Hi, thanks for checking out my blog! I have been flying since 1993 for mostly business but also for the occasional $100 hamburger. I am past officer of Angel Flight Southeast, but would rather spend my time in the cockpit.
I learned to fly in a Cessna 150 HP/150 at Orlando Country Airport, X04, near Orlando. This is a challenging little airport in a crosswind with a 3000′ x 30′ wide runway.
After passing my Private checkride, I rented a 1969 Piper Arrow and a Cessna 182 Turbo RG, allowing me to receive my complex/high performance/retract endorsements. I also passed the checkride for the instrument rating.
Currently, I hold a Private Pilot Certificate, Single-Engine Land and Multi-Engine Land, with Instrument Airplane Ratings both single and multi. I am also rated in Gliders.
Not long after obtaining my IR, I got tired of having to return rental planes when on an overnight business trip, or pay the daily minimum rental charges. As a result, I bought my first aircraft, a 1977 Arrow III. It offered a decent autopilot and Apollo 618 Loran. Right after my purchase, I knew immediately I had made a mistake in not buying something faster and heavier for longer trips.
Soon afterward I traded the Arrow for a 1960 M35 Beechcraft Bonanza. I flew that aircraft for nearly 12 years before selling it and purchasing a 1987 A36 Bonanza, the aircraft I own today.
So at this point, I have nearly 1350 total hours, mostly in high-performance/complex aircraft, but still make a point of learning something new on every flight.
Lest you think I am just a one-dimensional pilot, I also enjoy competitive slalom skiing, wakeboarding, kiteboarding, snow skiing, and helping my wife run a small horse farm we have started near our home.
Bonanza36
Beechcraft Bonanza Community Page 
Hi Bonanza! I’m enjoying your blog. I see from your bio that you’ve owned a few aircraft. I am thinking about taking the plunge into ownership myself, and would appreciate any insights from your experience. If you have the time and the inclination, I’d love to dialog with you vie email. Regards,
PilotMike
Hello,
really great blog, I’m just going to get my PPL in Ocala and and intend to blog (mydreamistofly.com) and video my training. Your blog is very inspiring.
I already seen a lot of places in the surrounding I would love to visit when I will have my PPL 🙂
Let me know if you have any suggestion for the training and blogging it.
Ciao
Luigi Barbano
Thank you Luigi! Good luck with your training. KOCF is a great facility and very near by my home airport at KLEE. I am always appreciative of any suggestions readers may have to improve my blog. Cheers!
Difficult to give you suggestions to improve your blog. It’s already so beautiful!
L.
Hello from Redtail Aviation in beautiful Moab, Utah. I’ve been looking at your blog and can really appreciate some of the content that you have posted. I think it’s really important for private pilots to do their homework and keep learning about a quickly changing industry and you’ve done a good job highlighting some helpful information. I also have to appreciate that you’ve listed Redtail Aviation as a Recommended FBO so if you make it out our way sometime we’d love to meet you and give you a t-shirt to show our appreciation. Happy flying!
Great blog! I got my private at St Augustine in 2000, flew to Jekyll Island and Cedar Key for my x-countries; nice to read your blog entries and see the pics, in particular the ones of Cedar Key. Came across your blog as I’m about to buy into a ’66 V35 partnership…
Thank you for your comments. The V35 is a great aircraft and you will love it.
Check out Beechtalk.com for a great group of Beech owners and pilots
All Smiles-
Just about a year after first contacting you for advice, I have purchased a share and now am co owner of a beautiful Rockwell Commander! Your advice was heeded and it helped me be patient, providing what would turn out to be the best opportunity I could imagine and a nicer airplane than I ever could! Thanks for your input!
Mike
Sweet!
Regarding your post on the Orlando Exec Airport and Shawnee Airlines, my father flew for Shawnee Airlines from ’68-’72. He and fellow pilot Jim Ward left there taking a chance on a startup called Federal Express. They were hired from the beginning and began flying Falcon 20’s. I’ve heard quite a bit about Shawnee and have even been to the STOL port runway at Walt Disney World, which is still there. Mostly used for extra parking for Disney buses. Really cool to see it although you would miss it if you didn’t know where to look. Anyway, my Father still talks about Shawnee and how it was a stepping stone to the Big Jets.