Features

We were preparing to push back in Kansas City and we were heavy. The hot weather wasn’t helping the takeoff figures much either.Full up on passengers, cargo and fuel, the gate agent was in the passenger cabin counting babies. Your average passenger is calculated at about 170 pounds (if I remember my ATP written questions […]

Seen on a Yahoo Message Board regarding a story about a pilot who Sunday made a successful emergency landing on a freeway in Anaheim, Calif.:“THIS JUST IN – Chicago Mayor Richard Daley plans to carve giant “X”es into the Riverside Freeway at midnight tonight.”

This week, we would like to know your thoughts on Sun ‘n Fun. For AVweb’s Question of the Week, click here. PREVIOUS RESULTS We received over 900 responses to our question last week on the Meigs airport closure. Almost half (47 percent) of those responding weren’t sure if Mayor Daley’s destruction of Meigs’ runway would […]

Continental Crankshaft Failure Just to let you know we have had a crankshaft failure on a Continental IO-520 factory rebuild with 230 hours on the engine. This could be something to watch as we wait results from Continental on cause.Dan KlaesBettles Air Chicago VFR Corridor I’m sure that the FAA is not happy about being […]

The Death Of An Airport I have an idea! Let’s have a fly-in at Chicago for single-engine General Aviation aircraft owners! As we strive to do at all our fly-ins, we’ll show the people of Chicago how nice, professional, and interesting General Aviation can be.Since Mayor Daley doesn’t see any value in General Aviation airports […]

More from our “It’s all about priorities” file … Saturday a.m. — during Round 2 March Madness in Illinois. After too much coffee and two hours of touch & goes I was on base after an extended downwind. Two regional jets were waiting for IFR clearance and for me to get out of their way. […]

This week, we would like to know your thoughts on the Meigs airport closure. For AVweb’s Question of the Week, click here. PREVIOUS RESULTS We received over 500 responses to our question last week on air shows. The majority of those responding (65 percent) found these events to be fun and very educational. Only 5 […]

“I dare you,” Jim said. How many crazy ideas have started with that line? “And I double-dare you to mention Delta chop.” I feel like I’m in the movie “The Christmas Story.” What’s next Jim? Are you going to triple-dead-dog-dare me?Jim is a friend of mine and fellow controller. He reads my column every month […]

Meigs Field Massacred I just read about an early morning attack against an airport and how its runway was destroyed. What stunned me was that it didn’t occur in Iraq or Afghanistan by those fighting against us, but rather, by a government entity right here in the USA.The cited rationale that the Meigs closure (actually, […]

Hijack Transponder Rule Panned So, instead of labelling the proposed new transponder’s “panic” buttons in the normal way, perhaps they should label them the “Please shoot me down” button. Only a suicidal pilot these days would deliberately squawk a “hijack” code, right? George Horn US Military May Degrade GPS Signal This article indicates that the […]