Aviation News

Members Voice Support For AOPA Efforts And Progress Since 9/11… Everyone knew coming into AOPA Expo 2001 that the world tilted a little more than usual toward the theater of the absurd in the nine weeks since civil aircraft became weapons of terror in the hands of hateful fanatics. Everyone in aviation knew because all […]

Click any image to view alarger version. AOPA’s Sweepstakes Bonanza leads the pack in the Parade of Planes from FLL to the convention center. Satellink Technologies’ Cessna 310 is close behind. Followed by a Luscombe 11E. This Stemme motorglider looked almost prehistoric on Ft. Lauderdale’s streets… …while this Super Cub on amphib floats followed. Something […]

Remarks Prepared for Delivery Jane F. Garvey Administrator Federal Aviation Administration AOPA Expo 2001 November 8, 2001 Good morning. Never has there been a time when communications between the FAA and AOPA has been more important. We need to talk with each other and we need to talk straight. So let me get right to […]

Almost everyone in the aviation industry — even those so fortunate enough to own and fly their own aircraft — travels on the airlines as a passenger from time to time. Suppose you are killed in an airline disaster. Will your family collect millions of dollars? Will it matter if the flight is international? Should […]

Mention “product liability” to most aviation professionals and you’ll almost surely provoke a torrent of comments about frivolous lawsuits and gold-digging passengers claiming emotional distress over some minor incident. In reality, the key issue in most product liability lawsuits is whether the accident was pilot-caused, machine-caused, or some combination — or as a lawyer might […]

Thepreparation leading up to my first flight in a new aircraft design always renewsmy sense of adventure and stirs a bit of trepidation, as well. The promise ofsome new adventure, rooted in my hedonistic curiosity about airplanes, generallyoverwhelms any degree of anxiety attached to the coming flight. Nonetheless, arriving at the main gate of The […]

Introduction — By Phil Kolczynski “Enforcement Survival School” is like finding yourself in Jurassic Park. I’ll let you guess who the dinosaurs are. In Jurassic Park I, a.k.a., “Enforcement Survival School, Part 1,” the lawyer was devoured by “T-REX” right off the “john.” At least, he left the legacy of the “Duct Tape Defense.” In […]

How frustrating this could be, my mind kept musing. Not three hours earlier the magnificent Three Sisters mountain peaks reached upward through clear skies toward the window seat of a Southwest 737 flying me to Portland International (PDX). No overcast blocked my view until we flew to about 40 miles south of PDX. But the […]

Okay, so far, you’ve followed our advice in Part One of this series: You found a lawyer, used the “Duct Tape Defense,” and managed to keep from incriminating yourself. You’re only getting started, though. At some point you’ll need to rip the tape from your mouth and tell your story. When that time comes you’ll […]

Introduction — Eric Jaderborg While I was working as an FAA inspector, every piece of advice I gave — written or oral — came with an elaborate disclaimer. When I left the agency I thought the need for such measures had passed. Phil, however, suggests that the need has just begun, to wit: DISCLAIMER: The […]