Flight Planning

The FAA on Monday announced new procedures that will make it easier for operators to get approval to operate in RVSM airspace. “The new policy establishes a more flexible and efficient process,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. NBAA said it has been lobbying for the changes for several years. “Earlier guidance dictated that an inspection […]

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 […]

Surfing the untracked wilderness of modern cable television, my scroll-around sometimes lands on something interesting. Lately, its been a show called Dangerous Flights, another of the Discovery Channels reality series. These sorts of programs are called reality TV and if reality were scripted, theyd be accurately named. Otherwise, like a patient drifting in and out […]

Tyson Weihs, co-founder and CEO of ForeFlight, has announced the release of version 5.6 of ForeFlights intelligent app for pilots. Highlights of the update include enhanced flight plan filing options-including ICAO flight plan form support-as well as complete worldwide coverage for military pilots. Significantly, ForeFlight now primarily files flight plans directly via the modernized Lockheed […]

The Fly In for food season has already begun. As we kick off our Friday Weekender spot, we’re highlighting breakfast fly ins in Florida and Texas, a coffee and doughnuts gathering in Arizona and airport open houses in Florida, Oklahoma and California-all taking place this Saturday or Sunday. Thank you to Social Flight for collecting […]

Aviation lore is full of heroes like Chuck Yeager, who saved the day while calmly muttering on the radio something about some little fire going in them engines or such. The quiet, unflappable, laid-back flyer has been the role model for young pilots since the days of the Lone Eagle. But, is there such a […]

As part its international youth program encouraging Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, the Think Global Flight (TGF) LiveTV team is presenting a Jan. 27 broadcastshowing how aviation uses STEM in the real world. The broadcast is one of several LiveTV events leading up to Think Global Flights scheduled April circumnavigation of the world […]

On Jan. 16 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its annual Most Wanted list of needed improvements in transportation safety. The aviation-related items are a need to identify and communicate hazardous weather conditions to pilots, address the unique characteristics of helicopter operations, strengthen occupant protection, improve fire safety and eliminate pilot distractions. At a […]

With all the literal and figurative bells and whistles in todays cockpits, something as mundane as losing communications with ATC is rare. One reason is the stuff we have in the panel these days is a couple of light years ahead of even two decades ago in reliability. But loss of communications-going no radio, or […]

While on a trip Christmas Eve in Atlanta Approach air space: Me:“Atlanta Approach, radio check.” ATL:“Loud and clear.” Me:“Got quiet out there. Just checking.” ATL:“I like it that way.” Jim Fortunevia e-mail