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Decompression sickness (DCS) describes a condition characterizedby a variety of symptoms resulting from exposure to low barometricpressures that cause inert gases (mainly nitrogen), normally dissolvedin body fluids and tissues, to come out of physical solution andform bubbles. DCS can occur during exposure to altitude (altitudeDCS) or during ascent from depth (mining or diving). The firstdocumented […]

NOTE: AVweb includes the full text of the NTSB’s probable cause report on Flight 554 in Adobe’s PDF format (if you don’t already have one, PDF readers are available from https://www.adobe.com). “Monovision” contact lenses, actually a misnomer, was listed as a probablecause of the MD-88 accident that occurred at LaGuardia October, 1996, bythe NTSB. Of […]

Severaldecades ago, my primary flight instructor taught me that being a safe pilot meant stayingon the ground when the weather didn’t look good. When I got my instrument rating a fewyears later, my CFII cautioned me against flying when icing or thunderstorms wereanticipated. Such advice may be okay for pilots who fly for recreation, but […]

Whilemost of us were busy unwrapping Christmas gifts and ringing in 1998, executives atCessna’s single-engine plant in Independence, Kansas, were preoccupied with a ratherdistressing situation. They’d just learned that the Aeroquip-built mufflers installed inhundreds of brand new Cessna 172R Skyhawks and 182S Skylanes had potentially defectivewelds that could allow carbon monoxide contamination of the cabin […]

Quick Links Introduction Initial Disappointments Hardware Comparison Software Comparison GPS Receiver Performance Conclusions and Recommendations Change History Lowrance introduces 12-channel AirMap 300 priced at $799, and discontinues the original 5-channel AirMap. (19-Jan-98) Magellan drops the price of the SkyStar by $110 to $589. (03-Nov-97) Thisarticle has been a long time coming. Since Magellan announced their […]

Let me state right up front that I’ve been a big fan ofthe Lowrance AirMap since its introduction in 1996. I wouldn’t rate it as the besthandheld aviation GPS on the market…I’d have to award that distinction to the GarminGPSMAP-195. But the AirMap is a very close runner-up to the Garmin and costs a lot […]

The adventure begins Florida follies: VRB to TIX New England nav: BOS to MVY Rocky Mountain high: GJT to GUC California cruising: SJC to SNS Northwest territory: SEA to YKM Evaluation and critique How to buy AviatorPro 98 Anyonewho’s read much of my rantings knows that I’m a big fan of simulator training. Fact is, […]

I am shocked how many pilots are unaware of howserious the situation is when all gyro-derived information is lost whileflying in IMC. If you are unable to determine whether your aircraft is turning,you will shortly end up in a fatal spiral. It doesn’t mater one whitwhether you are a brand new instrument pilot or whether […]

Ah, yes, I can see it now: Frankie and Annette on the beach in some island paradise.Reality check! Considering the crummy weather we expect in the winter, maybe we need somedaydreaming to avoid getting too depressed! Seriously, though, the “surfing” I’m talking about has to do with makingsurfboards out of your airplane’s tires. As snow […]

Myintroduction to the high cost of replacement parts came shortly after I first bought mytwin Cessna in 1987. I hadn’t yet started doing my own maintenance at that time, and Iinnocently asked my A&P to check the deicing boots and find out why they weren’tinflating. A week later, I got the plane back with a […]