Features

The only other words that will more quickly capture the attention of the steely-eyed, granite-jawed airline captain are “Uh, oh, they forgot to load the crew meals,” or “Company’s talking about a cut in per diem.” The latter two don’t even bear thinking about, but we do cheerfully train for the engine failure. But let’s […]

PMA basics The regulation itself is extremely simple: 21.303 Replacement and modification of parts. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may produce a modification or replacement part for sale for installation on a type certificated product unless it is produced pursuant to a Parts Manufacturer Approval issued under this […]

Since the editors of AVwebon this great new medium have been gracious enough to permit me to use this space to writeanything I please (so long as it is in reasonably good taste), I intend to take fulladvantage of their kind offer. The freedom to speak my mind is absolutely wonderful! Sincemy writing has often […]

One fine hot summer’s afternoon saw a Cessna 182 flying jumpers at a quiet country drop zone. The jump pilot was getting quite bothered with one student’s inability to get out on the strut and was getting impatient at the jumpmaster for not just kicking the student out of the plane. Just then he saw […]

Let’s take a shot some of the common aviation myths and “Old Wives’ Tales” (OWTs) so common in this wacky business, some of which I intend to make the main subject of future columns. Many people equate a gift of gab, gray hair, hours aloft, or years in the business with pilot quality. High-time, or […]

Few things define spring in Utah better than the change in sportsseasons. Skis get tuned and hung in the garage, and creaky mountain bikes and dustyriver-running gear get cleaned up in anticipation of rides and runoff. Airport junkies areno different; hangar doors are more likely to be open, and GA activity around Salt LakeCity’s several […]

It had been my intention to make each column entirely different, but given some of the questions and responses to my first column, “Throw Away That Stupid Checklist.” I think a follow-up is in order. Apparently, a lot of people read the headline, or the lead, or scanned the column quickly, and came to some […]

If you think of the Flight Standards Service as the lawenforcement arm of the Federal Aviation Administration, then the Flight Standards DistrictOffice (or FSDO, pronounced “FIZZ-doe”) is the FAA’s equivalent of a policestation, and the Airworthiness, Operations, and Safety Inspectors who work at the FSDOsare the FAA’s cops. Most FAA cops…er, Inspectors…are good guys: dedicated, […]

Braly’s article is followed by AVweb’s own comments (by Doug Ritter). “I’m from the FAA and I’m here to help you.” When most of us hear thisphrase, we think of some poor pilot about to be given a lesson in bureaucraticarbitrariness courtesy of the FAA. Unfortunately, it’s not only pilots who must deal witha sometimes […]

First, welcome to this, my first column for AVweb. I’m free to say what I want, without fear of censorship and only enough editing to keep me from embarrassing myself with major errors in spelling or grammar. That’s nice, but it does mean I can’t blame my editor for content, and all remaining mistakes are […]