Features

Most of us think of the autopilot as a modern invention, but it predates World War I. That perception may be because it has only become ubiquitous in more recent times. All IFR pilots take pride in their manual instrument flying skills, and rightly so. Smoothly and exactly maneuvering an aircraft down the ILS to […]

Returning to San Carlos airport late one day, I clicked the mic five times on tower frequency to see if it would do anything. I don’t fly at night so the last time I tried this would have been more than a decade ago. Controller (slightly irritated): “We have control.” Me (slightly embarrassed): “You have […]

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 […]

Can A Computer Think Like A Pilot? It’s A Trivial Question Long-suffering readers of this space are familiar with one of many YARSisms: “The very best implementation of a flawed concept is, itself, fatally flawed.” In my experience, most flawed concepts have their nexus in flawed premises. In the case of the linked video, the […]

I gazed through the canopy‭ ‬at the‭ ‬dark mountains‭, ‬range upon range‭ ‬marching into the distance‭. ‬Even‭ ‬though it was August 9‭, ‬fresh snow‭ ‬dusted several ragged peaks‭. ‬Our little RV-9‭ ‬purred along beneath a layer of scattered clouds while below us steep scree and rock slopes descended sharply into thick forest‭.‬ I met my […]

By LeRoy Cook It isn’t every day that I get to fly a single airplane that’s both an historic icon and as desirable as the newest of the current crop of super-homebuilts. Long known as two of homebuilt aviation’s evergreen designs, Mustang Aeronautics’ Midget Mustang and Mustang II have roots that go back more than […]

While flying from San Jose International Airport to Portland International Airport we heard the following: Oakland Center: “Pinion, cleared to FL680.” Bonanza 12AB: “Oakland Center, Bonanza 12AB with a question, when able.” Oakland Center: “12AB, go ahead.” Bonanza 12AB: “Did I just hear you clear an aircraft to climb above 60,000 feet?” Oakland Center: “Affirmative, […]

Maneuvering speed is something fledgling airplane pilots learn about early in their training. It’s one of the more important details to know about any airplane because it has implications for structural integrity. It’s also relevant to operating in turbulence and performing maneuvers, although its value isn’t on an airspeed indicator, mainly because it varies with […]

Your Analysis Of Priorities Matters My first biological emergency almost five decades ago involved the FAA, fire trucks, an ambulance, the state police, and many hundreds of witnesses. It was almost noon on a beautiful fall day with no wind or clouds. Chugging along in my tandem Taylorcraft, a weakening bladder compelled me to land […]

For some, flying is just braving the traffic pattern or short, local flights. But serious long-distance flying or commercial operations will eventually bring you to the heart of the Great Plains. Meteorology captivated me because of the incredibly turbulent and strange weather in this area. I chased tornadoes for 15 years and forecasted weather for […]