Features

Each year, starting on the first Saturday in October and running through the second Sunday, Albuquerque hosts the International Balloon Fiesta—about 600 hot air balloons from all over the world. A daily mass ascension (wind-willing) places this colorful display into the air at sunrise. There are no grandstands for the tens of thousands of spectators—it’s […]

After I heard a GA pilot expressing concern about getting into icing conditions, I responded to air traffic control: Me: “PIREP for the 172 concerned about icing, the freezing level over Santa Cruz summit is 5,000 feet.” NorCal Approach: “What was the OAT?” Me: “Well, uh, that would be zero degrees Celsius.” Bennet Taber San […]

Possible LSA Weight Limit Increase I’ve heard reference to four seats, 3600lb, and 150mph. Now, I won’t complain about the weight number… but honestly I’d rather trade some of that weight increase for a further speed increase. How many four-seaters out there weigh 3600lb and only top out at 150? Maybe if they could make […]

AVweb’sGeneral Aviation Accident Bulletinis taken from the pages of our sister publication,Aviation Safetymagazine, and is published twice a month. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause in the NTSB’s website atwww.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after […]

Most pilots venture into windy conditions with enough skills and smarts to know how to either avoid or cope with them. But wind-related accidents are still commonplace, so clearly we don’t always get it right. One reason for this may be fairly simple: With the exception of blowing snow, tornadoes, dust devils and some cloud […]

FAA Approves Ultralight VTOL First of all, the FAA does NOT “approve” ultralight vehicles. The letter shown only states that in the FAA’s opinion, the craft appears to meet part 103 requirements. It either meets part 103 or it doesn’t. If it does, then the FAA is out of the picture. Mel Asberry Motorcycle gear […]

I recently heard the following between Kansas City Center and an airliner. The airliner was trying to top some weather and had been granted an even altitude even though he was flying west, because he was too heavy to go any higher. Kansas City Center: “Airliner 123, how long ’til you can go up? I […]

Transponders have been with us since the 1950s. They have improved greatly over the years such as the addition of providing pressure altitude in 100-foot increments and other aircraft information but essentially perform the same basic function, aiding in the positive identification of a radar contact. This is accomplished by two means. First, through the […]

For the last few years, my home airport has been a private, paved and lighted strip in a rural area. The pilot-controlled lighting is non-standard, however. For one, the system’s intensity is relatively weak. For another, there seem to be fewer runway lights than at most other airports I’ve used. And the light fixtures themselves […]

The 411 On 406s Mr Nelson’s description of the ELT technology, be it 121.5 or 406, is fairly accurate. The application of this technology in the real world is not quite up to par. The ELT as we know it is based on antiquated 1950’s concepts with numerous single points of failure incorporated in the […]