Features

First Flight Celebration Could Be Better My wife and I had the opportunity to attend the First Flight celebration last weekend, sponsored by the National Parks Service (Newswire, Dec. 15). The event was unfortunately woefully lacking in displays and vendors. The federal government was the major participant, represented by the Air Force, NASA, FAA, Coast […]

Overheard December 18, 2003, at a local gliderport… “A moment of silence everyone, for today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the tow plane.”

*** PREVIOUS RESULTS *** We received over 200 responses to our question last week on attending this weeks Kitty Hawk event. Nearly half (48 percent) of those responding advised they will not be attending the event, as the hassle of getting there is too much to deal with. Only five percent of respondents said they […]

Naples Airport Regarding an effort to close the Naples Airport and force all users to outlying fields, AVweb wrote (Newswire, Dec. 8): “It means they get in their limousines and have one more martini,” [city council candidate William Willkomm III] said. This is yet another example of the kind of ignorance that endangers all our […]

At a busy local airport one sunny Saturday flight instructors were hopping in and out of different aircraft all day long: Unidentified pilot: Montgomery Ground, Cessna, er, Cessna … wait … who am I today? [pause]I’ll have to call you back. Ground: Roger, call back when you know who you are.

*** PREVIOUS RESULTS *** We received over 200 responses to our question last week on Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of those responding flew within heir local area during the holiday weekend, while 26 percent flew a GA aircraft for a holiday trip. Only two percent indicated TFRs restricted them from flying […]

“The primary purpose of the ATC system is to prevent a collision between aircraft operating in the system and to organize and expedite the flow of traffic.”Sounds simple doesn’t it? That one sentence is the meat and potatoes of Air Traffic Control. It’s amazing how complex the system has to be to accomplish that one […]

Taxing back for a departure on Rwy 23 at Morristown (MMU), I noticed a group of 10 or so snow geese walking across the taxiway toward the runway. I paused for a moment and started to maneuver in behind the group of waterfowl. Then I heard … GROUND CONTROL: Cessna 123, those things are really […]

In reviewing Part 1 of this column last month, I remembered another story that illustrates “cockpit culture.” Remember the story of the Flight Engineer (FE) and “backing up” the thrust levers, as a carry-over from the props days? Levers And Fingers Well, one late night in the DC-8 simulator at Japan Airlines (JAL), I was […]

Air Force One AVwbe wrote (NewsWire, Dec. 1): The flight crew had prepared for what they believed was a milk run to Washington for maintenance. I don’t really know for sure but I’d strongly suspect the flight crew was aware of things; however, if you meant the press crew, it might well be. Very hard […]