Features

My first flight instructor introduced me to the touch and go: power off, flare, flare, flare, “chirp” go the mains, hold the nose (“If the nose touches, it’s not a touch and go,” he said), flaps up, power up, carb heat in, adjust the trim in there somewhere, and up we go. The touch and […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” Overheard in the vicinity of Buchanan Tower in Concord, California: Cessna 123:“Buchanan Tower, this is Cessna One Two Three, seven south of Buchanan, 2000 feet, request transit, northbound.” Buchanan Tower:“Cessna One Two Three, transition approved. Report clear.” [30-second pause] Cessna 123:“Tower, this is Cessna One Two Three. Where […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** With the EAA contemplating a new classof kitbuilt aircraft where the builder wouldn’t (necessarily) have to beinvolved in over half of all wrench-turns during construction, we askedreaders for their take on the 51% Rule. A clear majority of our readers (54% of those who took time […]

What About the Instructor Shortage? We are hearing about the pilot shortage (AVwebFlash, Nov. 25), but what about the instructor shortage? When “old goats” like me get mass mailings from a school with large, contracted, flight-instruction needs with pay rates near $30/hour for primary instruction, there is a problem. And what about the mass postcards […]

Overhead, the massive, wide-chord blades begin rotating. Behind me the whine of the turbine builds as Walt Plentis goes through the start sequence and the 1800 horses of the Lycoming T53 collectively ask if we know what we’re doing, if we really want to wake them up to power a two-place aircraft. Walt assures them […]

Romance in the air is alive and well. While on a CAP flight I heard the following over departure control: Control:Bonanza 123, squawk 4567. A short while later … Control:Bonanza 123, do you have a passenger named [woman’s first name] aboard? Bonanza 123:Affirmative. Control:Can you put her on? We are holding an important message for […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Time magazine recentlyreported that 49% of professional pilots are “very happy” with their jobs.  Last week, we were curious how that figure matches up to theAVweb readership population. While our readership may be slightly less joyful than the pilots Time interviewed, you’re a pretty happy bunch.  […]

UFOs Re: Pilots Want UFOs Investigated (AVwebFlash, Nov. 13)My father, Dr. Urner Liddel, was a nuclear physicist for the Office of Naval Research in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before I was born. At that time, he was part of a team using high-altitude balloons to measure cosmic radiation. Tracking those flights was not […]

Overheard in IFR Magazine‘s “On the Air” With my CFII Jim in the right seat, we were on vectors to Allentown Airport for practice instrument approaches. En route, we heard the approach controller making the following call to another pilot in the area. Approach:Cessna One Three Four, two o’clock, same altitude, have you spotted it? […]

This Week’s Question |Previous Week’s Answers PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, spurred on by a group of pilots of legislators who are asking for a serious inquiry into the nature of UFOs, we put the question to AVweb readers:  Is it time to get serious about these airborne phenomenon, or are we dredging up an […]