Search Results for: vfr

Common Sense vs. E-Everything My impression is that nearly all discussions of electric propulsion omit the fundamental problems of physics that limit the whole enterprise: the energy density of batteries. Of the three obstacles standing in the way of electric propulsion (energy storage, efficient electric motors, motor controllers) two have been solved. Small, lightweight, three-phase […]

Thunderstorms are the nemesis of general aviation. We can’t penetrate them nor fly over them. Fortunately, we have several sophisticated tools at our disposal to help in the preflight planning to make that all important go/no go decision before we head into the murk. Their sophistication is remarkable, and we need to choose those that […]

By Todd DeVito This story originally appeared in our sister title, KITPLANES. We have all heard the comment that we must be crazy to fly an aircraft we built in our garage. Does it make me even crazier to fly an aircraft someone I never met built in their garage? Continue on to discover how […]

At its final press conference briefing in the Kobe Bryant fatal helicopter crash last week, the NTSB’s Jennifer Homendy reminded reporters that the FAA failed to act on two safety recommendations that would have required Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWs) and both flight data and cockpit voice recorders for aircraft above a certain size. […]

Kobe Bryant, Eight Others Killed In Helicopter Crash Unfortunately, and tragically, the accident investigation in this crash will likely yield a rather mundane result – pilot disorientation and CFIT. Aeronautically there may not be much to learn. Even the motivation of choosing to launch into marginal conditions after weighing the risk versus pilot experience and […]

Not long after the gas crunch of the late ’70s, I became aware of the buzz regarding a new homebuilt aircraft from this fella Burt Rutan. It was supposed to be ultra fuel efficient, unique in appearance, and built in an almost revolutionary way, sort of like a surfboard. With a lot of time spent […]

Crashes are crashes, but when one involves a major celebrity, as the Kobe Bryant accident did on Sunday, the daily press launches into frenzy mode. Audiences do their part by clicking on everything published and the resultant feedback loop can yield some pretty dodgy reporting. The need-to-know-right-now impetus sometimes puts reporters—even those with aviation expertise—in […]

Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine victims of a fatal helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday. Bryant and the others were aboard a Sikorsky S-76 that went down on a wooded hillside in Calabasas about 9:47 a.m. local time. Initial reports said he owned the S-76. It […]

Pipistrel Ramps Up Electric Aircraft Production Muucho Kudos to Pipistrel. They recognized a legitimate aviation niche market, designed an airplane and power-plant combo to fill it, certified and built it, and are selling, building, and delivering those airplanes at a profit. No pie in the sky hype bolstered by virtual reality video by companies who […]

Until 2004, Flight Service conducted most preflight briefings. Then self‑briefing arrived. By 2017, 96 percent of all pilots self‑briefed and 83 percent of flight plans were filed online. But many of us don’t know how to get a thorough self‑briefing. Between 2010 and 2013, the NTSB could find not weather briefing records in 32 percent […]