville for a chance of "light" IMC. The Potomac TRACON is a new facility designed to house controllers for Richmond, VA (KRIC), Dulles International (KIAD), Reagan National (KDCA) and Baltimore-Washington International (KBWI) controllers. As of this flight, all but KBWI had moved into the facility.

Video

030316 Departing JYO (10:13) Windows Media Modem 1.9MB Broadband 16.5MB Real Media Modem 2.6MB Broadband 16.5MB

030316 Landing CHO (10:31) Windows Media Modem 2.0MB Broadband 16.9MB Real Media Modem 2.6MB Broadband 17.0MB

030316 Potomac TRACON (12:49) Windows Media Modem 2.2MB Broadband 20.7MB Real Media Modem 3.2MB Broadband 20.7MB

030316 Landing JYO (4:54) Windows Media Modem 954KB Broadband 7.9MB Real Media Modem 1.2MB Broadband 7.8MB

Still Shots

March 8, 2003 - Some of you may be aware that an Air Defense Identification Zone was put in place around Washington, DC in February. Since then the weather has been pretty lousy. We had an average of just over an inch of snow per day. While some of you may snicker at that statistic, it was enough to make this the 3rd snowiest February on record.

Anyway, this weekend brought sunshine, light winds and balmy temperatures near 60°. So, I rented a C172 and flew off to see if I could find Potomac Airpark (W35) in the snow.

Video

030308 Departing JYO (ADIZ) (7:07) Windows Media Modem 1.4MB Broadband 11.4MB Real Media Modem 1.8MB Broadband 11.5MB

030308 Landing and Takeoff W35 (7:51) Windows Media Modem 1.6MB Broadband 12.7MB Real Media Modem 2.0MB Broadband 12.7MB

030308 Landing JYO (6:19) Windows Media Modem 1.3MB Broadband 10.2MB Real Media Modem 1.6MB Broadband 10.2MB

Still Shots

February 9, 2003 - Here's a day IFR flight to Martin State (KMTN) airport in Baltimore, MD.

Video

030209 BWI Approach (3:17) Windows Media Modem 687KB Broadband 5.2MB Real Media Modem 818KB Broadband 6.8MB

030209 Landing MTN (8:42) Windows Media Modem 1.7MB Broadband 14.0MB Real Media   Broadband 18.4MB

Still Shots

January 15, 2003 - Here's a night IFR flight to Martinsburg, WV (KMRB). The flight was done in VMC with a safety pilot so the camera was mounted in the back seat for the first time. Unfortunately, the needles on the guages don't show up well except under the highest bandwidth video, so you may not see them.

Video

030115 Leesburg, VA to Martinsburg, WV (19:33) Windows Media Modem 3.3MB Broadband 31.4MB Real Media Modem 4.8MB Broadband 11.3MB

Still Shots

November 3, 2002 - Autumn. Nature's canvas. The colors were almost at peak in the Shenandoah Valley and we took a flight to soak in the colors.

Video

021103 Fall Flight Leesburg, VA to Front Royal, VA (15:15) Windows Media Modem 6.6MB Broadband 25.1MB Real Media Modem 3.8MB Broadband 24.3MB

Still Shots

October 12, 2002 - Today was another good IMC day - almost too good. The forecasts kept getting amended to revise the time the ceiling would lift enough to allow me to shoot an approach to get back home after flying around in the clouds for a while. Patience is indeed a virtue, however, and I was finally able to go flying with ceilings about 900-1100 feet above my home field when I got home.

Video

021012 Departing Leesburg (11:04) Windows Media Modem 4.8MB Broadband 18.2MB Real Media Modem 2.7MB Broadband 17.6MB

021012 Landing Winchester (13:43) Windows Media Modem 3.0MB Broadband 22.5MB Real Media Modem 3.4MB Broadband 21.8MB

021012 Landing Leesburg (7:55) Windows Media Modem 1.7MB Broadband 13.0MB Real Media Modem 2.0MB Broadband 12.7MB

Still Shots

October 6, 2002 - While I've been flying since my last video, I haven't had a chance to get the camera in the cockpit. You know how fussy passengers can be when they have to crane their necks around a tripod and camera that's spoiling their view. But, on the other hand, the smiles on the faces of first-time GA fliers is well worth leaving out the video.

Luckily for me, a flying buddy asked if I wanted to fly to Bay Bridge airport (W29, Stevensville, MD) with him. Hmmm.... Lemme think about that. I mean, really, how much arm twisting does it take to get a pilot in the air??

Anyway, I was not the pilot, but I did bring the video camera with me. Although I was not using the tripod, the video is still not bad. These clips show us departing Leesburg, VA (KJYO) shortly after dawn, landing at Bay Bridge, crossing back over the Chesapeake Bay, and landing back at KJYO.

Video

021006 Departing Leesburg (2:33) Windows Media Modem 1.1MB Broadband 6.4MB Real Media Modem 647KB Broadband 4.0MB

021006 Landing Bay Bridge (4:01) Windows Media Modem 1.7MB Broadband 14.5MB Real Media Modem 1.3MB Broadband 13.0MB

021006 Departing Bay Bridge (9:02) Windows Media Modem 3.9MB Broadband 22.9MB Real Media Modem 3.0MB Broadband 29.1MB

021006 Landing Leesburg (7:23) Windows Media Modem 3.2MB Broadband 18.8MB Real Media Modem 2.4MB Broadband 23.9MB

Still Shots