Reader Mail

Digital ELTs Required By 2009 All of the new 409 units have a 121.5 transmitter just like the current ELT’s and that is what is used for the fine tuning of the search (NewsWire, Nov. 11). So interference with TV’s DVD’s etc will still be with us. On Civil Air Patrol missions I have personally […]

F-16 Didn’t Attack School Corrections to your story on the F-16 in New Jersey (NewsWire, Nov. 8): “… school was not in session Wednesday night when a National Guard F-16 …” It belongs to the Air National Guard. The National Guard might infer the Army National Guard. There is a difference. “… fired on Little […]

VFR On Top A word of caution to those flying VFR on top (NewsWire, Nov. 1): Using the cloudbank as the horizon can be misleading. All too often, you can encounter cloudbanks that are slanted significantly.Joel Premselaar Two ex-military pilots noticed a big, filed out nick in the prop of their Cessna before take off […]

Poor Flight Instructors At the age of 79 and some 61 years of flying and 40 years of instructing before open-heart surgery and two heart attacks years later finally made me stop flying, now I see that the poorly paid flight instructor has to make a logbook entry certifying the pilot he’s flying with is […]

Bushmaster Accident This aircraft was one of only two Bushmaster 2000s built (NewsWire, Sep. 30). I had the pleasure of riding as a passenger on this airplane a few years ago thanks to the kindness of the owner, an airline pilot. It was with considerable sorrow that I viewed the video sequence of the crash. […]

ATC Staffing Pilots have their own agenda while operating an aircraft and that is, or should be, getting to the destination in one piece. My job is to make sure that the folks in that other aircraft, with the same agenda as you’ve got, don’t occupy the same space as you at the same time. […]

“Air Show” Crash at Fullerton I would have hoped that AVweb would do a better job of factual reporting than to classify a maintenance test flight of the Ford Tri-motor replica as an “Air Show” crash (NewsWire, Sep. 30). This is how air shows get a bad name! Bill Cornick AVweb Replies The initial information […]

Airport Closures and Other Anti-Aviation Stuff I agree with Terri Lee Jones (AVmail, Sep. 13): The TSA should use the terrorist watch list to ensure those people who object to aircraft sound and overflights are not unduly provoked. Timothy McVeigh was a great guy, very conscientious, convinced the government was on the wrong track, and […]

FAA Budget Cuts The FAA should not be cut another 12.6% (NewsWire, Sep. 20). I have been in this business since 1964. It used to be that we always had a FAA inspector looking over our shoulder. We never knew when. Due to cuts, you can’t even get them out of the office unless they […]

GA Screening Bill Rep. Weiner clearly doesn’t go far enough (NewsWire, Sep. 13). He should include private cars and trucks in his ban from cities of one million or more. Plus all truckers, bus drivers, train drivers, boaters and their passengers should be subject to rigorous security checks. We should ban anyone with packages more […]