October 6, 2004

9:08 PM

In search of a missing webpage: an aviation autobiography [description inside].
posted by tss to (2 comments total)

I'm looking for a website with a large collection of good stories about one man's experiences with flying and learning to fly. I can remember many of the details (below), but unfortunately I'm having a difficult time with Google. The stories were engaging and well written enough to be FPP worthy, I think, and I'm keen to share them in the blue if I can. Some of the details:

• The man learned to fly in or around the Los Angeles metro area.
  
• He worked at one time for a Caltech (I think) professor who wound up inventing the ALSF approach lighting system.
  
• One of his airport haunts provided a challenge for landing pilots: the factory on the final approach leg generated updrafts.
  
• He was under a lot of pressure during his FAA examination, since his flight school was at risk of going out of business if he failed. Neither he nor the examiner could get his Cessna to perform an accelerated stall. The examiner later diverted him to a difficult airport, but did not require him to land there.
  
• Other topics mentioned (it was a big webpage): vertigo, hypoxia, Cessna salesmen, flying with children and other family members, landing out in farmers' fields.
  

Any help is greatly appreciated!
posted by tss at 9:09 PM on October 6, 2004

you might want to try the forum of airliners.net or pprune.org - a lot of plane-crazy people to be found there. They may be able to help.
posted by jontyjago at 1:03 AM on October 7, 2004