Aviation Library | Why we fly

Welcome to the archive, a comprehensive and searchable digital portfolio of Dr. Mike Jones's published work. Over the years, Mike has contributed more than 100 articles to respected journals like Cessna Pilots Magazine, Professional Pilot Magazine, General Aviation News, and Mentor Magazine.

This collection serves as a centralized home for a lifetime of flying experiences. Covering everything from technical flight mechanics and detailed explanations of GPS technology to the economic impact of local runways and profiles of fascinating people in the aviation world, this archive offers insights for every aviation enthusiast. Use the search and filter tools below to explore a wide variety of topics.

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A Family Affair — Preserving Our Heritage of Grass Roots Flying Two brothers just did the craziest thing: they bought an old airport. Now their Lake Ridge Aero Park is celebrating nearly a century of aviation, with a turf runway, taildraggers, a P-51, and a new-born baby.
History A Family Affair — Preserving Our Heritage of Grass Roots Flying
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Charlottesville It started off as a simple charity flight, but the wild ride home was one for the record books. And we're NOT talking about the weather.
Adventures A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Charlottesville
Aircraft Insurance: After the Upgrades Aircraft upgrades can affect insurance valuations. But there's a lot of nuance in figuring out what your revamped bird is worth. And it all started with one unforgettable hangar conversation.
Plane Ownership Aircraft Insurance: After the Upgrades
Aircraft Turbochargers Dissected A turbocharger is a big, heavy, clunky iron casting added to aircraft engines because the atmosphere thins with altitude. A turbocharger adds more air into the combustion chamber, sustaining the necessary 17:1 air-to-fuel ratio despite the thinning atmosphere. This quick report explains how this clever technology works.
Technology Aircraft Turbochargers Dissected
Airplane Judging at Airshows and Fly-Ins Like bees attracted to flowers, the brightly colored “Judge This Plane” placard attracts a different breed of experts: the airplane judges. Here's a close look at who these aeronautical unicorns are and what they do.
Plane Ownership Airplane Judging at Airshows and Fly-Ins
AirVenture 2019: Normalcy Returns, Sorta AirVenture officially opened on Monday morning, on-schedule but badly bruised by four different thunderstorms over the previous two days. But the best part always is the people-watching, and it never disappoints at Oshkosh.
Adventures AirVenture 2019: Normalcy Returns, Sorta
An Eye-Opening Day: Flying ATC Controllers 27 pilots fly new ATC controllers at Goldsboro’s Wayne Executive Jetport, giving hands-on cockpit experience in the “Fly the Controllers” program.
Pilots & People An Eye-Opening Day: Flying ATC Controllers
An Ohio Winter Icing Surprise Joe Marshall and Holly Hayden are thrilled with flying, but know their relative inexperience requires extra caution. That bit of prudence helped them with an inadvertent flight into unexpected icing in December 2024.
Flying Skills An Ohio Winter Icing Surprise
A Repeat Offender Gets Back Into the Sky Between the Bomb Squad and the FAA, J.P.’s story will curl your hair.
Pilots & People A Repeat Offender Gets Back Into the Sky
A Thunderbird Pilot Remembers His Cessna Roots Thunderbird pilot Ron Maness used an ROTC scholarship to pull himself out of rural poverty and into a supersonic aviation career.
Pilots & People A Thunderbird Pilot Remembers His Cessna Roots
Better Data Makes Better Airports This report dives into data-driven sensor systems and analytics which have the potential to transform airport operations, improve accuracy, senhance afety, and boost the efficiency of modern aviation.
Airports & Stewardship Better Data Makes Better Airports
Cessna Floatplanes Compared: It’s that 24th Gene Floatplane pilots are different from you and me. I test the spectrum of Cessna floatplanes and found one, indeed, which swims above all the others.
Plane Ownership Cessna Floatplanes Compared: It’s that 24th Gene
Cessnas in Space The first satellite which could be seen by the naked eye was a 400 lb. metalized balloon, 100 feet in diameter, called Echo. Now there are hundreds of satellites which are visible at twilight. Here's how to find them.
Technology Cessnas in Space
Changing Plans: The Prudent Pilot’s Plan B Every prudent pilot needs a reliable Plan B for those ugly days when the weather changes or your equipment gives you a hard time. Sometimes even a Plan C or D
Flying with Purpose Changing Plans: The Prudent Pilot’s Plan B
David vs Goliath: An Adventure of Two Airshows We compare and contrast both the biggest and the smallest airshows in Florida for a side-by-side comparison. Both are great, and it’s a tough call to say which is more fun.
Adventures David vs Goliath: An Adventure of Two Airshows
Digital Control Towers Could Boost Aviation Safety Traditional air traffic control towers are expensive white elephants costing $100,000 per square foot. There's a better way, and it’s a lot cheaper too.
Technology Digital Control Towers Could Boost Aviation Safety
Einstein's Anniversary and Happy 100th Birthday, GPS No doubt you’ve heard of Albert Einstein and his equation, E=MC2. It ignited a flurry of esoteric controversies which were resolved on May 29, 1919. In the middle of a World War, no less. And today, you are using what they discovered — every single day of your life. Here’s what happened.
