Features

It had been a while since I’d had an FAA inspector in my jump seat and I was grateful that it was for a short leg from New York to Detroit. You usually don’t see FAA guys on the seat on a transcontinental leg unless they really want to get to LAX for some non-fuzz […]

Vintage Aircraft Category It may be worthwhile for EAA & AOPA to take a look at the French system for “orphaned” aircraft (NewsWire, Mar. 27). They are able to keep aircraft flying where the manufacturer has folded, and thus parts are no longer available. Basically, maintenance becomes owner responsibility, and is managed similar to kit […]

Overheard while being vectored to the ILS 10 at KMSY the other day: Approach: Jet 123, maintain 9,000. Jet 123: Um, ok, we’re gonna go through it. Approach: That’s ok, climb and maintain 10,000. Jet 123: Uh, we’re on our way back down to 9,000, now. Approach: Well, 10 is available, you’re welcome to climb […]

Yes, it’s coming! But don’t get excited. You don’t really want what is coming, but you’re going to get it anyway. Remember when I wrote Say Again? #49: Come Up a Bad Cloud? Well, the “storm” is here.They say everybody has a talent. I don’t know if you want to call this a talent or […]

Taxi Into Position And Hold Regarding the Question of the Week about Taxi Into Position and Hold (QOTW, Mar. 23):My passenger counted 13 airplanes waiting for takeoff during one busy afternoon at Addison airport in Texas (KADS — single, 7000-foot runway, under DFW Class B). Who knows how many it would have been without Taxi […]

Controllers on the ball… Heard while established on a seven-mile final to Runway 1 at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, NY (FRG) January 1, 2002… Arrow N1234: Republic Tower, Arrow 1234 nine miles north, landing with Victor. Tower: Arrow 234 report the right downwind Runway 1. Arrow 234: Tower, any chance we could get a straight […]

Walking out of the doctor’s office, holding the piece of paper on which the duly authorized Aviation Medical Examiner attested that, as of a few moments ago, I met the minimum standards to hold an airman medical certificate, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed out to the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport. […]

When Diamond announced its diesel-powered Twin Star three years ago, we figured the companys grasp on reality was, at best, tenuous. In the current market, who could possibly be interested in a new light twin? We were wrong, of course. Diamond has done well with the Twin Star and having flown the airplane, it reminds […]