Features

Specificity 101 Heard on Philadelphia Approach: Duke 1234: Philly Approach, we’re gonna begin our VFR descent for the field. Controller: Duke 1234, say altitude descending to. Duke 1234: We’re descending for the field. Controller: Roger, Duke 1234, say altitude descending to. Duke 1234: Well, the field elevation is 78 feet, so … hopefully, we won’t […]

Lockheed Martin FSS I’ve had a little different experience with Lockheed Martin FSS than Ted Anderson (AVmail, Dec. 5).I retired from the Oakland, Calif., FSS in 1998. One reason was that I could see the “handwriting on the wall.” The FAA was pouring millions into updating FSS equipment. But between management ineptness and foot dragging […]

In the weeks that followed Hurricane Katrina, the images being showcased by the media were hard to miss: helicopter rescue crews hoisting survivors off rooftops in the flooded city of New Orleans. With nowhere to go but the murky waters that surrounded their flooded homes, Hurricane Katrina survivors looked to the sky for hope and […]

Recently heard at Manchester international: Nameless 747 jock: “Ground, can you confirm that a ‘400 will fit between these two lamposts?” ATC: “Yip, absolutely, no shadow of a doubt, definitely will.” … pause … ATC: “Assuming you are on the centreline…..”

I don’t know why air disasters take on the names of towns or places. I guess we have to give them some sort of name to catalogue them in our minds. Perhaps geography is just convenient. It does seem unfair to the towns. Lockerbie, Scotland, didn’t have anything to do with Pan Am 103 blowing […]

FAA Takes Credit? I am sure glad to hear that the Teflon FAA has found something to be responsible for — all those safe flights (NewsWire, Nov. 28). Well, at least I’m glad for the smile it brings. Allow me to state the obvious: Credit goes to those individual cockpit crews and especially those individual, […]

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is in response to a letter from an AVweb reader about recent negotiations between the FAA and NATCA. First of all, NATCA is not proposing a pay increase. NATCA has proposed the current pay table, meaning the status quo would be maintained […]

This will be the column that allows devotees of liquid-cooled engines to rock back in their Aerons, place palms on paunch and proclaim, “Aren’t we the smart ones?!” With some design care, a liquid-cooling system for aircraft can be simple to execute and remarkably insensitive to variations brought by series production or less-than-surgical ongoing maintenance. […]