Flight Safety

FedEx is asking the FAA to allow it to install anti-missile infrared lasers on its Airbus A321-200 cargo aircraft and the agency has laid out conditions for the modification. FedEx applied for the approval three years ago. It had previously worked with Northrop Grumman 10 years earlier on anti-missile defenses but the current application doesn’t […]

The FAA is warning Boeing 787 operators that 5G interference “could prevent engine and braking systems from transitioning to landing mode, which could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway” when the runway surface is wet or contaminated. In an Airworthiness Notification issued Jan. 14, the agency says information from Boeing says “anomalies” in […]

The FAA has issued an exemption allowing helicopter air ambulance (HAA) operators to conduct rescue flights if their radar altimeters are affected or could be affected by interference from 5G cellphone signals. Helicopter Association International announced the welcome news Friday. “This exemption will allow HAA operators to continue to do what they do best—save lives,” […]

The Lear 35 medical-transport flight on which I was the captain had just departed Tampa International (KTPA) for Portland, ME (KPWM) carrying an elderly patient and his wife. It was a busy departure as we were already looking for deviations around the typical Florida summertime thunderstorms. The “pop”—accompanied by the sound of rushing air—came just […]

Karen Kalishek has officially assumed the role of Board Chair of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), according to an announcement from the organization on Monday. She takes over from Bob Meder, who held the position for eight years. A full-time flight instructor, Kalishek joined the NAFI board in March 2018. “Having the opportunity […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

Delta Air Lines has announced that it no longer requires potential new pilots to have a college degree. In a Facebook post, the company listed a host of reasons for the change, none of them mentioning the incipient personnel crisis facing all airlines. Instead it suggested requiring a degree was discriminatory against those who have […]

The FAA has issued its list of 50 airports that will be protected from Verizon and AT&T’s 5G signals for six months and the criteria it used suggests the list would have been a lot longer if the FAA had its way. The list was released Friday, a few days after the telecoms agreed to […]

Aviation simulator manufacturer Frasca International has been acquired by FlightSafety International, according to an announcement from Frasca on Thursday. The companies plan to offer a suite of complementary training devices for a wide array of markets “from universities and trade schools, to professional flight departments, commercial airlines, cargo operators and government and military flight operations.” […]

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. Some of the details may vary here and there, but the general plot is always the same. I had a morning departure time, right in that sweet spot where you are going to hit rush hour traffic no matter what time you leave. We rush to get […]