Features

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” My VIP passenger showed up late for a two-hour flight. At 4,000 feet, we were halfway to the destination when he announced his bowels needed immediate attention and landing right now was not an option. Me:“Chicago Center, Five Eight Six Five Papa requests an immediate landing at Kankakee […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked if Congress should be pushing harder to pass an FAA reauthorization bill. Answers varied widely, but the plurality of you agreed with the admonition careful what you wish for; the final form of the bill may be a lot worse than what […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” CTAF offers a smorgasbord of irritating communications techniques. Somewhere in California’s Central Valley, I heard a pilot repeatedly report, “Turning left, final, runway 20.” After what must have been the tenth “left final,” a pilot who’d obviously had it replied: “There is no left final; there is no […]

Click the photos in this story for larger versions.Each large image will open in a new window/tab. The ladies are packed in the twin Otter. The cameramen land. The Shorts leads the Otters on takeoff. Practicing the formation on the ground right before boarding the aircraft. This was hot! Practicing how to leave the formation […]

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 […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked AVweb readers whether they buy into concerns about safety problems on the regional airlines. Most do, with 40% of those who took a moment to answer our question saying that overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated pilots and airline staff equals potential disaster. Another […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Most Center controllers don’t have a highly developed sense of humor about radar limitations, but one I heard at Jacksonville Center does: Cessna:“JAX Center, Cessna One Two Three Four.” Center:“Cessna One Two Three Four, JAX Center. Go ahead.” Cessna:“Cessna One Two Three Four is 20 miles north of […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked what AVweb readers would be willing to pay to fly the Martin Jet Pack. Not much, apparently. 64% of our readers answered you couldn’t pay me enough (!), and another 32% said the $30,000 Martin is asking on eBay is too much. […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” I’m a controller at Terre Haute, Indiana, and I was working data while my female supervisor got her currency on arrival radar. She was wondering about the on-course heading of an overflight. The conversation went something like this: Approach:“Seven Six One Zulu Bravo, say your heading to 22G.” […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked AVweb readers if they were personally contributing to the spike in air show attendance reported by ICAS (the International Council of Air Shows). 45% of those who took a moment to answer told us they’d attended one or two shows so far […]