Flight Training

The phrase “rusty pilot” seems to be a thing now. Since we can’t find many new pilots, we’re stirring up the walking wounded, clearing out the ambulatory wards, perhaps enticing them with AOPA logo walkers and a discount on the early-bird special at the airport cafe. I get it. It’s as good a plan as […]

A reader recently questioned the wisdom of flying IFR in “old” aircraft with traditional flight displays that lack modern accouterments—GPS in particular. It’s a fair question and one that deserves some thought. I have to admit that growing up in an earlier age, and having flown IFR for almost a decade before I had the […]

Letter of the Week:Frequent Reporting Best Anyone who flies on VFR weekends knows that CTAFs are awash in squealing verbal garbage, making it often impossible to announce a position or identify the cluck who’s announcing every stinkin’ leg of the traffic pattern or that he’s taxiing to the runway at your airport so you can […]

We can argue about a lot in aviation, but one thing we rarely dispute is the unwritten rule that your AME and your doctor shouldn’t be the same person. Unpack the logic of that and two things become implicit: We don’t trust the government with our medical data (rightfully) and, if we’re honest, we want […]

Almost 5,000 people attended Women in Aviation’s annual convention in Nashville. The meeting wrapped up Sunday and the group celebrated awarding more than $10 million in scholarships since the inception of the scholarship program in 1995. “Thousands of women made powerful connections this week that will enhance their lives and careers for years to come,” […]

An integral part of the various jobs I’ve held for the last 37 years has involved reviewing aircraft accident reports and looking at data generated from them. During that time, what the NTSB euphemistically refers to as “maneuvering,” has remained in the top three causes of fatal accidents with usually about 40 percent of general […]

Regional carrier GoJet Airlines has put its money on the table to attract pilots and mitigate the shortages that are affecting the industry. The airline, which flies 47 CRJ700 and seven CRJ900 as United Express and Delta Connection from Boise to Quebec City, is guaranteeing new first officers at least $2,700 a month and captains […]

The future role of Textron Airland’s Scorpion trainer/light attack jet is in question now that the Air Force is saying the bid requirements for its new jet trainer are firm. A few years ago, Textron, in partnership with Airland Enterprises, secretly developeda small twin-engine military aircraft that has been touted as an affordable front-line attack […]

Jet Blue has launched an ab initio training program that it hopes will help to diversify its hiring pool and also give the company control over a pilot’s training from start to finish. The four-year program, which has been in the works since last year, is now accepting online applicants, at a cost of $125,000. […]

Women of Aviation Week will kick off with the arrival of an Air Canada flight at Vancouver International Airport. Onboard the airplane will be an all-female flight crew and they’ll be cleared to land by a female air traffic controller in a media event. That it took a coordinated effort by WOAW, Air Canada and […]