Steve D.

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An animated history of aviation

Steve D. posted an article on - Feb 6, 2012, 5:00 pm
While this is simply a marketing video for the Aviation Science program at Utah Valley University, you can't deny that it does an incredible job lifting aviation's history off the pages of books. Hope you enjoy it if you haven't already seen it elsewhere on the web. &#...
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A guide to creating flying videos

Steve D. posted an article on - Oct 19, 2011, 12:50 pm
I first want to thank readers Jeff and Brent, who emailed asking about my video setup earlier this summer. Their requests really sparked my desire to write this post. Inquiries about my camera and videos come in semi-frequently and writing about my process in detail is a nice piece of content to add...
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A brief, barbecuey break from wedding planning

Steve D. posted an article on - Oct 5, 2011, 10:08 pm
Plane: Cessna 150 Route: 40I-AXV-40I Weather: Clear, 75 degrees, wind calm Well hello there! You say this is a flying blog? Nah, can't be... nothing new or aviation-related has appeared on here in over a month! I know, I know. Sorry about that. As I mentioned a couple posts ago, wedding ...
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Old-school and new-school first flights with TJ

Steve D. posted an article on - Sep 2, 2011, 12:42 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp (+Cirrus!)  Route: 40I, Local  Weather: Clear, 93 degrees, wind 260 degrees at 6 knots This all started when I received an email from fellow pilot and blogger TJ, of TJ's Flying Adventures, on Wednesday afternoon. He was flying back home to Florida from Michigan on Thursday...
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Less than ninety days until the big day

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 30, 2011, 8:57 am
Things have been extremely hectic and busy lately, to say the least. Our wedding is less than three months away and working on all the final details - in addition to work, the usual household chores, and traveling out of state what seems like every weekend - is consuming just about every last free m...
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Buzzing around with the boss and family

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 18, 2011, 5:28 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: 40I-MGY-40I Weather: Clear, 78 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 3 knots One flight that I've been trying to schedule for a couple years now is a sightseeing jaunt with Russ, my boss, and his kids. After checking the forecast yesterday and realizing tonight's weather would be ne...
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Hood work, yadda, yadda, yadda... Stearman!!!

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 12, 2011, 11:35 pm
Plane: Cessna 150 / Stearman / Cub, 85 hp Instructor: Dave Route: 40I, Local Weather: Clear, 76 degrees, wind 110 degrees at 3 knots Today was all sorts of fun - but we'll get to that. When we were at the airport last Saturday I booked time with Dave for this evening. I las...
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Grimes with the girls

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 6, 2011, 2:29 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: 40I-I74-40I Weather: Extremely hazy, 84 degrees, wind 220 degrees at 8 knots Sarah, one of our great friends from college, came down to visit this weekend. I actually took her and another college friend flying a couple years ago in the 150. This time, considering I was serio...
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Thunder Over Michigan 2011

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 4, 2011, 11:19 am
Thunder is one of those airshows I've wanted to attend for years and yet my schedule always seemed to get in the way. This summer, the stars finally aligned. We were already up in Michigan for a surprise party for Gina's mom on Saturday, so I made plans to head down to Ypsi on Sunday to see the airs...
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A day at Airventure

Steve D. posted an article on - Aug 2, 2011, 9:32 am
Although we landed at OSH on our trip around Lake Michigan last summer, attending Airventure was still on my to-do list. I hope to go every year but limited vacation time and other priorities (wedding planning right now, for example) always seem to conspire to prevent such a trip. I lucked out about...
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Enroute to Oshkosh!

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 28, 2011, 6:21 pm
A few weeks ago I came across an airfare I simply couldn't pass up - roundtrip from Dayton to Milwaukee for about $25 (yes, you read that correctly - $25) after applying a $100 Delta certificate I had on file. The certificate was set to expire on 7/31 and I had no other use for it, so I quickly book...
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The final Space Shuttle launch - Daily Show style

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 27, 2011, 12:01 pm
If you know me, you probably know I'm a die-hard Daily Show fan. Heck, it probably borders on obsessive. But I really appreciate great satire and they deliver it in droves. Anyway, I've waited long and hard for a clip that I felt was right to share on the blog - and they certainly have delivered. Wi...
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Touring Kennedy Space Center - Part II

