Welcome to The Charlotte Flyer

Welcome to The Charlotte Flyer and to a new day in communication for the greater-Charlotte aviation community.  The time has come for a local newsletter for local flyers…and this is it!

As a newly licensed pilot in 2004, it became immediately obvious that there were no effective means of communication within the local general aviation community.  No way to find out what aircraft were available for rent, who offered training (of what types and where), and what aircraft were for sale.  There was no way to find out about local aviation meetings or forums, or even which aviation clubs had a presence in the area.

Did you know there are 4,000 licensed pilots with current medicals living within 50 nautical miles of downtown Charlotte?  Or, that there are 26 public airports and one heliport within that radius, and many dozen FBOs, flight training schools and private instructors?  I wanted to be a part of the local aviation community, but there was no way to plug into it.

Yes, there are regional newspapers and plenty of top-quality national magazines with glossy pictures and tips on flight proficiency.  Like you, I subscribe to them all.  There was even a Carolinas-based magazine at one time filled with beautiful aviation photography.  Truth be told, once in a while, you can find an article of local interest in national publications—or even an advertisement from an area vendor—but these magazines rely on national advertisers and national distribution.  They are simply too broad to focus on local news and events.

After two years of planning, and a little kick start from a small Wolf Aviation Fund grant, The Charlotte Flyer finally took flight.  My mission: To strengthen the Charlotte-area aviation community with news and information about and for local pilots.

I won’t write about mountain flying or spin recovery…unless it’s in the context of a local CFI who specializes in such training.  I won’t publish pictures from Oshkosh…unless they’re of local pilots who’ve made the memorable trek.  Instead, I’ll cover local news and information…from human interest stories to airport profiles to flight reviews of locally distributed aircraft to tips for safe flying in the Carolinas.

Since The Charlotte Flyer is a community-building newsletter, your submissions of article ideas, news items, calendar events and even guest articles are welcomed and encouraged.  Call or drop me a note anytime at (704) 661-6902 or dan@charlotteflyer.com.

Sincerely,

Dan Meyer, Editor