Reader Mail

Environmental Impact of Flying I was heartened to see how many respondents to the Question of the Week knew that flying is the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation (QOTW, Dec. 6). The worst thing one can do is to build a road. The road interrupts ecosystems. It also requires materials such as asphalt or […]

A380 (Not) Tail Strike Video The video of the A380 having a tail strike is undoubtedly part of the certification testing (POTW, Dec. 1). Since an over-rotation accident in Rome in the early days of jet transports, they must all now demonstrate their ability to lift off successfully if over-rotated on takeoff. Seems the A380 […]

What About the Instructor Shortage? We are hearing about the pilot shortage (AVwebFlash, Nov. 25), but what about the instructor shortage? When “old goats” like me get mass mailings from a school with large, contracted, flight-instruction needs with pay rates near $30/hour for primary instruction, there is a problem. And what about the mass postcards […]

UFOs Re: Pilots Want UFOs Investigated (AVwebFlash, Nov. 13)My father, Dr. Urner Liddel, was a nuclear physicist for the Office of Naval Research in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before I was born. At that time, he was part of a team using high-altitude balloons to measure cosmic radiation. Tracking those flights was not […]

Flight Without Delays The Leading Edge article concerning flight delays (Columns, Nov. 12) apparently omits the one- to three-hour early airport arrivals demanded by airlines. The long lines and sit/wait periods are a part of today’s commercial travel whether we like it or not, but not a part of GA travel. What happens to the […]

FSS Consolidation The anonymous author of “No More FSSs in the Northeastern U.S.” (AVmail, Nov. 5) should be aware that there are many alternate sources of weather information other than Lockheed-Martin and that not being able to talk to a L-M briefer with local weather knowledge should not put one or one’s family at risk.Considering […]

No More FSSs in the Northeastern U.S. Come this Sunday (11/4), the last remaining Flight Service Station (ISP) north of Virginia, east of Michigan will close for good. This means that when you’re flying in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, the Flight Service person you’re talking to on the radio most likely […]

Bob Hoover Just finished watching the short video of Bob Hoover and his Shrike Commander (Video of the Week, Oct. 15). It sure brings back memories of all the times I watched this in person over the years at Oshkosh. It surely is beautiful. I don’t know if anyone could ever fill his shoes. Plus […]

AFSS Nonsense With all due respect to Lockheed-Martin VP Dan Courain (Podcast, Oct. 5), he needs to pick up the phone and call AFSS himself. The problem isn’t just briefings; it’s the tying up of airspace and human resources as well.Case in point: I was unable to raise Atlantic City approach to cancel my IFR […]

Age 60 Rebuttal A recent letter to the editor states that the author has been working on the Age 60 question since 1996 (AVmail, Oct. 1). My question is, “Why did you not fight the issue back in 1959 when it first came into being?” There is no one flying who did not know when […]