Flight Planning

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

A few days ago, we emerged from a polar vortex that drifted south – a textbook example of what those things do from time to time. The associated cold managed to get the media into full cry and revived all of the how cold is it? jokes. Judging from Internet aviation forums, it also got […]

A New Zealand pilot and his passenger are nursing bruised egos after two strokes of bad luck became after-the-weather fodder for news programs all over the world. Peter Horn and his passenger were on a sightseeing flight in Horn’s Jabiru light single over Martin’s Bay, just north of Auckland, on Friday, when the engine quit. […]

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has criticized the FAAs Jan. 2 Notice Of Policy Change that restricts the use of flight simulators as an action that will adversely affect flight safety. As of Jan. 1, 2015, a maximum of 10 hours of simulator time will be allowed toward an instrument rating. Currently, […]

One day when I was working the south arrival sector at Denver TRACON, traffic was getting backed up, and I had to start issuing speed reductions to the arrivals on initial contact. One United pilot took exception to being slowed so far from the airport and asked:“Approach, just how far out do you show us, […]

This afternoon, my six-year-old son and I went out to the airport to check on things at the hangar. The weather was rainy and IMC. We watched a Cherokee land after shooting an instrument approach. I made some comment about being able to fly instruments soon, when I finish my instrument rating. My son turned […]

The Super Bowl is always a big event for general aviation operations, and this year, with the game set for Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, weather could potentially become a major factor. The FAA said it expects an additional 1,200 GA flights to the New York/New Jersey metro airports during Super Bowl […]