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 24, 2011, 1:46 pm
As I mentioned in my last post, we spent a day thoroughly enjoying all the sights Kennedy Space Center has to offer. One of the best parts was the panoramic view from the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. From there, you could see multiple launch sites and buildings. Even though we couldn't make...
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The 30-year Space Shuttle program has come to an end

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 21, 2011, 1:39 pm
I woke up early this morning to watch Atlantis land at Kennedy Space Center. Hard to imagine that the same vehicle that we saw launch off Pad 39-A just 13 days ago has since circled the planet 200 times and returned to the ground in Florida. It's a sad day for space fans and I certainly hope this co...
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Taking Gina's aunt up in the Cub

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 19, 2011, 10:51 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp Route: 40I, Local Weather: Partly cloudy, 92 degrees, wind 010 degrees at 7 knots Gina's aunt and uncle came down for a few days this week to visit and see some local attractions - the USAF Museum, Columbus Zoo, etc. We of course offered up an airplane ride if they were intereste...
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Cubbin' with Mike

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 17, 2011, 7:11 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp Route: 40I, Local Weather: Partly cloudy, 90 degrees, wind variable at 4 knots After riding in his right seat for multiple Pilots N Paws flights (in February, May, and June) I finally had a chance to take my friend Mike up in the Cub. It had already been close to two months since ...
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Touring Kennedy Space Center - Part I

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 15, 2011, 1:40 am
As if viewing a Space Shuttle launch in person wasn't awesome enough, launch tickets also include a second day's admission into Kennedy Space Center. Gina and I relaxed on Saturday and Sunday, visiting her great aunt and uncle, a winery, and getting some much-needed rest to recover from the all-nigh...
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Crossing "view a Space Shuttle launch" off my bucket list

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 8, 2011, 11:44 pm
I can now say I have seen, with my own two eyes and from very close proximity, a Space Shuttle rocket into space. This morning, Gina and I witnessed the final launch of the 30-year Space Shuttle program. Yes, it was awesome. And yes, it was worth every penny along with the serious sleep deprivation....
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On our way to see Atlantis

Steve D. posted an article on - Jul 7, 2011, 11:55 am
Gina and I are hopping a flight to Florida shortly to see the final Space Shuttle launch. We've got Causeway tickets so the view and sound should be incredible. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off at 11:26 am tomorrow morning, which means we've got a very early bus pickup tonight. Here's to hoping for...
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NY Trip, Day 3 - A significantly less stressful trip home

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 27, 2011, 9:39 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: B16-SDC-38D-OSU-40I Weather - SDC: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 6 knots Weather - 38D: Few clouds, 80 degrees, wind 170 degrees at 10 knots Weather - OSU: Overcast, 76 degrees, wind 200 degrees at 5 knots Weather - 40I: Partly cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 200 ...
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NY Trip, Day 2 - Avoiding clouds on the way to Syracuse

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 26, 2011, 7:36 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: BFD-B16 Weather - BFD: Partly cloudy, 61 degrees, wind 320 degrees at 4 knots Weather - B16: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees, wind 300 degrees at 6 knots A good night's rest was most certainly in order after yesterday's adventurous and stressful flying. Our driver last night was ...
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NY Trip, Day 1 - Where we examine safe vs. legal

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 25, 2011, 11:30 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: 40I-FKL-BFD Weather - 40I: Mostly cloudy, 72 degrees, wind 300 degrees at 5 knots Weather - FKL: Overcast, 60 degrees, wind 270 degrees at 8 knots Weather - BFD: Overcast, 57 degrees, wind 270 degrees at 4 knots There's a saying amongst pilots that you can fly 100 hours or f...
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The final Space Shuttle launch - who's going?

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 22, 2011, 11:09 pm
You may recall me mentioning a couple weeks ago that Gina and I were considering going down to Florida to see the final Shuttle launch. Well the cards aligned and I managed to fight my way through massive server overload (as you may imagine, the tickets are in slightly high demand) and snag us Cause...
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USAF Museum Series: Part 14

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 16, 2011, 8:03 am
After spending a while in the new Korean War gallery last month I ventured into the Cold War and Missile & Space galleries. Since my last visit, the museum has also put another missile and a satellite replica on display. I always have enjoyed this part of the museum due to the wonderful layout and ...
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A triangle of dog rescue and weather fun

