AUGUST2011 VOLUME 54 | NUMBER 8 | www.aopa.org/pilot FEATURES 102 66 47 52 58 66 Epic Flight: 88 Magical Aerial Miles Cover story Timeless airplane in an ancient land. By Dave Hirschman When There Was One Happy birthday, Piper Cherokee. By Ian J. Twombly Methodical Risk Taker A fixed-wing aerobat’s take on a rotary wing original. By Dave Hirschman 74 Rally GA: Open for Business A new state of aviation in Maine. By Jill W. Tallman 74 81 87 95 99 Look for this icon throughout the issue to see Enhanced Digital Edition features. Follow us: Facebook.com/aopapilots twitter: @AOPA_Pilot Flying Skeletons and Electric Hummingbirds Model airplanes push the aerodynamic limits. By Alton K. Marsh Short Work Learn short-field tips from the champs. By Mike Collins Avionics: Big World on a Small Screen Aspen brings synthetic vision to Evolution PFD/MFD. By Dave Hirschman Wx Watch: Datalink Lowdown Have base or composite reflectivity Nexrad images in your cockpit? Here’s how they differ. By Thomas A. Horne Pilot Products: Cool, New Stuff Sennheiser headsets, FuelTape, and Dual GPS. By Ian J. Twombly On the cover: Chris Rose photographed the Waco WMF–5D in the skies over the Colorado River to accompany Dave Hirschman’s story “Epic Flight: 88 Magical Aerial Miles,” which begins on page 52. On these pages: Chris Rose photographed the Piper Cherokee in the skies over central Georgia to accompany Ian J. Twombly’s story “When There Was One,” which begins on page 58. AOPA PILOT • 2 • MAY 2009 • AUGUST 2011http://www.aopa.org/pilot http://www.Facebook.com/aopapilots