Features

While flying my Archer from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Lancaster (PA), I heard this exchange. (Lancaster has a well-known pilot shop located on the field.) Cessna 12345:“Lancaster Tower, Cessna 12345 right base for runway 31, three miles out.” Lancaster Tower:“Cessna 12345: Cleared to land, runway 31.” Cessna 12345:“Cleared to land, runway 31.” [10-second pause] Cessna 12345:“We’re heading […]

Senator Jim Inhofe found himself in the news last week after he landed on a closed runway. He further said he doesn’t always check NOTAMS and that pilots who fly a lot often don’t. How about you? Do you always check NOTAMs? (click to answer) Last Week’s Question: Results Want to see the current breakdown […]

I was climbing out of Salt Lake in the King Air, and Salt Lake Center gave me a number of heading changes. Center:“King Air 114CW, turn left to heading 095.” [pause] Center:“King Air 114CW, turn right, heading 125.” Me:“Center, 4CW. What is the reason for the heading changes? Am I overtaking traffic ahead?” Center:“4CW, I […]

Now that Sport Pilot certificate holders have been flying around for five years without a noticeable rate of medically-related accidents, is it time to reconsider the medical requirements for all private pilots? Should the Class Three Medical be abandoned? (click to answer) Previous Question: Results Want to see the current breakdown of responses? Take a […]

Every aircraft design has an underlying mission its designed to and best suited for. Human owners rarely have so narrow a need, however, so one of the greatest challenge of choosing an aircraft to own is finding a design whose perfect mission falls in the fat part of the bell curve for the range of […]

Each week, we run a sampling of the letters received to our editorial inbox here in AVmail. One letter that’s particularly relevant, informative, or otherwise compelling will headline this section as our “Letter of the Week,” and we’ll send the author an official AVweb baseball cap as a “thank you” for interacting with us (and […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” A few winters ago over Missouri: Center:“Delta 246, climb and maintain FL350. Traffic three o’clock, 20 miles at FL310.” Delta 246:“Roger. Delta 246 departing FL310 for FL350. We see traffic at our nine o’clock position, level.” Center:“Ahh – roger, Delta 246. That was three o’clock Zulu, nine o’clock […]

Overheard flying into Reno for the air races this year, about a TFR for a fire about 100 miles east of the city: Cessna Pilot to Oakland Center:“Cessna XXX checking in. VFR 8,500.” Oakland Center:“Be advised your present route will take you into a TFR about 20 miles ahead of you.” Cessna Pilot:“O.K. We’re looking […]

FAA credentials are widely accepted throughout the world, regardless of the requirements of other countries. The European Union is considering invalidating U.S. certificates and aircraft certification standards. Is this a trend, and what should be done about it? Does the U.S. Set the Gold Standard in aviation? (click to answer) Last Week’s Question: Results Want […]

Each week, we run a sampling of the letters received to our editorial inbox here in AVmail. One letter that’s particularly relevant, informative, or otherwise compelling will headline this section as our “Letter of the Week,” and we’ll send the author an official AVweb baseball cap as a “thank you” for interacting with us (and […]