Search Results for: vfr

IFR Pilot Complacency Re: Probable Cause #7 (May 28):AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation did a study of fatal accidents that showed IFR pilots were responsible for a disproportionate amount of fatalities. In my opinion, they tend to become too comfortable with someone else (ATC) watching out for them. As a long cross-country VFR pilot, I don’t […]

The 2005 Cessna 172S that shed its propeller while climbing out from St. Augustine (Fla.) Airport last Tuesday had a crankshaft failure, the NTSB said in its preliminary report. The airplane total time at the time of the incident was 399.3 hours. A pilot had landed the airplane at St. Augustine on Monday, reportedly after […]

COLUMNS Probable Cause #7: Marginal VFR and Complacency of the FamiliarAn IFR pilot may choose to fly VFR on a nice day — but how good does “nice” have to be to let go of the IFR safety net? This week’s Probable Cause report investigates the issue, which first appeared in AVweb’s sister publication, IFR […]

The NTSB determined on Tuesday that errors by the flight crew and an air traffic controller led to the crash of a Learjet 35A near San Diego in October 2004. The jet was being operated as an air ambulance. Both pilots and all three medical crewmembers were killed. The board determined that the probable cause […]

NASA Langley’s Many Wind Tunnels Thanks for the article, “Blended-Wing Prototype Nears Flight Test” (NewsWire, May 11), about model testing of what the article called “the X-48B, an advanced-concept, fuel-efficient blended-wing body, in the Langley wind tunnel in Hampton, Va.” But please note that NASA Langley’s historic Full-Scale Tunnel — important as it is after […]

Although most of the proposed spaceports are in remote areas, AOPA has expressed concerns about airspace being closed down for frequent launches, especially at the Oklahoma site, which is currently used as a municipal airport. “For three hours during each launch … 16 Victor airways could be closed. When combined with the two nearby military […]

Submit a Photo |Rules | Tips | Questions | Past POTW Winners One of our favorite mathematical principles is starting to kick in this week:  As time approaches summer in the U.S., the number of submissions to our “Picture of the Week” contest increases dramatically.  The number tipped back over 100 this week – with […]

English may be the language of aviation but that shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a private pilot’s certificate in countries that speak other tongues, according to a spokesman for an international pilots group. John Sheehan, secretary general of the International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, says English should only be a requirement for pilots […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, February 2004. At various points in the careers of most pilots, there come times when the pilot attains mastery of the airplane and, therefore, mastery of the air. Sometimes those episodes are fleeting, beaten back into submission by some kind of learning experience that convinces the pilot that […]

You know spring is here when the AirVenture NOTAM is published. The bible for those planning on flying to the world’s biggest fly-in (July 24-30) is a must-read for everyone making the trip by air — even if they’ve done it a dozen times before. Chances are, if you’re reading this you’ll simply download the […]