AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 14

LETTERS
and noted a minor concern. Being a native of
Bakersfield (BFL, to the west of Mojave) and
having been assigned as a helicopter pilot to
Edwards AFB (EDW) for several years, I am
well acquainted with Mojave Air and Space
Port (MHV). However, the article states that,
" Edwards Air Force Base and Mojave are currently
the only two sites that have completed
successful horizontal launches. "
Now, being a resident of New Mexico,
I'd like to point out that Spaceport America,
located in the desert east of the city of Truth or
Consequences, is also a horizontal launch site
and has launched many such ascents, including
as its primary tenant, Virgin Galactic. In fact,
Richard Branson flew his first horizontal flight
to space from Spaceport America in July 2021.
New Mexico...that space between Arizona
and Texas: We speak English, the water is safe
to drink, and no passport is required. We also
do space!
Alan D. Resnicke
Silver City, New Mexico
Hard Work Pays Off
I was dismayed to see several references to
" airmen " in the most recent magazine, both in
the new FAA bill and in the magazine's text
( " Hard Work Pays Off, " July 2024 AOPA Pilot).
I had thought that changing the definition of
notam from " Notices to Airmen " to " Notices
to Air Missions " would have removed genderspecific
wording from aviation.
We still live in a world where girls think
they can't enter certain professions because
they don't see any role models, and genderspecific
vocabulary perpetuates that gender
imbalance. The word " pilot " works fine and is
not gender-specific.
Shaun Breidbart
Pelham, New York
It's Complicated
I always enjoy Catherine Cavagnaro's articles
and use several of her videos in my classes. Her
work has been helpful to my teaching, and I truly
appreciate it ( " Flying Smart: It's Complicated, "
June 2024 AOPA Pilot). I've done a lot of spin
testing for Navy fighters; I was the U.S. Navy's
chief test pilot for the Super Hornet's development.
The higher moments of inertia meant that
those departures and spins were much slower
than what we see spinning GA airplanes.
Robert J. Niewoehner
Annapolis, Maryland
14
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
Hangar Talk /
When AOPA Video Editor Michelle Walker returned to her native
New York for the CubCrafters NXCub story ( " Ugly Duckling
Becomes a Swan, " p. 68), an aerial lap around Great Sacandaga
Lake was the highlight. Walker, who learned to fly in the
nearby Hudson Valley, flew with Mark Keneston, a CubCrafters
representative based at Saratoga Springs, on a golden evening
with ideal air and water conditions. " Mark has flown on and off
this lake since he was a teen, and he knows every bit of it, " said
Walker, a Cessna 140 owner. " I wasn't expecting an invitation to
fly the NXCub-but there was no way I was going to turn it down
once it was offered. It was an incredible experience. "
A Passionate CFI
I'm the RV-9A " Tom " who Jim Kahle wrote
about in Musings ( " A Passionate CFI, " July
2024 AOPA Pilot). I can't express enough how
much it meant to me to have the Additional
Pilot Program established before that first
flight. Having done my transition training
with Jim in his beautiful RV-7A, I knew he was
the guy I wanted with me on that first flight.
He jokes that he has a hard time keeping his
mouth shut on training flights, and I had to
keep reminding him that I was paying him not
to keep his mouth shut.
I hope all pilots making that first flight in
their experimental aircraft take advantage
of the program, as there's no substitute for
relevant experience. It was a no brainer for me.
Thanks again, Jim!
Thomas Argentieri
Yardley, Pennsylvania
Starry, Starry Night
Another great dark sky place ( " Starry, Starry
Night, " August 2024 AOPA Pilot) is in Alto,
New Mexico. It is 10,000 feet msl at the site of
the solar observatory, estimated 10,620 feet
msl. On a moonless night with dry desert air, it
can feel like you have stepped
off the planet. Sadly, it's not
close to any airports.
Allen Strata
Marion, Alabama
Flying Condors
Thank you to Barry Schiff for
the informative and interesting
articles in this month's
issue. The Condors article
( " Flying Condors, " August
2024 AOPA Pilot) was reassuring
that our aviation history
is not completely lost and
there are still those who care
about protecting it!
Jimmie Hamilton
Columbia, South Carolina
Send your letters to pilot@
aopa.org. Letters may be edited
for length and space.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

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