Features

Question: What were non-radar operations called before radar?Answer: Air Traffic ControlYou may wonder why I’m putting the very basics — the bedrock — of Air Traffic Control in an advanced class in my series of ATC courses. The answer is simple: Because it’s complicated. It also involves a lot of math. I hate math. Be […]

Anti-Airliner Bazookas Regarding the story about tomato threats (NewsWire, Feb. 20):I thought I’d let you know about a similar thing, which happened at the end of the 1960’s in Munich, Germany.There was this guy who became annoyed with these airliners that flew in and out of the international airport in Munich. So he built himself […]

Everybody’s a comedian… Overheard this weekend. Pilot: Tower, Cessna1234 would like to shoot a missed approach. Tower: Cessna 1234 approved for missed approach. Pilot: Roger. How close can we come? Tower: … Just don’t hit the tower.

Cheney’s “No-Fly-Zone” The Vice President’s “No-Fly-Zone” has been a sore point among many pilots.I think it’s well-deserved and should definitely continue, even after he leaves public office. Especially after last weekend’s shooting incident. Not only will the Vice President personally shoot anything airborne, he’ll now even go after moving ground targets too.Darrel Toepfer Global Flyer […]

As do pilots all over the world, we who gather here in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport read and discuss aircraft accident reports. Recently we got to perusing a fatal accident involving a relatively new, inexperienced, private pilot flying in the Midwest.While I’m amending the details a bit to preserve anonymity, the gentleman […]

While doing some work, heard the following exchange on Kennedy Tower freq: Twr: Cactus 51, turn right zulu and golf, hold behind the plane that’s stopped to recycle. Cactus 51: Cactus 51 we’ll make the right zulu and golf, behind the recycled airplane … whatever that means. Trw: C’mon Cactus, you guys should know what […]

To those unschooled in the sport — and that is all but the tiniest slice of the dull, normal population — skydivers merely jump from airplanes and gravity does the rest. We’ll concede the gravity part for the moment, but getting out of an airplane with your wits intact is a practiced skill that deserves […]

Night Rescue Your report on the angst among the officials involved in the rescue of the two young people lost near Paradise is typical of the “professionals” (NewsWire, Feb. 6) As a long-time professional helicopter pilot, I can say that any number of pilots can do what the Sheriff’s Department and the CHP were unwilling […]