Today's Pilot

News

G-News
All the latest from the CAA register.

Flight Test - Lake Seawolf
Flying is great fun, and boats are great fun, so how much fun is a flying-boat? Dave Unwin goes messing about on the river.

Pilot Portrait - Nigel Lamb
Former Rhodesian Air Force pilot Nigel Lamb is best known as a warbird display pilot and the only person ever to have won the Unlimited Class of the British National Aerobatic Championships an astonishing eight consecutive times. Steve Beebee speaks to Nigel about his career to date.

Reviews
Our regular round-up of pilot paraphernalia and aviation artefacts.

Flying The Eye
George Foster takes an early morning traffic-spotting flight in the Capital Radio Flying Eye.

Engine Instruments
Continuing his popular series on instrumentation, this month Jerry Parr looks at engine instruments.

Can Ownership Be Cheaper Than Hiring?
Steven D Heys and Rendall Ferrier ask whether group flying can actually be cheaper than hiring an aircraft from a flying club.

There I Was….. - Vexed In A Venom
Malcolm Payne remembers a particularly bad day.

ATG Javelin
Will the Javelin prove to be the ultimate personal jet? We look at the development programme and fly the simulator.

Out & About
Fly-In reports from Leicester and Turweston

Beginner's Luck?
Air racing appeals to some of the world's best pilots but as John Kelsall discovered, even newcomers can take home the silverware.

Going Places - Old Buckenham
Following a major upgrade in the late 1990s, this Norfolk airfield is, as Ken Delve discovered, an increasingly popular destination for landaways.

Notar
Jamie Chalkley explains the NOTAR principle and takes a look at the MD600N - the derivative of the popular MD500 series currently taking the helicopter world by storm.

Today's Pilot At Telford
We report on the 2003 International Airsports Exhibition, held at the Telford International Centre over the weekend of December 6-7.

Owning & Operating A Europa Tri-Gear
With 1,000 kits now sold, the Europa kitplane is the fastest-selling British light aircraft of all time. Steve Bridgewater speaks to three pilots who own and operate the tricycle-geared version of Ivan Shaw's popular design.

NPPL Update - Temporarily Blind
The NPPL syllabus calls for a basic understanding of instrument flying, as Steve Bridgewater discovered.

The E6b Explained
Despite what some might consider to be its outdated appearance and mode of operation, the flight computer is still an important part of the aviator's planning kit. Ken Delve explains its use.

Letters

Going Places - Newcastle
Despite an ambitious expansion programme, Newcastle International Airport assures the GA community that light aviation remains an important part of its future.

Flight Safety
Our monthly appraisal of the flight safety reports from the AAIB and CHIRP.

Flight Test - F + W C-3605
Designed as a piston-engined fighter-bomber and then converted into a turboprop trainer, the F + W C-3605 is a most unusual aircraft. Clive Davidson samples one.