Welcome to RizAir!

Hello, welcome to RizAir!

As we begin this journey along the path of private aviation, I hope you will grow along with me as I continue to learn (even after 30 years of flying) and join me as others and I experience the world of private aviation.  I chose the term “private aviation” instead of “general aviation” because, like the recently departed great aviation writer, Richard Collins, I believe the term more accurately describes the type of flying I do.

The goal of this blog is to help the uninitiated come to understand and appreciate private aviation and to help those who have already embarked on journey to do so a little more safely, to expand horizons, and, lest we forget, enjoy the activity.  Hopefully, if you have not started on the path to involvement in aviation, these blogs will give you the push to get you rolling down that hill.

I currently own a Piper Lance II which is turbocharged and has several aftermarket modifications, but we will become better acquainted with it a little later.  I was previously in a partnership which owned a turbocharged Piper Saratoga, and I have had the privilege of flying a large number of aircraft over the years, some as pilot-in-command, and some under the watchful eye a much more experienced pilot.  Some of those stories will follow in the future as well.

I supervised an ab initio flight training program for the airline where I formerly worked, and started a flying club with the intent of making affordable flight training available in the local area.  We will see how those things worked out in the long run.

Some blogs will bring points through humor, some much more serious, and some will simply be practical; for example, what to expect when flying into Falcon Field, Mesa Arizona from the east and inside the Phoenix Class B airspace.   I hope to incorporate photographs and videos as we progress on this journey.

Thanks for joining me, and I look forward to our journey together.

Gary Risley