Features

Smarter Than Direct I have discovered recently, using the electronic aids such as foreflight and fltplan, that accepting what must be the accumulated knowledge of what gets issued as clearances versus what WE think we’d like to do…in many cases give you a routing ‘as filed’ even here in the DC/BOS corridor. I’ve noticed over […]

Don’t you hate it when this happens? “November 12345, I have an amendment to your clearance…advise when ready to copy.” Then ATC gives you the barely pronounceable name of a waypoint you never heard of. You’re given a re-route around restricted airspace or a military operations area (MOA) that just went hot. Or you’re making […]

One day when I was talking to Point Mugu Approach we had the following exchange: Point Mugu Approach: “CUP567, question for you if you have a moment. In how many miles could you dump a couple thousand feet? Just curious. I have a trainee here arguing with me and I want to prove a point.” […]

When looking at homebuilding magazines from the ’60s and ’70s, one factor that stands out is the engine selection: Most were using the small Continental engines, from the A65 to the O-200. The main reason was availability. These engines were used by the thousands in the American lightplane industry after WW-II. As planes like Piper […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

Joe Kittinger’s Long Leap Into History Long ago I had the opportunity to enjoy a flight in a New Standard D-25, which featured a front cockpit that was actually a “conversation pit.” Pilot In Command – Joe Kittinger. That’s right, Col. Joe Kittinger, one of my aviation heroes, was barnstorming, hopping rides at a fly-in, […]

An autopilot can be the most complex, costly and frustrating retrofit you can make to an aging aircraft. You might tame the dragon with careful pre-installation planning, which includes buying the right system and selecting a competent shop to put it in. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen and it’s a setup for serious aggravation. We’ve […]

I was talking to New York Approach when I heard the following: GrayRider 5 (NY State Police): “Albany Approach, GrayRider 5. Change of mission. That plane in the water, well it’s confirmed as a float plane, so it’s now direct to Deer Park for Gray Rider 5.” Apparently they were under the mistaken impression that […]

Part 91 gives us lots of discretion when it comes to choosing an approach, deciding if it’s legal (and safe) to continue, and then if it’s legal and safe to land. The caveat is that personal judgment, often in the heat of the moment, becomes the catchall for critical phases of flight. This makes us […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]