Features

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 […]

This story originally appeared in AVweb sister publication KITPLANES. Every time we go to‭ ‬a major show‭, ‬we try to make sure to drop in on Nick‭ ‬Otterback to see what he’s been working on‭. ‬The designer behind the Arion‭ ‬Lightning is always forthcoming and‭ ‬never gets ahead of himself‭. ‬He lets us know what’s […]

I am both a pilot and a sailor. Not so long ago at an FBO, when signing in, they asked for instructions. Since I’d only used fuel from one tank my instructions were “top off the port tank.” When I came back, I noticed that the tank was still half empty. I asked the FBO […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

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 […]

Thankfully, I have never had to respond to those foreboding words from ATC: “… say souls on board.” However, I do remember one flight, where I might have had trouble explaining myself if they had requested that information. Several years ago, my family and I went on a scenic flight in a Cessna 172. With […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

Airbus Autonomous Taxi, Takeoff And Landing Project Reaches Milestone I think the nagging feeling […] is that of the standardized mediocrity that comes with any process or product that is automated (or at least rigidly controlled). One example is that fine organization, MacDonald’s. They don’t make the worst hamburger in the world, but they certainly […]

Pilots are taught to take off and land into the wind, and avoid landing or departing with a tailwind. There is a reason: The performance penalty of a tailwind is much greater than the benefit of a headwind. How big a penalty? Go to your POH and calculate it. The most common figure is to […]