A couple of feature stories, one for Rhode Island Monthly and one for a new client, the alumni magazine at Roger Williams University, are just getting under way. Turns out the editor at RWU used to work for one of the aviation publishers that I write for — small world! So now we are working together again, only on ocean conservation.

I’m teaching Intro to Environmental Studies at Rhode Island College. This term I am experimenting with focusing on the local level exclusively. So far we are learning about watersheds, and where does their water come from, and where does it go, and the all the issues involved in that.

Over the summer I taught two six-week field courses for RIC, they were so much fun. We met just once a week, all day Friday, and went to two or three different sites every week. The classes were small, too, which makes it easier to get to know the students. We went to Prudence Island, and Hanging Rock in Newport, and talked to lots of folks from various environmental groups, and visited the wind turbine in Portsmouth, and tons of other stuff. The students enjoyed it and they learned a lot, and I had a great time. First term was Geography of Rhode Island, and second term was Workshop in Environmental Education.

I am  just finishing up my first term at New England Tech, teaching History of Aviation. The students there have been fun to work with, and aviation history is an endlessly interesting topic, full of dramatic stories and interesting characters. We took a field trip to the Quonset Aviation Museum, they were great to us there, and they let the guys climb into cockpits and get up close to the airplanes. And I learned a lot, including how to use Power Point!

In July I went to Oshkosh to report on the EAA airshow, with AVweb. Over Labor Day weekend I flew out to L.A., a quick trip, to fly a Zeppelin with the folks at Airship Ventures. What a spectacular day! Click here for some pix. I wrote a story and posted some pix about it for AVweb, and I’m working on a video report. The folks there were great to us, and the pilots were exceptional.

Otherwise, I keep busy writing the aviation news every week for AVweb.com (plus occasional podcasts, blogs, and video), filing reports for Robb Report’s New & Noteworthy Web site, and working on some special multimedia bonus features to go with my story in the RI Monthly November issue. I took a break this term from teaching online for Northeastern Univ.

I’m also doing some volunteer work — on the education committee for a group working to build a sailing school ship, the Oliver Hazard Perry, a beautiful square-rigger that will be based in Newport. And also serving on the brand-new education committee for Save The Bay, one of my all-time favorite hard-working & effective environmental groups.

That’s the update from MG Inc!

For AVweb, I write the Thursday AVflash news and produce occasional podcasts and blogs. A recent favorite –  my podcast interview with Miles O’Brien, who until recently was CNN’s aerospace reporter, just back from filming a documentary in Africa.

This month’s posts for Robb Report’s online New & Noteworthy feature include a new “flying car” and new-century gear for last-century jets. For Robb’s June print issue, the annual Best of the Best, I wrote the personal aircraft and bizjet articles. I was glad that this year the RR editors assembled an expert panel of aviation consultants to create the Best Of list, then my job was to write up what stood out about each choice.

In my educational sideline, I’m teaching a summer field course in Rhode Island geography – so far my students and I have explored  local forests and farms, Narragansett Bay, wastewater and trash, and the geology of our coastline. For Northeastern Online, I’m offering Intro Environmental Science to students of all ages who live in Massachusetts, Arizona and a few other scattered places.

photo courtesy of Ron Cowie

You’ll find links to my published stories, and updates on what I’m up to lately.

Thanks for visiting!