Features

A folded newspaper fell into my lap as I was sitting in the “king seat” awaiting pushback in Newark. It was a USA Today with the headline, “Two Biggest Airlines Set to Merge,” appearing above the fold. My co-pilot, Chet, had dropped it onto my dormant daddy parts and then flopped into his own lambs-wool […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” I’m a CFI who was flying into Vero Beach, Fla., and it’s widely known that one of the tower controllers often flies to work. The winds were favoring the single runway, so the parallel runways were not in use, and the tower was busier than usual. While flying […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** The AFSS system has been privatized for a while now, and last week we asked AVweb readers about their recent flight service experiences. The biggest segment of respondents (a full 41%) told us the state of FSS is terrible, and I’m increasingly using alternatives. For the […]

“VFR Flight Not Recommended.” How often have you heard this phrase and flew anyway, to find conditions perfectly safe? And how many times have you heeded the warning and canceled, only to see perfectly flyable weather? Yet there are times the admonition proves wise, and “on the edge” conditions grew just enough worse to make […]

Overheard at Santa Barbara, California. (I wasn’t paying attention at the beginning of this call, so I don’t know the type of aircraft.) Aircraft:“Santa Barbara Clearance, N***** at FBO, requesting clearance to -“ [pause] Aircraft:“Oh, hell.” Clearance (deadpan and without hesitation):“I can’t send you there … .” Jo Duffyvia e-mail

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked whether the FAA should regulate builder assistance when it comes to homebuilt airplanes. In a handy statistical coincidence, 51% of readers who answered our Question thought that as long as 51% of the work is done by the owner-builder, anyone else should […]

It was late when I got into the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport. I’d airlined into the big airport and driven about an hour here, as I wanted to drop off some things in my hangar and then see if I could locate a back issue of a magazine in the Lounge before going […]

Today’s “Short Final” breaks with tradition a bit by not being heard over the radio – but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this tale: “I was coming back from Tampa in the early evening heading for Craig in my 182. Over Gainesville I came around a large cloud and came face to […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked AVweb readers if they thought Adam Aircraft might rise like a phoenix from the ashes of bankruptcy. Despite an abiding fascination with the A700, 51% of our readers answered No, the VLJ market is already too crowded. Although we should note that […]

Air Traffic Controller Staffing As an air traffic control supervisor at one of the nation’s busiest airports, I am angered and disappointed by the opinions expressed by Mr. Jim Trinka, FAA director of technical training and development (AVwebFlash, Feb. 10). Either Mr. Trinka is [unaware of] the plight of FAA ATC field facilities, or he […]