Features

AirworthinessDirectives have been with us since the 1940’s, butit seems as if the industry’s attitude toward them has changeddramatically in recent years. Twenty years ago, manufacturerswould often brag in their sales literature that their airplanesor engines “have never had an AD issued against them.”Issuance of an AD was considered a black mark against a manufacturer,suggesting […]

I have always been envious of my friends who are skiers. WhileI dread the upcoming winter, they actually are anxious to see the temperaturedrop below freezing. The feeling of accomplishment that skiers feel at theend of a difficult run that has been well executed must be exhilarating.The sense of control, the rush of traveling at […]

As much as we might like to carp about the occasional circuitousrouting or ground delay, this much is certain: The U.S. air trafficsystem is arguably the best in the world. What’s less certainis how it got that way. How did we advance from the tenuous airmailroutes of the early 1930s to the sophisticated IFR system […]

U.S. Department of TransportationFederal Aviation AdministrationOffice of the Administrator800 Independence Ave., S.W.Washington, D.C. 20591 LETTER TO PlLOTS Several recent occurrences at non-towered airports (either airports without control towers or airports where control towers do not operate continually) have given rise to concerns about operations at airports without operating control towers. The loss of life from […]

I admit it: until a few years ago, I found Civil War history tiresome; there weretoo many battles, too many deposed Union generals, and too many politicalfacts to master. Now, midway through my fifth decade, I have the patience,the curiosity and the time to try to understand something of this mosttroublesome episode in our American […]

The 33rd annual Reno National Championship Air Races opened on September9, 1996 and with it brought both excitement and disappointment. In recentyears the “fastest motor sport in the world” has been slightly waning interms of participation and competition. However, the 1996 campaign showedgreat encouragement for there were a number of new unlimited racers on theramp […]

The folks atMoffett Fieldlocated in Sunnyvale, California, musthave a thing about building things BIG. If you have ever overflown Moffettor driven past it on the Bayshore Freeway, you won’t forget the size of thehuge Navy blimp hangars. The largest was built to house theairship “Macon” and would swallow a whole squadron of P-3swithout any effort. […]

Thanks to Mike Overly of the Aviation Safety Institute, sponsor of AVSIG, forpermission to make this transcript available on AVweb. Moderator-Mike: The witching hour is upon us, so I’ll gavelthis formal conference to order now. Our guest, as you all know, is Tony Broderick. Rick Cremer, you’re first…goahead with your question. Rick Cremer, FAA HQ: […]

Horses thunder around the far turn, their hooves beating almostas fast as your heart. You watch your favorite colors come intothe homestretch, just a wish and a nose behind the leader. Winor lose, you leave elated at your first visit to Saratoga racetrack. In it’s heyday in the 1890’s, the racing season at Saratoga wasthe […]

The stereotype of pilots – tall and fit, with lots of hair andperfect vision – is one that not many of us live up to. Butthat doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to the image of dashing barnstormeror cocky cockpit commander. Poor vision not only shatters that image, but for many peopleit represents an inconvenience severe […]