Flight Planning

AOPA and 11 other aviation user groups called on the FAA on Tuesday to take action against “egregious FBO fees and denial of airport access.” The groups said hidden fees and unaffordable costs for ramp space deny pilots “reasonable access to federally funded airports.” NATA quickly issued a dissenting statement, citing “misguided assumptions” driving AOPA’s […]

Since the early 1980s, the FAA has provided for pilots the Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service (HIWAS), a continuous broadcast of weather advisories over a limited nationwide network of VORs, but this week the FAA said it wants to eliminate the service, which is less needed now. “Currently, multiple sources are available that provide access […]

In this world where cell phones can perform more functions than the computer of only a few decades past, many pilots prefer to brief themselves. Doing so when the weather is good is easy—when the online aviation weather options show a dry, high pressure system with no indication of turbulence or other adverse weather advisory. […]

On a recent flight home, we were cruising along at 7,000 feet in good weather, except for the occasional encounter with the very top of a cumulus cloud. Knowing my wife is not a fan of any amount of turbulence, I asked ATC for a climb to 9,000. ATC replied, “That’s approved. What’s the reason […]

We just had our annual summer cookout here at the virtual airport. It was a success—we didn’t run out of brats, burgers or beer and nobody got food poisoning. Ok, we set the success bar low, but there was an excellent turnout and folks seemed to have a good time. Better yet, because the flight […]

Mixed News On Refurb Trainers I think the key issue is what you said in your next to last paragraph: The cost of replacement parts is out of control. I can’t speak for Piper, but Cessna parts have skyrocketed in the past 5-6 years, making a full 172 refurb prohibitively expensive. Add to that, the […]