History Einstein's Anniversary and Happy 100th Birthday, GPS
Floatplanes Surprises: A Quick Sidebar Discussion Just as floatplane pilots are different from the rest of normal humans, floatplanes come with a host of differences. This sidebar looks as some of the nuances.
Plane Ownership Floatplanes Surprises: A Quick Sidebar Discussion
Flying Home: the Great Q-Route Mystery The flight from Punta Gorda to Southern Pines was a piece of cake, until ATC assigned a "Q-Route"
Flying Skills Flying Home: the Great Q-Route Mystery
Flying the Hudson River Corridor The Hudson River is about a mile wide as it flows past New York City. G.A. pilots can fly enjoy amazing sight-seeing by flying the special “Hudson River Corridor.” It’s VFR-only and requires a bit of patience, a tiny bit of special training, updated charts, and sharp eyes, but it’s a thrill your passengers will never forget.
Adventures Flying the Hudson River Corridor
Flying the Red Knob, Part 2 David Bunin is no average pilot, and when he wrote an email explaining that I could not fly at 84% on 14 gallons/hour, I had to listen.
Flying Skills Flying the Red Knob, Part 2
Flying the Red Knob: “Lean of Peak” Operations With a brand-new engine, I wanted to fly lean-of-peak. But there’s so much contradictory info out there I was scared to try. Here’s what I found
Flying Skills Flying the Red Knob: “Lean of Peak” Operations
General Aviation Responds to Hurricane Florence In September 2018, Hurricane Florence delivered five days of rain to the Carolina low countries that overwhelmed dikes, covered roads, tore out bridges, and rendered large parts of the Carolinas completely inaccessible. G.A. pilots from across the southeastern United States volunteered to fly relief supplies to affected communities. This is the story of "Operation Airdrop."
Flying with Purpose General Aviation Responds to Hurricane Florence
Glowing In the Dark with Tom Pawlesh Photographer and pilot Tom Pawlesh is a pretty amazing guy. Pawlesh flew for a major airline, retiring after 47 years. But photography has always been his second passion. He now enjoys photographing antique airplanes under the most dramatic conditions.
Pilots & People Glowing In the Dark with Tom Pawlesh
Going Big: N7591N My Cessna T210 My personal story of buying and flying a Cessna T210 Centurion — the costs, the problems, the performance, the surprises, the joys, and the lobsta!
Plane Ownership Going Big: N7591N My Cessna T210
In Memoriam Dan Benedix My good friend Dan William Benedix succumbed to esophageal cancer on February 14, 2025. A pilot, an entrepreneur, a great husband and dad, and a wonderful humanitarian, Dan was 50 years old.
Pilots & People In Memoriam Dan Benedix
Introducing the Bushcat Light-Sport Taildragger My sturdy Cessna Centurion has never let me down. But there are planes which can be flown far less expensively. Old planes, small planes, simple planes; sacrifice some speed, range, or capacity — but save a ton of money. It’s a nice dream, until my flying buddy Dan calls.
Plane Ownership Introducing the Bushcat Light-Sport Taildragger
It’s Time to Get Back to Giving Back Young Eagles events are some of my favorite reasons to fly. Yes, it’s just a quick trip, but it can be an introduction to life lessons that will last a lifetime.
Flying with Purpose It’s Time to Get Back to Giving Back
Old ’91N Takes the Long Way Home A renovated N7591N heads to Oshkosh AirVenture with friends for a celebratory birthday flight, but plans need to change unexpectedly, offering another aviation lesson while still in the sky
Adventures Old ’91N Takes the Long Way Home
Problems in Paradise from Lazy Flight Training Several friends recently started flight lessons, and they tell me they are worried about the quality of their training. Here’s a look at causes and remedies.
Flying Skills Problems in Paradise from Lazy Flight Training
Props & Pistons - A Lively Fly-in Gives Back to the Community It Serves The annual “Props and Pistons” fly-in in Akron, Ohio is the “real deal.” For a small show, the flightline was surprisingly well-equipped with warbirds, and dozens of aviation companies were displaying handsome, bug-free airplanes. Traffic was heavy, both on foot and in the air.
Destinations Props & Pistons - A Lively Fly-in Gives Back to the Community It Serves
Range Anxiety and Summer Storms "Range anxiety" is exactly the same worry in eleectric vehicles as it is in aviation. I finally put that concern behind me before summer storms force fuel-stop diversions.
Plane Ownership Range Anxiety and Summer Storms
Returning the Honor —The Veterans Airlift Command Winter flying is magical but a big problem is finding someplace to go. The Veterans Airlift Command is a great reason to drag your bird out of the hangar.
Flying with Purpose Returning the Honor —The Veterans Airlift Command
Reverse Your Alternate for More Flexible Flying Learn how strategically tweaking your alternate improves IFR flexibility, safety, and efficiency during demanding single-pilot flying trips.
