Search Results for: vfr

Every single emergency procedure you can imagine should follow the basic outline of “aviate, navigate, communicate” on the pilot’s side of things, but what does ATC do? It’s actually kind of backwards. We communicate with you first to find out what you might need, then we navigate other conflicting airplanes out of your way so […]

When it comes to piston singles, it’s not often that the words classic and speedster are used in the same sentence, but it’s true of the Meyers 200 series. A design dating back to 1953, the Meyers won speed records as bragging rights. There are plenty of reasons why owners love their Meyers 200s—speed being […]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published its preliminary report on the fatal midair collision of a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage and a Cessna 172N Skyhawk at Nevada’s North Las Vegas airport (VGT) last month. The report confirmed that the Piper, identified as N97CX, had been instructed by air traffic control to fly left […]

Many of life’s distractions are enjoyable, but cockpit distractions can have tragic consequences. For years, the NTSB has made “Eliminate Distractions” one of their Ten Most Wanted safety improvements.  In Ernest Gann’s Fate is the Hunter, he describes a night approach as a DC-2 First Officer while Captain Ross lit matches in front of Gann’s nose […]

Back in the early 1980s when they had one of the best flight-training programs in the nation, I was working on the admissions staff of Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. I somehow convinced the administration that we should recruit a few students and fly out to the big Oshkosh airshow now known as […]

Thanks to Boston-based private aviation solutions provider Magellan Jets and the Red Sox Foundation, a lucky Boston Red Sox fan and a guest will be flying to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with David “Big Papi” Ortiz for his HOF induction ceremony. Magellan Jets partnered with the Red Sox on the […]

The Avionics Market Was There For The Taking. So Garmin Did For a VFR flyer, Garmin’s competition in avionics is the device I’m posting from. Installed avionics are one of the few things that make an Apple product look like a bargain. Steam gages and a recent iProduct for SA (or droid if so inclined) […]

It used to be easy. Slap in a couple of King KX155 navcomm radios and you’re good to go for VFR, IFR and everything in between. These days, the buying decision is muddied by WAAS GPS, the concerns of signal outages and whether a ground-based nav receiver makes sense for a backup. But there is […]

Seeing The Invisible Operating a commercial hot air balloon operation for two decades, your wind summary is spot on. Wind is the engine, directional control or brake for a lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft and its through understanding critical to safe operations. We use all the elements mentioned in maneuvering a LTA and its understanding critical when […]

New Research Suggests There’s Still A Lot To Learn From Birds Or… pilots could learn best landing techniques and practice accordingly, enhancing safety in that manner rather than adding complexity to the hardware. Though I do agree, there is a lot to be learned from birds, such as how to stay up all afternoon making […]