AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011 - 23

breakfast, owning an airplane is a true joy in my life. I agree with Haines, “You only get to do this once.” Tony Jimenez, AOPA 5132018 Moon Township, Pennsylvania I am on my second airplane and have yet to find even the slightest financial justification for either airplane. I have stopped seeking justification and just saturated myself in the sheer joy of the aircraft owner situation. Almost all of my friends own airplanes, build airplanes, or live on airport communities. Few of us are what I would consider rich—except in fun and excitement. Dan Taylor, AOPA 5092072 Greenville, South Carolina Anchors aweigh Great article on the SBD Dauntless (“100 Years of Naval Aviation: Anchors Aweigh,” January 2011 AOPA Pilot). My grandfather flew a Dauntless during part of his long career in the Navy, which spanned World War II and Korea. As a kid, I loved hearing about his time flying combat throughout the Pacific. It’s a big part of why I’m a private pilot today.

Reading about Dave Hirschman’s experience getting checked out for his solo in the SBD, I was envious. When he commented on how lucky he was to have accrued those needed 200 fighter hours, I wondered how the CAF could continue to maintain those requirements if they wanted future generations to fly these now-classic warbirds. I’m sure I’m not the only aspiring warbird pilot that hopes to help continue the flying tradition of these magnificent airplanes. Kris Lichter, AOPA 6589917 San Diego, California Godsend or gadget? I read Ian J. Twombly’s article in the January 2011 AOPA Pilot about the iPad (“Godsend or Gadget?”). His statement, “They call it assisted GPS because it’s not as good as a dedicated GPS chip” is wrong. It’s really the reverse. AGPS allows assistance from other sources to improve ranging but the assistance is not required. The AGPS architecture in the iPad is better than just a standalone GPS chip because it allows faster and better ranging and fix performance. Rich Littlestone, AOPA 1058803 Centennial, Colorado
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Ian Twombly’s assessment of the iPad was most helpful. I was an early adaptor mainly for the photography and other media apps, but I immediately discovered that the aviation apps were a big bonus and more than justified the $600 expenditure for the 32-GB version. I would never rely on the iPad to display instrument approach plates during flight, because of the glare issues that Twombly describes. Paper plates and charts are the safest way to go. But having all those digitally downloaded plates in the iPad as a backup is reassuring. In case I needed to divert I would have easy access to airport information and approach plates at my fingertips. The iPad with WiFi is unmatched for smoothing out the preflight planning. William Drummond, AOPA 1403550 Oakland, California We welcome your comments. Address letters to: Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Send e-mail to pilot@aopa.org. Please include your full name, address, and AOPA number on correspondence, including e-mail. Letters to the Editor may be edited for length and style before publication.

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2011