On Richard’s Crash…

We’ve been trying to find a moment in time to get this badly-neglected web site up and running again (and many thanks to Francois Dumas for keeping it alive), but with so many projects on the go, achieving that has been near-impossible. However, recent events demand that we get WhyFly…

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Changes again

HAH! You were expecting us to give up, weren’t you!? Well, SORRY……. we won’t. So we’re now working at setting up WhyFly differently once again……. and hopefully more active and more interesting too. That’s the goal! What we’re also doing is integrating a little shop. We are running on fumes…

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Wildlife

On a cool, spring day, my four legged companion, Lola and I walked along the north shore of the Fraser River together, not too far from where it empties into the sound.  I had been here a dozen times before but this is the first time I brought her along. …

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A Dream Come True

That’s the title of ‘Navman’s’ latest column (click on ‘columns’ along the top of the screen). And yes, we’re continuing WhyFly and celebrate that with this new column! As you may or may not know Nina and yours truly visited the US in October and November and I will be reporting on WhyFly about the aviation part of that visit.

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Goodwood Revival Atmosphere

Francois has been visiting Goodwood since 2003, together with his good friend and pilot Didier Keller, and has collected thousands of pictures over time. In the Photo Essay below he aims to provide a taste of the unique atmosphere that is so typical for the autumn flying at Goodwood. Enjoy !

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Dirty Hands and Broken Backs

It started with a puff of smoke.  The port engine was failing.  The pilot noticed its oil pressure dropping, temperature rising and rpm fluctuating.   The engine was in danger of destroying itself and taking the aircraft down with it; the plane rolled violently to the left. It was a textbook…

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Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear (Episode 16) “The Winter Wonderland Flying Circus”

In Episode #16: Originally planned as “Enter Richard Bach,” Glenn changed the title to “The Winter Wonderland Flying Circus” for reasons which will soon become obvious. The original title will now apply to a later Episode, when Richard really did enter Glenn & Michelle’s lives in a most unusual way. But right now – let’s go Barnstorming … in the Canadian winter!

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Childhood

When I was a kid, back when my dearest wish was to be tall enough to reach the rudder pedals, I hung around the old Navy hangar at Ottumwa, Iowa. Yep, the Navy had a facility deep in the waves of corn once upon the time of the Greatest Generation.

[click on the title to read the entire story]

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The Goodwood Revival

Didier Keller and François Dumas visit the Goodwood Estate and its ‘Revival’ in England almost every year. Many great events are organized there and although the main focus is on classic racing cars, there always is great air display too. In 2009 Didier attended with his Chinese Nanchang fighter trainer and wrote this report about it.

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Pilot Down

Paul V. Tomascik is one of our new contributors and debuts with a wonderful fiction story; Pilot Down.

Twenty minutes into the flight and all was green. The needles were sitting comfortably in their right-of-centre positions indicating good oil pressure and temperature. Michael’s scanning habit was spontaneous, characteristic of all seasoned bush pilots. When airborne, he would repeatedly check his cockpit environment as he did his flight path.

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Why DO I Fly

When we Launched Why Fly, I wrote an article titled, “Under the ‘B’.” And while that piece certainly tells the tale of how I learned to fly, I still don’t feel it truly answers the question, “Why?” And if I can’t elucidate that answer myself, how can I possibly ask…

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Armchair Pilot?

Since I am now part of the Why Fly Team, I might as well bore you, our readers, with my own little column. And please don’t expect me to turn out literary miracles like Michelle or Glenn. First, English is not my mother tongue. Second, I am not a licensed pilot. Fortunately Glenn IS a licensed pilot and also a licensed Editor. So he’ll cut my blabbering in half and present you with the remainder. Or not, as the case may be.

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Serendipity

You might think that finding an airplane of your own to buy is a logical matter of prioritizing needs and wants, then looking through online listings. But in Glenn Norman’s experience, seller and buyer are often brought together in a decidedly more mystical manner.

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