Flying Skills Reverse Your Alternate for More Flexible Flying
Rick Giles and His Genial Beast Capt. Rick Giles and his family has been flying the same burly Cessna C180 taildragger, N180MW, for nearly forty' years. Here's the family story.
Pilots & People Rick Giles and His Genial Beast
Sentimental Journey Revisited Sentimental Journey is an old-style fly-in at Lock Haven. But the folks grew older and the show withered. In 2025 a new team arrived — can they save it?
Airports & Stewardship Sentimental Journey Revisited
Sgt. Adam Kisielewski and His DA42 Some pilots have to work harder than others to perfect their flying skills, but Sargeant Adam Kisielewski defeated more obstacles than most.
Pilots & People Sgt. Adam Kisielewski and His DA42
Small Airports Can Be Big Business Many G.A. airports are on the endangered-species list. We need to take action to protect, preserve, and promote our airports. And nobody will do it but us pilots.
Airports & Stewardship Small Airports Can Be Big Business
Some Like It Hot (But Not on a Runway) A rookie pilot’s dangerous mountain flying experience in a Cessna 172 reveals critical lessons about runway heat and high-altitude flying.
Flying Skills Some Like It Hot (But Not on a Runway)
Southern Hospitality Shines at the South Carolina Breakfast Club The story of the South Carolina Breakfast Club is almost eight decades old, and pilots still can't get enough of Sunday morning flying. And the grits.
Destinations Southern Hospitality Shines at the South Carolina Breakfast Club
Start a Young Eagles Program Nothing in the cockpit can top the sheer joy of a Young Eagles flight. We need you to start a Young Eagles program at your airport. While it’s a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun. Here’s my recipe to whip up a program at your local field.
Flying with Purpose Start a Young Eagles Program
Stuff Happens, So Play with Your Plane Juvenile animals play at fighting, stalking, and pouncing — skills they use as adults. This is “physical literacy” and is a useful tool for every pilot's logbook.
Flying Skills Stuff Happens, So Play with Your Plane
Sun-n-Fun 2022: Cold, Soggy, but Fun A look inside Sun-n-Fun 2022 featuring packed crowds, airshows, the B-29 Doc, and unforgettable aviation moments despite bad weather.
Adventures Sun-n-Fun 2022: Cold, Soggy, but Fun
The AOPA Air Safety Institute Leverages Regional Fly-ins AOPA’s marketing muscle boosted attendance at Akron’s “Props and Pistons” fly-in, but AOPA doesn’t participate in fly-ins just for the P.R. Paul Deres, vice president of AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation, explained the thinking behind AOPA’s commitment to these small, community fly-ins.
Pilots & People The AOPA Air Safety Institute Leverages Regional Fly-ins
The Best G.A.-Friendly Aviation Museums Explore 20 GA-friendly aviation museums near airports across the U.S., which are perfect $100 hamburger stops for pilots seeking new destinations.
Destinations The Best G.A.-Friendly Aviation Museums
The New Turbocharger Clamp A.D. When my Centurion was in for its annual inspection., my A&P discovered a shiny new A.D. regarding the V-band clamp which joins the exhaust pipe to the turbocharger. Like relatives who stay too long, a lot can go wrong with exhaust systems. But our supplier was sold out — and there were 107 airplanes ahead of mine!
Plane Ownership The New Turbocharger Clamp A.D.
The Uncertain Future of Lock Haven Airport Inside City Hall, somebody is trying to sink the Lock Haven Airport (KLHV). The City has reduced pilot services, installed chainlink fences, failed to price services properly, and neglected grants. No wonder the airport is losing money: it’s being mis-managed from the top. Here's are some suggestions to help save any small airport.
Airports & Stewardship The Uncertain Future of Lock Haven Airport
Three Loves and Steamed Oysters: Joe Cook’s New Year’s Hangar Party Joe Cook’s annual New Year's hangar party at Pageland Airport features oysters, friendship, some wacky flying machines, and classic pilot stories.
Pilots & People Three Loves and Steamed Oysters: Joe Cook’s New Year’s Hangar Party
Time Traveling with Sentimental Journey Oshkosh and Sun-n-Fun have their place on our calendars, but even minuscule fly-ins can be delightful, educational, entertaining, and a boon to their host airport. You should participate in all the fly-ins you can, but for the truly special events, look for those with longevity. Sentimental Journey in Lock Haven, PA (KLHV) certainly meets that criteria.
Destinations Time Traveling with Sentimental Journey
Tips for Better Airplane Photography With modern cell phones, mirrorless-single lens reflex camera, and GoPro action cameras, getting great photos and videos has never been more fun. Here’s a few tips to make your snaps snappier.
Flying Skills Tips for Better Airplane Photography
You Assumed WHAT? Another Lesson Learned With a huge high-pressure system over the Carolinas delivering spectacular weather, it was time to go flying. My sister reminded me of Charley’s Airport Restaurant at Williamsburg, VA (KJGG). Which means that everything that happened next is all my sister’s fault.
Flying Skills You Assumed WHAT? Another Lesson Learned

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