Budd Davisson's
airbum.com
Sport aviation as seen through pilot reports, kick-butt photography, flight training, aerobatics, how-to build and how-to fly articles
22 July 2022 - Gigantic Change Coming for Thinking Outloud
After something like 15 years of blogging in this space, I've decided I have to face realities and catch up with the times. And my life situation. As of today I'm starting a new Thinking Out Loud outlet on Substack.com. It will no longer be updated on Airbum.com. The new URL is budddavisson.substack.com. Right now it is free, but somewhere down the pike I'm going to start charging for part of the new content. I hate to do this, but as with so many others, I'm running out of time so I have to make as much of it pay for itself as possible.
 
For the most part, if you don't want to subscribe to the paying part of Substack, you'll still get some free stuff, but you won't have access to  much of the new materials or a whole lot of new features I'm going to work in like audio pilot reports, new written pireps, more and varied Neat Sh*t galleries, etc. To put it in very blunt terms, making a buck is getting harder and harder so I have to keep getting smarter and smarter. The fee for the paid portions will be $5/mo or $50/year. Less than a buck a week.
 
A good portion of Airbum.com is going to remain as is. But, I'm going to start removing a few sections and may make some of them, like Pilot Reports, available as part of the Substack.com subscription service. Pilot reports is one of the sections I'll be expanding.  These changes will start happening, when I get back from Oshkosh, the week after next. 
 
I can't begin to explain how this pains me. And I'm not just saying that for effect. I'm saying that because Airbum readers are my family and for the past 15 years or so have been with me through lots of both good and bad times. I hope ya'll understand. And I hope most of you will follow Thinking Out Loud over to Substack.     

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Novels
adventure fiction
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Pilot Reports
How do they fly?
Photos
Antiques,
warbirds, homebuilts, etc.

Editorials
46 years of
Budd's columns

Articles
Flight-training,
How-to, etc.

Pitts Special
Pilot reports, info, flight training
More Neat Sh-t
Ghost towns, hot rods, cool stuff.

Pilot Reports Galore
Read what it's like to fly unusual airplanes, P-51 Mustang to Rutan's SpaceShipOne.
WE JUST HIT 144 PIREPS!

B

Killer Photography
I have a ton of airplane pictures left over from shooting 300 covers and my Smithsonian show.

How-To Articles & Flight Training
Want to know how to slip an airplane correctly? Or how to control a weld puddle? Which is better: the Cessna Skylane or the Piper Dakota? Lots of info.

Budd's Novels --You'll Love Them
Airplanes, mystery, action and vivid characters: these are books for people who don't read books.

I NEED OLD MAGAZINES!
Looking for Budd Pireps not on Airbum,

email Budd
 

What's New on Airbum?

New Pireps up!
* Piper Twin Comanche pilot report
* Rearwin/Commonwealth Skyranger pilot report
* Bucker Jungmiester pilot report
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* Comparing Airplanes pilot report
* Ford Tri-Motor pilot report
* Christen Eagle pilot report
SF260C/SF260TP pilot report
1929 Command-Aire pilot report
Piper Comanche pilot report
Budd's blog: Thinking Out Loud

Flight Training for Pitts Specials and other tailwheel handfuls
I specialize in low-time pilots who want to fly hairy airplanes on nasty runways.
Read Checking out Amputee in Pitts: Where There's a Will

Plane and Pilot editor tries out Budd's flight training.
This Budd's For You

Neat Sh*t is fun
The right kind of life runs on Neat Sh*t. From flintlock rifles to antique hotrods and tiny little motors to ghost towns, it's a fun place to be.

G

Links Page Finally Up
We finally put together a page of links. Some of them are the usual aviation sites, but many are unusual and worth browsing. Also, we are actively seeking links, so if you want to trade links, send us a note.

No material from this site can be reproduced in any
form without the written permission of Budd Davisson.
Budd's novel, The Stonewall File
is available now!


Come along with Jack Slattery on the fast-paced search for the truth behind the disappearance of his father's B-17 during WWII. Click here to read a sample.

Budd's first novel, Cobalt Blue
is also available


Sam Tipton, ex-fighter pilot and present day lost soul, was rebuilding his life when he was sucked into a scavenger hunt for a lost technological treasure. Click here to read a sample.

Autographed Copies Make Great Gifts

CONTENTS:

North American P-51 Mustang,Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, F-86 Sabre,Grumman F6F Hellcat, Grumman F4F Wildcat,Grumman F8F Bearcat, F4U Corsair, AT-6 Texan, Vultee BT-13, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-14 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, Martin B-26 Marauder, Douglas A-26 Invader, DC-3, Boeing P-12, Stearman PT-17, N2S, PT-13, T-28A, T-28B, T-28C, Spitfire, Messerschmitt 109, Focke-Wulf 190, Piper J-3 Cub, Piper J-4 Cub Coupe, Piper J-5, Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, Piper Super Cub, Piper PA-17 Vagabond, Piper PA-22 TriPacer,, Aeronca 7AC, 7EC Champ, Aeronca Chief, Aeronca Sedan, Citabria, Bellanca Cruisemaster, Bellanca Viking, Ercoupe, Funk, Grumman AA-1 Yankee, Grumman Tiger, Beechcraft Staggerwing D-17, G-17, Beechcraft Bonanza, Beechcraft T-34, Beechcraft D-18 Twin Beech, Bucker BU-131 Jungmann, Bucker BU-133 Jungmeister, Cessna C-120, C-140, C-150, C-152, C-170, C-172 Skyhawk, C-180 Skywagon, C-182 Skylane, C-190, C-195, C-210 Centurian, Cessna Airmaster, Cessna L-19 Bird Dog, C-310, Cessna T-37, deHavilland Tiger Moth, deHavilland Chipmunk DHC-1, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Douglas AD Skyraider, Fairchild F-24, Fairchild F-45, Fairey Swordfish, Funk Great Lakes 2T-1A, Hawker Seafury, Howard DGA-15, Luscombe 8, Meyers OTW, Meyers 145, Meyers 200, Meyers Interceptor 400, Monocoupe, Mooney M-18 Mite, Mooney M-20, Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Ryan STA, Ryan PT-22, Stinson 108, Taylorcraft BD-12, Temco/Globe Swift, Tempco T-35 Buckaroo, WACO UPF, WACO VKS, WACO SRE, Zlin 526, Pitts Special, Starduster, Smith Miniplane, Baby Great Lakes, Falco, Siai Marchetti SF-260, Glasair, GlasStar, Bearhawk, Tailwind,