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 12, 2011, 11:47 pm
Plane: Cessna 182 Route: MGY-3G3-0GV-MGY Weather: Clear to overcast, 65-85 degrees, wind 270-350 degrees at 5-15 knots My friend Mike and I went up for yet another Pilots N Paws flight today. It was actually two flights - we had to cancel one on Friday due to thunderstorms. So this morning we launch...
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USAF Museum Series: Part 13

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 10, 2011, 8:01 am
As part of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War last year, the USAF Museum completely renovated and re-designed that gallery. It is located in the second (middle) hangar, which previously was a rather bright space. They painted the entire interior a darker gray and switched to the more theatrical ...
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Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134 Ascent

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 7, 2011, 11:46 am
This is an absolutely stunning video of Endeavour's recent, and final, voyage into space. I'm hoping to head down to Florida with Gina to see the final Shuttle launch next month. The crowds will surely be insane and there's always the possibility it will get delayed and I'll miss it. Still, I've ne...
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Friday's first flight

Steve D. posted an article on - Jun 3, 2011, 10:04 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: 40I, Local Weather: Clear, 80 degrees, wind 110 degrees at 4 knots Ted, a coworker of mine, asked me about getting his nephew an airplane ride earlier this week. He lives down near Stewart and was curious how much they charged. Of course, no pilot would let someone pay for ...
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Rescuing four more paws with pilot friend Mike

Steve D. posted an article on - May 29, 2011, 2:37 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: MGY-BWG-MGY Weather: Haze, few clouds, 89 degrees, wind 210 degrees at 15 knots My friend Mike sent me a message late last week to see if I'd be interested in riding along with him on a Pilots N Paws rescue flight this morning. Having flown with him on a similar rescue fligh...
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Three years later

Steve D. posted an article on - May 20, 2011, 1:45 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp Route: 40I, Local Weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, wind 330 degrees at 5 knots This is my favorite personal tradition. Back in 2008, on my birthday, I flew at Stewart for the very first time in Cub N98286. Every year since, I've flown (as a certificated pilot!) the exact same a...
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USAF Museum Series: Part 12

Steve D. posted an article on - May 15, 2011, 3:48 pm
I thought it would be best to separate these photos from the ones I posted the other day. Yes, they're all from the same visit to the Restoration Hangars at the USAF Museum. However, these two aircraft are so special that I believe they deserve their own post. The Swoose is the only B-17D remaining ...
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USAF Museum Series: Part 11

Steve D. posted an article on - May 13, 2011, 3:17 pm
Late last month, before we went up and had some fun in the Cub, my friend Rob and I spent the afternoon at the USAF Museum. We had the opportunity to see something new, the Restoration Hangars. They are located on the active base and you have to sign up in advance for the guided tours. Tour particip...
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Dogs and brats at Sporty's

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 30, 2011, 4:53 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: 40I-MGY-I69-40I Weather: Clear, 67 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 9 knots After last night's fun in the Cub, a second day of awesome weather aligned itself perfectly with my plan for a short $100 burger run. I've tried once or twice before to fly down to Clermont County Airpo...
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Spring fun in a vintage Cub

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 29, 2011, 10:10 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp Route: 40I, Local Weather: Clear, 58 degrees, wind 300 degrees at 7 knots This would have been a great spring to get my Seaplane rating. I could be landing something on floats in my yard at this point! Seriously, it's been historically rainy around here for the past month. However...
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USAF Museum Series: Part 10

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 20, 2011, 2:41 pm
This has been making its way around the aviation forums and blogs recently. I'm not sure when it went online, but the USAF Museum has a virtual tour of the entire museum on the web. By my own rough count, there are 90 different locations on the museum grounds where you can view, rotate, and zoom in ...
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Currency and chow with the CFI

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 15, 2011, 4:37 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Instructor: Dave Route: 40I-LUK-40I Weather: Overcast, 68 degrees, wind 150 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 16 This was a particularly earthbound winter for me. Along with the usual weather that makes flying difficult, I have been traveling - a lot. Two weeks in Japan and South Kor...
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A dream for many GA pilots: flying an L-39

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 8, 2011, 9:23 pm
Todd over at My Flight Blog recently had an incredible opportunity. He was able to go flying with Gauntlet Warbirds in an Aero L-39 Albatros, the Czech trainer that has become somewhat of a regular on the airshow circuit. In his 45 minutes in the air, they burned over 100 gallons of Jet A and I don'...
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Visiting the EAA AirVenture Museum

