Features

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Many years ago, in Calgary: Snooty voice:“Ah, tower, Air Canada Two Oh Four. This will be a fully automatic landing if you’d care to observe.” [later …] Imitative voice:“Ah, tower, this is Canadian Six Seventy Five [rival]. This will be a fully manual landing, if you’d care to […]

APAME Electrical Flight While not denying the accomplishments of APAME, their Web site claim of the first electrical plane flight is a little over the top. Go here for a link to a story about flights as early as 1980 in the Gossamer Penguin. There may have been others. For some, just taking off and […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Happy new year!  Last week, we asked AVweb readers to cast their eye back over 2007 and tell us which single story had the greatest impact on aviation over the past 12 months. A few of you pointed out stories that we’d completely overlooked or (just […]

We all strive for precision and safety in our flying. If there is a recurring theme to smoothly lifting off into climb, maneuvering with a safe margin above stall, squeaking the tires onto the runway at our planned touchdown point, and maintaining control and precision even in emergencies, that theme is airspeed control.Airspeed is a […]

It had started as a run out to the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport to check on plans for our annual end-of-the-year bacchanal and ended up with me wandering into a chance to learn from my betters. Sandy, our airline pilot, lost a friend of hers in a post-takeoff crash a few years back. […]

Mountain Wave In the early ’70s I found myself in a rotor from a cloudless Sierra wave (Probable Cause, Dec. 24). The T-34 I was flying experienced +3 and -2 Gs of turbulence for some five minutes. The rotor would roll the plane nearly inverted with extreme pitch changes. I’m glad I was in a […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Returning to Princeton, New Jersey in a Seminole, I was proudly clipping along at 140 knots and can only assume that my deep voice and professional-sounding tone led to us appearing to be more than we were: Me:“New York approach, Seminole Two Two Eight, 5000.” Approach:“Seminole Two Two […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, we asked AVweb readers to peer once again into their crystal balls and make a guess as to aviation’s next great frontier.  Will personal flying devices like the jet pack put air travel in the hands of everyone – or will future aircraft be […]

Environmental Impact of Flying I don’t agree with any of the options you give on the “Question of the Week” about the environmental impact of GA (QOTW, Dec. 6).Having worked as a news journalist for 10 years, I know a lot about the environmental lobby. They all believe in saving the planet but most just […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Heard at Lawrence, Massachusetts: Tower:“Arrow Eight Two Xray, slowest possible speed. Traffic ahead is an ultralight on a half-mile final.” Ultralight:“Tower, we’ll climb out so he can land.” Tower:“Roger, climb and maintain 1700, runway heading. Arrow Eight Two Xray, cleared to land, caution, mowing in progress, right side […]