NICHOLAS CHRISTIE provides his opinion on the risks of always relying on written checklists. (Article originally published at www.aopa.com.au)

When I started flying, my instructor handed me a green covered, floppy-bound handbook with a photocopied list of aircraft speeds, a map of the airport, the phonetic alphabet – and a list of ‘checklists’ to learn. I took the book...

When I called AOPA Member, Dave Berenholtz to discuss catching up to see his Long EZ aircraft (pronounced 'EE-ZEE' because the 'yanks' pronounce things strangely), I was excited. I knew a few things about Dave, like that he had been some months full time on the project at Moorabbin Airport. And that he already had purchased a flying Long EZ some years before. But it's...

Sometimes, when you want something enough, you’ll fly to the corners of the… country to get it. That’s what British-born Steve Allen did when he saw that the South African-built (Australian) STOL Champion aircraft was up for sale. And as you read this, it’s very likely that he’s still flying it home over 1700 nautical miles, through the dry heart of Australia. We caug...