Flight Planning

I just started flying my new-to-me Corby Starlet (only four flying in the U.S.A!), and on my first trip into Santa Rosa, California, STS, a KingAir pilot at the hold line asked the tower:“What is that little plane that just landed?” She came back:“I’ll have him tell us.” My response was:“N8I Charlie Charlie — an […]

A while back, a controller at RDU International spoke in a robotic Cylon voice, using all official phraseology including “tree” and “fife” for “3” and “5.” We though he was trying to show everyone up and be a model of correctness. One night, I was practicing instrument approaches with a safety pilot, and that controller […]

As summer arrives and the days get longer, pilots may let their guard down when it comes to weather. Icing and large hail may certainly be less of a factor during the balmy dog days, but the June, 1999 American MD-80 runway excursion and the Delta L-1011 crash in August 1985 are some of the […]

On approach last week to an Eastern North Carolina airport, we heard a Piper J-3 announce:“Taking off on runway 23.” Followed shortly afterward by:“Headed toward the coast.” We then asked:“East or West Coast?” Robert Schellenberg

Piper Cub 12345:“Bozeman tower, Cub 12345 is with you 10 miles to the west. I would like to transit through your airspace to the west.” Bozeman Tower:“Cub 345, squawk 0123.” Piper Cub 12345:“Bozeman Tower, Cub 345 is unable to comply as this is a non-electrical Cub. Those transponders were not invented in 1945.” Bozeman Tower:“Cub […]

Fog along the West Coast of the United States has been documented as far back as the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. Ship captains in later years learned to take it seriously; 100 years ago when the Marine Exchange in San Francisco was asked what proportion of coastal shipwrecks were the result […]

Data communications are now available at Newark Liberty International Airport, the FAA said last week, and later this summer the service will expand to Houston and Salt Lake City. Data Comm is already in use at Memphis International Airport, “where it’s delivering great results,” according to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. By next year, Data Comm […]

Years ago, like 1960, I was a newly hired DC-3 co-pilot for Continental Air Lines. We could fly either VFR or IFR, depending the weather situation at the time. Needless to say, we went for VFR whenever we could. [One day,] the weather wasn’t the greatest, but we thought VFR would work. Called ground for […]

En route from TRK to RHV recently in Centurion 7RR, I found myself on the same center frequency as Bonanza — 5JJ! I was really tempted to tell center:“7 Romeo Romeo would like to connect with 5 Juliet Juliet.” But I didn’t want to start a feud, so I bit my tongue and said nothing. […]

The FAA awarded contracts this week for its DUATS II program to CSC DUATS and Lockheed Martin, dropping longtime provider DTC DUATfrom the online pilot briefing/flight planning service. Both CSC and DTC had provided the service for the last 26 years. CSC won a 5-year contract along with Lockheed Martin, which runs the Flight Services […]