Flight Planning

The FAA is urging those who didn’t make it in its latest air traffic control recruitment to try again. In a statement to AVweb (PDF) it also says it plans to make “further improvements” to the controversial new hiring protocol. However, it doesn’t appear to be considering going back to the old system. As we […]

Recently, an airliner checked in with Boston Center at FL340. Pilot:“Boston Center, good morning. Airliner 123 at FL340. Light chop.” ATC:“Airliner 123, good morning. That light chop has been there for the last 29 years.” Luigie Martinezvia e-mail

Eclipse Aerospace Inc. has partnered with Jeppesen to offer a web-based delivery system for E-Chart and navigation subscription data updates. This digital download solution eliminates the shipping of physical disk media to Eclipse subscribers, and also puts an end to manual data entry by these subscribers into their avionics system.“This secure, web-based delivery system automates […]

Our friends in Colorado may have gotten 14 inches of snow this week, but that will not stop the fly-in season from providing everything from a Texas hot air balloon fest to a T-6 gathering in Torrance, Calif. – all reported on SocialFlight. On Saturday, May 16, Thompson Field, Van Zandt County, Texas, will be […]

I was picking up my Cherokee 160 at the Charlotte County (Florida) airport after IFR/weight-and-balance certifications. As I was preparing to taxi out, I heard another pilot report there was a turtle that was “taxiing” toward runway 22. Not too long after this report, I heard yet another taxiing pilot ask the question, “What type […]

Back near Christmas of 1979, I was on my first solo ferry flight to Europe in a Cessna 206. I was filed from Bangor, Maine, direct to Shannon, Ireland, to negate the need for the required inspection in Moncton for single-engine crossings. I passed a position report mid-Atlantic through a passing airliner on 121.5. After […]

SocialFlight is showing fly-ins and aviation gatherings in almost every state this weekend, with some venues not waiting until Saturday to host aviators. On Friday, May 2, at Tri-Cities Airport, Pasco, Wash., Bergstrom Aircraft is holding its annual Cinco De Mayo Potluck Lunch. It runs from noon to 1:00 p.m.; bring a side dish or […]

When approaching (and departing) an airport, I turn on my strobes and landing light to be more easily seen by others. Several weeks ago, I was about five miles south of the field when a Bonanza pilot came on CTAS to announce his take-off and departure. Bonanza:“Bonanza 12345 taking runway 30 for take-off with a […]

As much as we drill instrument students on any of the 10 items from FAR 91.175 (c) you must see to go below DA/MDA, in the real world if we see anything that might be part of the runway, we land on it. Its nearly certain that youll first see the approach lighting system (ALS), […]

Over the North Pacific in the middle of the night, we were catching up to a slower aircraft below us as we were coming up to a position-report waypoint. We listened out on the HF, and it was a MAC flight. He was obviously listening out as we gave our position report, and, shortly after, […]