Aviation

Flying has been my passion all my life. From my childhood up to today, I still look to the skys and wonder, hope and dream. I believe our destiny is to explore and populate the universe, just like the old west.

Flying is a safe activity for me because of the following: 1) I always have enough gas in the plane and 2) I don't mess with bad weather. Also, I have an instrument and commercial ratings. This, statistically speaking makes me just as safe as driving a car. Additionally, I have a good maintenance program for the airplane, with inspections done before every flight, regular oil changes and annual inspections. You see, the aircraft maintenance shop, Heller Aero Service, is about 50 feet from the airplane shown below, so maintenance logistics are a breeze.

I also passed my flight instructor's written test. From this, I learned that a good instructor MUST ALWAYS offer constructive comments and that as soon as negative comments are made, the student will shut down.

Flying over Philly on the way to Ocean City, NJ with the family.

Here is my new 1967 Cessna T210G. A lifelong dream, it has a 30,000 FT service ceiling and can cruise at 220MPH.

A 1964 Mooney M20C. This is an effieient 185 MPH, retractable, IFR (Cloud Flying) machine. It has a Garmin 530 with coupled autopilot and HSI. What an honest and efficient flying machine. We sold it because we adopted Joey and Christian. Turbocharging is nice too.

I have been Flying since 1982

This is my old 1968 Cherokee Six, which we owned for 12 years. It went 160 MPH and had 260 Horses. Say it with me like Tim Taylor, Ohhh ohhhh ohhhh!!!!

The Six can carry an upright piano. What a load hauler!!!

It had a IFR Avionics and a Moving Map GPS (Global Positioning System) with terrain and data-linked weather avoidance.

This was my 1957 Cessna 182, which I owned for 3 years. I sold it because my children got too big for the back seat.

What a performer!!! It had a absolute ceiling of 25,000 Feet .

The first airplane I owned, a 1968 Cherokee 140. Circa 1986. It cost $8,000.

I learned to fly in this rental airplane, a Cessna 152. Circa 1985. Once I soloed, I was hooked!

Used to be into Radio Control Planes and model rockets. These are afun and realtively cheap way to begin pursuing aviation.

My father used to accompany me during my model rocket and plane outings.

Other Activities at Pottstown-Limerick Airport
See PAOP Home Page For More Details.

For more information on becomming a pilot, see: AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association)

When I got my Mooney M20C worked on, I went to several places: Sierra Aircraft Interiors, Willmar Flying Service and Midwest M20.

Review of Sierra Aircraft Interiors: Good salesman. Creative initial design. Poor execution: Was late, did not deliver on promises. When I asked for a refund of the incomplete work, my phone calls were not answered. Use of poor materials (used plastic to cover my floor), cheap insulation, cheap spray painting of seat frame, missing trim strips, use of cheap spray adhesive (which was becomming unglued after 3 months). Cheap boots / bad design: could see the ground from inside the airplane. Failed to show up for two appointments. Failed to return phone calls.

Review of Willmar Air Service: Good knowledge of Mooneys, but use them for small jobs. This is because since I had a large job, they would have taken a year to service my Mooney. They didn't want to communicate that fact, so after numerous calls, they finally admitted they would not get to my airplanne for months. Not too up-front.

Review of Midwest M20: Good Mooney knowledge. Gave me an honest assessment of the work involved in my major repair. Work done at a decent price. They were two months behind schedule, but communicated well and did decent work. When they delivered the Mooney, the carb heat control was disconnected. Major issue. Nice folks though.