Features

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 […]

The end of a not very long day. One leg from SFO to home at the end of a four-day safari and we were almost officially at the end of our week.Humping our suitcases out of the luggage rack and with our flight kits dragging them to the front door, we paused only to hook […]

High-speed taxi … or low-speed takeoff. I landed in the first 150 feet of a runway in a Flightstar (Vx = 40 KIAS) and was taxiing past the main taxiway where an Air Asia 737 was waiting… Tower: 9M-EAU please expedite. Me: Wilco, 9M-EAU. […while acclerating to about 15 knots on the ground.] Air Asia […]

User Fees We have user fees: Gas tax provides millions based on usage (NewsWire, Jan. 30); meanwhile they squander … $75 million on questionable rehab at MKC. Plenty of money; let’s have some accountability instead of having a tax on a tax.John Grissinger Retired at 32? It’s a little unusual to be a “retired” Marine […]

Overheard at my local ‘drome this [superbowl] weekend… N465: Ground, N465 at Pacific Aviation, VFR to the west with Victor, ready for taxi, we’re going to need a progressive, please. Ground: N465, roger. Alpha three, right Bravo, hold short 27 Right.[short pause]Unknown: Hike!

On January 1, 2006, Warren “Chip” Jones replaced Don Brown as the Facility Safety Representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) at Atlanta Center. Don will continue his work as a Safety Representative for NATCA while he prepares for his upcoming retirement. Don’s column this month is his advice letter to Chip. Dear […]

Killer Kites Re: Hitting a kite (NewsWire, Jan. 23):I was the Captain on a B727-200 inbound to LAX Runway 25R several years ago and on short final we noticed a kite flying just short of the approach end of the runway and could not avoid it without causing a traffic conflict. We continued the approach […]