Features

Doing my run-up and getting ready to depart for my first cross-country as a student, the tower instructed me to hold short. Over the radio, in a frantic voice, I heard:“Help me. Help me. I’m a student pilot on my first cross-country, and I’m lost. I’ve been flying around and around, and I don’t know […]

Seemingly for generations pilots have argued over which controls speed and which controls altitude: power or pitch. At varying times the FAA contributed support to both sides with publications outlining flying techniques and training information. The very existence of the arguably adolescent-level debates ignores the hard reality: In powered aircraft neither one works alone. To […]

Fall is on its way in the Northeast, bringing the promise of great flying weather, and pilots will find plenty of interesting destinations to explore via SocialFlight’s website and app. At the Goodspeed Airport, near East Haddam, Connecticut, the 5th Annual Helicopter Gathering is set for this weekend. The field is right on the edge […]

In an era when the state-of-the-art aircraft have to be baked in an oven after being laid up in plastic sheets squished together in vacuum bags, it’s hard to imagine that a wood and fabric wonder like the Bellanca Viking still exists. But it does. And although there aren’t great squadrons of them around, the […]

Let’s begin with the conclusion: American Champion’s decision to add 30 HP to the long-serving, 180-HP Scout, to make what it calls the Denali Scout—created the stud brute of the two-place, backcountry airplane set. It keeps the honest handling and excellent ground manners of the Scout while notching up the climb rate from very good […]

While traversing New York/Washington Center air space, we received a frequency change. However, when trying to check in, the frequency was congested with multiple aircraft being worked. This went on for a while. Finally there was a break, and the PM was able to check in:“Good afternoon, New York. NXXXXX — long-time listener, first-time caller; […]

Letter of the Week:Buy a Good Pulse Oximeter I am 85 years old and have a lung condition. I had a pulse oximeter for years, and it normally indicated a saturation level of around 92 to 94 percent. It was one of the American-made units and cost about $150. Eventually it quit, and when I […]

Last July, the FAA told a Congressional committee that it would not meet the December 31, 2015 deadline mandated by federal law to simplify and streamline aircraft certification regulations-FAR Part 23. The announcement, causing some members of the committee to unload on the unfortunate FAA messenger, had deeper import than just another report that the […]

AVweb’s regular perusal of SocialFlight found enough excitement for any aviation junkie this weekend-from the Reno Air Races through Wings and Wheels events to a breakfast tradition that has been going on since 1938. The National Championship Air Races-the world’s fastest motorsport, bar none-have already started at Reno Stead Airport, Nevada, and will run through […]

True story: During my first visit to AirVenture, known as “Oshkosh,” around 1996, I brought my hand held radio to listen to the tower. I heard a guy ask one question:“Tower, can you tell me where the traffic is?” Tower responded:“Sir, their is traffic in front of you, behind you, to your left, to your […]