myTransponder

Podcaster Rides with the Thunderbirds

I got the Thunderbirds ride! Unbelievable! Didn’t want to get too excited because anything can happen from a schedule change to a malfunction at the hold-short line. But it happened!

And get this . . . I have 1.0 hours dual received in the logbook! In the F-16D. If it gets any better than this, I’m not sure I can handle it.

Airspeed Podcast: Thunderbirds Flight - The Ride and Thoughts from the Ramp

:: Mild mannered lawyer by day, CAP Officer when called, and aviation podcaster Steve Tupper got the ride of a lifetime on July 4th.

Tupper hosts the excellent Airspeed podcast, where he talks to all sorts of folks from around aviation, and takes his recorder along so the rest of us can virtually ride along in the cockpit.

This is the first time that an military demo team has chosen to fly a podcaster in their media ride program. It's a neat validation for podcasting as a medium. Great to see the Thunderbirds connecting with new media.

In addition to blogging, Tupper tweeted his way though the experience. You can follow him on Twitter @StephenForce.

Turning the tables, Steve asked me to get on the phone and debrief the experience together in what ended up being a 90 minute hanger flying session. What a fun way to spend a summer evening.

Tupper will be impossible to live with at Oshkosh I'm sure.

Well done Captain.

Rod Rakic is a private pilot and geek based in Chicago. (MDW)

R.I.P. AOPA Project Pilot...

Dear Members:

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) today launched its new learn-to-fly initiative, LetsGoFlying.com. This replaces ProjectPilot.org. The new program’s Web site, www.letsgoflying.com, now offers visitors even more useful information about learning to fly, including:

• Everything you need to get started, including a database of over 3,500 flight schools nationwide

• A FREE Let’s Go Flying DVD

• Expert flight training advice from a pilot

• Unique destinations and local events for pilots

• Stories of and experiences had by other pilots, as well as the opportunity to share your own story on the Web site.

- via AOPA Project Pilot on Facebook

:: Having participated as a mentor as part of Project Pilot, one of the first things that I noticed about the new site was that the mentorship function has been dropped from the new microsite. While you can still search for flight schools, order a DVD, and even follow along on a flight training blog, the ability to find, connect with and manage mentorship is gone. There was no mention of this in Phil Boyer's column in this month's AOPA Pilot magazine announcing the new site.

AOPA has long advocated that prospective and student pilots that have a mentor are far more likely to complete flight training. I liked the feeling of support that I got from the AOPA program... as silly as this sounds...having a way to document progress online was motivational.

Overall, I like to the new site. It uses video to good effect, it's good looking, and it gets the lead capture job done.

But as AOPA seems to have found religion when it comes to social networking, (on Facebook, on MySpace) it's a bit disappointing to see the experience less social, not more.

I guess we'll see what we can do about that around here.

Rod Rakic is a private pilot and geek based in Chicago. (MDW)