TOWER AIR 7 - CFI

  Inaugurated in 1931 on the shores of Jamaica Bay in  Queens , Floyd Bennett Field was the first municipal airport in New York City.  Named after a pioneering naval aviator, the airport became  synonymous with record-breaking feats .  In 1931, Russell N. Boardman and John Polando flew a then-record 5,011.8 miles from the airport to Istanbul without refueling. In 1933,  Wiley Post landed here after completing the first solo round-the-world flight.  Nowadays, the airport is part of the  Gateway National Recreation Area .  The old administrative and passenger terminal building has been restored and serves as a reminder of the  golden age of aviation .  Among the 1,300 acres of grasslands, salt marshes, and tidal flats that encompass the airfield, popular activities include biking, boating, bird-watching, fishing, and snowshoeing in winter. 

 

  When my oldest son was nine, he caught a mistake made by our air traffic controller (ATC) while I was landing my plane. All he said was, “Daddy, something's wrong." I immediately radioed the ATC to double-check if I was cleared to land. After a brief pause, the ATC almost shouted at me to abort the landing and go around. My son sensed something was off, and he was right. I could feel it too. The ATC had directed me too close to a Boeing 727 that should have been given priority because it was traveling much faster than usual. The Boeing was so close that I didn’t see it until its landing lights were flashing on the edges of my wings and props. I quickly pulled up my landing gear, pushed the throttle to full power, and made a steep climb just in time to avoid a collision. It was a crazy ride, but my plane was able to handle the maneuver, which not all planes could have done. Later, we found out that the Boeing's airspeed indicator had failed, and the pilot only realized he...