Everyone agrees that flying is quite safe and that the statistical chances of a crash are infinitesimally small and yet, crashes do occur as my single engine Beechcraft Bonanza almost did early this year.

After retiring as an auto engineer in 2010, I had decided to invest some of my savings towards buying a small aircraft and starting a business of flying tourists over Assateague Island and surrounding tourist destinations all of which are very close to my home in Maryland.

I selected a pre-owned 1952 Beechcraft Bonanza partly because it was being sold by my close friend Jack Greenspan who I knew to be a very competent pilot and aircraft maintenance technician and partly because he let me have this beautiful, well maintained flying machine with just 342 engine hours for just $1 ... Read more »