No, Don, I don't talk on the cell phone when I fly the `coupe.  Don't
shift 
gears either.  Been called shiftless, tho ...
  The cell phone persons really get bummed out with us flyers.  It seems
when an air bourne station hits their net, all the nodes light up.  Not
just one or two, like the land bound tramsmitters.
  Recently, in Oregon, a flyer and his family went down.  He flew into a
thunderstorm in the dark; another reason not to fly at night.  Any way,
the
surviving person called, and the cell phone persons triangulated her 
position.  Got the heliocoptors out and picked her up.  Could this be the
end
of Flight Service as we know it?  GPS has already put down LORAN and the
VOR.
  I think that aviation as we have seen it so far is not ready for any
thing
new.  With the high cost of certification, I don't see much happening.
  Read about the new Sport Pilot rating.  Seems no medical, except self
certification, like balloonists and soaring pilots.  And can fly planes up
to 1200 pounds gross.  Drat!  My 415C is rated at 1260.  With a weight
loss
and some kinda flap or other "stall" speed reducer, the Ercoupe could make
the come back it so richly deserves.
   Percy in Portland

<<attachment: winmail.dat>>

Reply via email to