Steve D. posted an article on - Apr 3, 2011, 10:05 pm
What do you when you're an aviation nut on a business trip to Wisconsin with some time to spare? You head up to Oshkosh, of course! I lucked out and finished my work at a customer site early last week so I had a little time to make a short pilgrimage. You may recall that Gina and I landed at OSH las...
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Currency plus some new stuff in the Cub

Steve D. posted an article on - Mar 26, 2011, 4:12 pm
Plane: Cub, 65 hp Instructor: Dave Route: 40I, Local Weather: Clear, 33 degrees, wind 040 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 17 I know, I know - this is a flying blog and I haven't had much to say about flying in what feels like forever. For that I apologize. Work and wedding planning and weather have ...
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Bronco Hockey at the Joe

Steve D. posted an article on - Mar 21, 2011, 9:48 pm
Although I spent yet another weekend on terra firma, it was an awesome weekend to be a Bronco. The last time Western Michigan University's hockey team made it to the CCHA Championship game was in 1986 - I was one year old and nobody on our team was even born yet! Gina and I headed up to Detroit and ...
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Adjusting My Weight & Balance - Month 1

Steve D. posted an article on - Mar 9, 2011, 9:04 pm
In stark contrast to my recent infrequency at updating this blog, I've actually been working my tail off on the ground. Somewhat literally! That is, I've worked some of me off... though I've always been tail-less. Going back about 5 1/2 years, I was interning and living in Texas for the summer. That...
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Every pilot's dream toy

Steve D. posted an article on - Feb 22, 2011, 4:53 pm
Sorry for the lack of recent posts - not much free time or cooperation from the weather. I'm hoping to get back in the sky sometime over the next couple of weeks. Until then, enjoy this awesome video of the Historic Flight Foundation's recent test flight of their MiG-29. Upon completion of these fli...
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Riding along on a Pilots N Paws rescue flight

Steve D. posted an article on - Feb 4, 2011, 11:44 pm
Plane: Cessna 172 Route: MGY-AXV-MGW-MGY Weather: Clear, 31 degrees, wind 200 degrees at 6 knots My pilot friend Mike sent me a text yesterday afternoon asking if I would be interested in flying with him right seat today. He was scheduled to complete one leg of a Pilots N Paws rescue flight from Wa...
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Circumnavigating the globe in a 182 - twice!

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 30, 2011, 10:03 am
There are plenty of impressive aviation tales but this one certainly ranks up there with the best of them! Bob Gannon has flown his 182 around the world twice, landing in over 150 countries on all seven continents over the past decade. I can't even fathom having the nerve to consider such an adventu...
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Twilight landing at LAX

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 28, 2011, 1:05 am
You've probably noticed that I haven't been flying much. Sorry about that, life's been hectic. Hope all is well with you, however, Mr. or Ms. Reader of the Blog! In lieu of my own flying adventures, here's an incredible cockpit video of a night approach and landing at LAX. It's worth your four minut...
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Commemorating the Space Shuttle

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 21, 2011, 12:36 pm
I'm certainly sad to see the Space Shuttle program coming to an end. Regardless of how you feel politically or emotionally about our country's current role in human space exploration, you can't help but marvel at the technological achievements of the Shuttle program over the past 30-40 years. I have...
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Dual in the Cub in the snow

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 14, 2011, 10:51 pm
Plane: Cub, 85 hp Instructor: Dave Route: 40I-MGY-40I Weather: Overcast, 27 degrees, wind 180 degrees at 7 knots It seems as if no matter how hard I try to avoid it, there's always a sizable gap in my logbook this time of year. Some things are certainly out of my control but it's always a busy coupl...
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Stewart in the snow

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 10, 2011, 11:33 pm
I'm currently halfway around the world but this seemed like a fitting time to finally post these photos. From what I hear, we're about to get dumped on with snow back at home. I actually took these last February after I flew the Cub on skis. You just can't beat the vintage feel of Red Stewart Airfie...
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Happy New Year!

Steve D. posted an article on - Jan 1, 2011, 1:44 pm
The days certainly do tick by faster the older you get - there's no denying it. I'm quite pleased with how 2010 turned out for me, both in the air and on the ground. While I always would like to have flown a few more hours sometimes it's just not possible. As I wrote one year ago, join me for a brie...
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Insane crop dusting

Steve D. posted an article on - Dec 28, 2010, 12:11 pm
Wow, just... wow. Those are some awesome stick and rudder skills! h/t - Matthew at Gulf Hotel Whiskey
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