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Question: What were non-radar operations called before radar?Answer: Air Traffic ControlYou may wonder why I’m putting the very basics — the bedrock — of Air Traffic Control in an advanced class in my series of ATC courses. The answer is simple: Because it’s complicated. It also involves a lot of math. I hate math. Be […]

Anti-Airliner Bazookas Regarding the story about tomato threats (NewsWire, Feb. 20):I thought I’d let you know about a similar thing, which happened at the end of the 1960’s in Munich, Germany.There was this guy who became annoyed with these airliners that flew in and out of the international airport in Munich. So he built himself […]

Like most single-engine aircraft owners, I find myself drooling over photos of the latest all-glass panel hardware, and even wondering if I’d be qualified to use it. For those of us who fly virtual airplanes based on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, there’s now an opportunity to find out: In conjunction with their 2005 sweepstakes, the […]

First, let’s establish the legalities here. Part 43, Appendix A of the FARs deals with preventative maintenance. Of the 30 or so listed preventative maintenance tasks, items 6 and 23 permit aircraft owners who possess at least a private pilot’s certificate or higher to change the oil and filter (or to service the oil screen) […]

Cheney’s “No-Fly-Zone” The Vice President’s “No-Fly-Zone” has been a sore point among many pilots.I think it’s well-deserved and should definitely continue, even after he leaves public office. Especially after last weekend’s shooting incident. Not only will the Vice President personally shoot anything airborne, he’ll now even go after moving ground targets too.Darrel Toepfer Global Flyer […]

As do pilots all over the world, we who gather here in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport read and discuss aircraft accident reports. Recently we got to perusing a fatal accident involving a relatively new, inexperienced, private pilot flying in the Midwest.While I’m amending the details a bit to preserve anonymity, the gentleman […]

To those unschooled in the sport — and that is all but the tiniest slice of the dull, normal population — skydivers merely jump from airplanes and gravity does the rest. We’ll concede the gravity part for the moment, but getting out of an airplane with your wits intact is a practiced skill that deserves […]

More than a dozen single-engine airplanes converged on Ocracoke Island airport on the North Carolina Outer Banks for the long-awaited weekend fly-in. The October weather was extraordinarily delightful, the camaraderie was even better, and a great time was had by all. The only fly in the ointment was that a couple of participating airplanes developed […]

Night Rescue Your report on the angst among the officials involved in the rescue of the two young people lost near Paradise is typical of the “professionals” (NewsWire, Feb. 6) As a long-time professional helicopter pilot, I can say that any number of pilots can do what the Sheriff’s Department and the CHP were unwilling […]