Longtime aviation author and retired airline captain Les Abend joins AvBrief’s A-list editorial team with a focus on take-it-to-the-bank advice for safe, affordable, and smart airplane ownership. As he transitioned from the left seat of a Boeing 777 to owning and traveling in small GA airplanes, he’s learned a thing or two about the issues the rest of us face in our own airplane ownership and wants to help AvBrief educate new owners who are finding their way. In this Smart Aviator podcast on AvBrief, Larry Anglisano and Les Abend talk through the basics.
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This is nice news to an old (literally) GA pilot. Among my very favorite aviation journalists – Larry Anglisano and Les Abend! Larry, whose inimitably honest articles about all things mechanically relevant to plane ownership was the point person who oversaw my 1978 Arrow III’s (N6952C) then-modern avionics upgrade at the former Exxel Avionics shop at KHFD around 2010. And Les Abend’s many magazine articles while he was still an airline captain always impressed me with their personable, well-written topics pertinent to another Arrow owner. I’m glad that at my biblical age I’m still vertical and able to read their contributions.
So happy to have Les join. For some reason, I still get Flying magazine, and Les’ spot is one I always enjoy.
This is great news! I’ve always enjoyed Les’s articles! Looking forward to more!
Great news… I always enjoy reading Les Abend’s view of the world (both literally and figuratively). Now if you can work on getting Martha Lunken and Peter Garrison to join the family…
Always enjoyed Capt. Abend’s columns and wholeheartedly agree that it would be dandy to have both Marth Lunken and Peter Garrison’s additions when they’re game to submitting their thoughts and views. Sadly no more “Bax Seat”.
Agreed… I miss Gordon Baxter, Richard Collins, and Len Morgan (as well as others such as Ernest K. Gann, etc.). Those folk had the ability to express the ‘feel’ of flying and could bring you into the cockpit or flight deck and give you a front row seat. I think the emotional perspective is largely missing from today’s aviation writing. Just my opinion and I know I’m showing my age.
Nice addition, look forward to more insight on ownership, especially with our aging fleet. Hope that is more of a focus…
It’s great seeing all these heavy-hitters in the aviation writing and journalism world surfacing here at AvBrief! I really miss the aviation journals that were bought up and dismantled, so it’s great seeing these so many familiar bylines and their quality content pop up here.
Oops: “He’s learned a thing or two about the issues the rest of face…”
While Les has a right to own and fly any airplane he likes, I would rather throttle back in cruise or dump a little more gas into the Cherokee Six that will haul some weight, as opposed to dealing with the additional maintenance and insurance for something whose wheels retract. Besides, there is no potential for that “uh-oh” split second in the flare when it’s too late. One might even be able to take two seats out of the Six to negotiate a lower insurance premium
In my forty years of ownership of a Skylane, which isn’t exactly a speedy gas sipper, fuel expenses haven’t concerned me nearly as much as those unexpected $5,000 surprises, and an RG would substantially increase the chances of those. CS vs. fixed pitch is bad enough in that it probably at least triples the cost of a prop.
Don’t be gun shy Les, give us more of your insights.