Search Results for: vfr

The FAA has again delayed, until Aug. 31, 2005, implementation of a rule that would stop air carriers from simply closing off seats in aircraft to allow them to comply with a less-expensive maintenance regime. To meet the nine-or-fewer regs, some operators placard or barricade the extra seats on larger aircraft. The new rule would […]

As I sit on an airliner hissing through the night sky — as someone involved in aviation — I’m struck by all the lies we tell each other. I’m traveling with my family, accompanying my wife to her parent’s home. As always seems to be the case, when you need to make haste, airplanes seem […]

The Piper Navajo occupies a unique niche among piston twins: it has found a substantial market in the commuter airline business while retaining an appeal for owners who want to fly themselves in relative comfort and luxury. Cessnas 402 is another such twin but you dont find many of those in private ownership. The PA-31 […]

Spar Cracks Apparently Spreading… The FAA has grounded the entire fleet (about 320 in the U.S.) of Beech A45 and T-34 aircraft after it was discovered that cracks in a location on the wing spar not covered by a previous Airworthiness Directive (AD) led to the crash of a Texas Air Aces T-34 last Tuesday. […]

I once had a supervisor accuse me of “just looking for trouble.” I want you to pause and let that sink in for just a second. I know I did. An air traffic controller — a safety rep no less — looking for trouble. “Uh, yeah, I guess you’re right about that, boss. I am […]

Lengthy Process Nearing Decision Time… FAA Administrator Marion Blakey was at a Flight Service Station in Mississippi last week, to talk with the staff about the current bidding process that could change federal employees to contract workers. “It’s going to be a challenging time,” Blakey told the Greenwood (Miss.) Commonwealth. “We don’t know whether it […]

Because of the nature of my job, I receive a lot of emails and phone calls from pilots wondering how best to prepare themselves for advanced training. This applies to any advanced training (beyond the instrument rating) from checkouts in high-performance aircraft to turbojet type-ratings. Now, there’s one disclaimer I need to make here and […]

The lights were on late in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport and the place was packed when I arrived. The big, old recliners had been claimed early by the more senior, or perhaps the lazy; some six-packs of soda and beer were being decimated steadily as the regulars dissected the stunning events of […]

Submit a Photo |Rules | Tips | Questions Current POTW Winner | Past POTW Winners Thanks to all our contributors for a great batch of “POTW” entries! This is the most submissions we’ve had since August, and almost every one was a “final ten” contender. With all the great images, it took a little longer […]

As I was casting about for something to write about this month I came across the Air Traffic Bulletin at the FAA’s Web site. The FAA issues these bulletins on a regular basis and controllers are supposed to read them (the hard copy versions) during our normal duties. Most of us do (sooner or later) […]