Jonathan Welsh

Montclair

Travel Editor at Flying Magazine

Travel Editor at Flying Magazine Former freelance writer and 21-year staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal

Articles

William Langewiesche dies at 70

1 week ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

A graduate of Stanford University with a degree in anthropology, Langewiesche was a professional pilot who learned to fly as a boy with his test-pilot father, Wolfgang, who wrote Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying, widely considered an essential read for aspiring and established pilots.
Cross-country Air Race Classic kicks off soon

2 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

The route, which changes each year, includes stops in Starkville, Mississippi; Harrison, Arkansas; McPherson, Kansas; Sterling, Colorado; Gillette and Rock Springs, Wyoming; Jerome, Idaho; and La Grande, Oregon. In addition to resting and refueling, the stops are opportunities for fast fly-bys, organizers said. The race traces its history to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, a highlight of that year’s National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio.
App built for pilots seeking well-suited CFIs

2 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

Ellwanger said he was instructing in California when he met two student pilots “who were about to quit” because they were disillusioned with their training experience. As he spoke with them at length, he said, he realized the problem was likely due to conflicts in personality and learning styles between them and their instructors.
uAvionix enables new AV-30-C features with software update

3 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

Pilots using the popular AV-30-C multifunction display from uAvionix received the flight-instrument equivalent of a shot in the arm—make that a shot in the panel—with the FAA approval of a software upgrade that enhances the instrument’s capabilities. The Bigfork, Montana, company announced the certification of its software update on June 3.
First passengers board new electric aircraft

3 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

The occasion also marked Beta’s first demonstration flight with passengers. Four people, including Matt Koscal, president of Republic Airways, and Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade Air Mobility, accompanied the single pilot, Beta said. “At Republic, we’re always exploring innovative technologies that can help us better connect people and communities—and BETA’s eCTOL represents a meaningful step forward in that effort,” Koscal said.
Memorial scholarship deadline near

3 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

Franceus, who lived in Temperance, Michigan, used her certificate not only to fly, but as a way of convincing other women to take on the challenge and reap the unique rewards of general aviation. She, like many pilots, realized there are few endeavors as challenging, thrilling, and satisfying as operating an aircraft as pilot in command, and was determined to spread that message at every opportunity.
Garmin eases procedures with decluttered SmartCharts

4 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

For years pilots have clamored for ways to simplify approaches, departures, and other procedures that can be overwhelmingly complicated. Because traditional charts and other graphic instructions have grown in complexity over time, adding many layers of information, pilots have found them increasingly difficult to follow.
GA aircraft shipments rise, bucking trend

4 weeks ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

While durable goods orders overall hit a rough patch in April, falling 6.3 percent according to the Commerce Department, general aviation aircraft makers bucked the trend, according to the latest data release from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Airplane shipments for the first quarter totaled 627, an 18-percent increase over the 531 reported during the same period in 2024, GAMA reported.
Safety reset

1 month ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

A series of runway excursion accidents involving HondaJets has stirred criticism of the aircraft’s design. What is different following incidents in Oregon and Florida in April—the latest of more than two dozen similar events—is the response from owners and pilots, who say the accidents are the result of improper landing technique. They are also working on a potential cure.
App serves pilots who plan around food

1 month ago | aopa.org | Jonathan Welsh

A new app called Fly-n-Eat seeks to ease the integration of food stops into pilots’ travel plans. The app can identify airport restaurants within a certain radius distance of your home field, which is ideal when seeking new destinations for the old $100 hamburger. For cross-country travel, Fly-n-Eat shows restaurants along your route, plus menus; hours; contact information; and other critical details including airport locations, identifiers, websites, and time zones.