Flight Schools

A new direct to final rule issued Sept. 16 by the FAA introduces a subtle but substantive change for CFI candidates, and according to NAFI chairman of the board Robert Meder, “This is a good thing.” The new rule considers practical tests flown for the issuance of a flight instructor certificate, or renewal of a […]

Letter of the Week:It’s the Instructors, Stupid I own a small flight school with three to five planes in central Massachusetts. It’s the kind where everyone is always greeted properly when they walk in, the kind the fosters a large pilot community, not just a pilot’s certificate. Otherwise, you’ll only watch them leave and their […]

Boeing Thursday released its 2013 Pilot and Technician Outlook that predicts the need for nearly 500,000 airline pilots by 2032, and the company says the number shows an increase over previous forecasts for nearly all regions. The company says the demand is driven by steady increases in airplane deliveries, most of which are single-aisle jets. […]

Why hasnt some simulation enthusiast created a simulator to teach a child how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle? Imagine all the advantages of a simulator like that. You could teach in any weather, day or night, with no more skinned knees or jogging to keep up as they figure it out. And just think of […]

It’s one thing to get people in the flight school door; it’s another challenge to bring them through to the check ride and beyond. This week, Bob Meder, president of the National Association of Flight Instructors, hosted a webinar to discuss those issues and develop an action plan. He spoke with AVweb’s Mary Grady about […]

Students at 27 high schools from 22 states competed for the chance to build two Glasair Sportsman aircraft that were finished and on display at AirVenture Oshkosh. The effort involved aviation industry leaders organized under GAMA. Students interested in the program competed by using a derivative of X-plane flight simulator software to design and build […]

The elusive $250,000 Sikorsky Prize has been won by a Canadian engineering team. AeroVelo‘s Atlas human-powered helicopter satisfied the requirements of the Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition in a flight inside a soccer center near Toronto. The flight occurred June 13 but the announcement was made Thursday after videos of the flight were […]

Residents in the urban neighborhoods that surround busy Santa Monica Airport in southern California have complained about operations there for years, citing noise, air pollution, and the danger from plane crashes, and now the city has approved new landing fees that not only more than double the fees for transient flyers, but also now apply […]

Two single-engine aircraft, both reportedly from local flying schools, collided near Phoenix Friday, killing both occupants of both planes. One aircraft, identified by Phoenix police as a Cessna from Westwind School of Aeronautics, burned almost completely after crashing and the two occupants were not immediately identifiable. The other, a Piper Arrow III, had two flight […]

EAA is offering a special four-day program for high-school girls during AirVenture this summer, Aug. 1 to 4, in an effort to “engage, inspire, and educate young women to pursue their dreams in aviation and beyond.” The program, called Women Soar You Soar, will introduce 100 girls to 35 women working in a variety of […]