Flight Safety

As the government shutdown grinds on with no end in sight, calls from the aviation industry to restore funding are getting more strident and the system is starting to show some strain. Possibly the biggest concern is the furloughing of 3,000 “safety specialists,” who support air traffic control functions. Another concern is that virtually all […]

Archaic Flight Procedures I learned to fly in the 70s and have been flying my own airplane since then. At that time, I didn’t think the private pilot flight training was overly difficult. Over the past 40 years since getting my license I have been upgrading the equipment in my plane primarily to make flight […]

The looming pilot shortage has been discussed ad nauseum. It’s here. Some airlines have cancelled flights for lack of qualified pilots. Airlines are offering programs to enable young people to go from zero hours to the right seat. Many solutions have been proposed including salary increases, lowering the number of hours required and so on, […]

A meticulously rebuilt prototype of the P-82 Twin Mustang, designated the XP-82, became the only flying version of the type on New Year’s Eve but it wasn’t supposed to work out that way. Test pilot Ray Fowler was conducting the latest of a series of high-speed taxi tests at the XP-82 Prototype Project’s home base […]

As part of an ongoing effort to raise pilots’ awareness about avoiding landing on the wrong surface—which could be the wrong runway, a taxiway or even the wrong airport—the FAA is hosting special safety meetings this month at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on Jan. 9, and at Nashville International Airport (BNA) on Jan. 30. All […]

A new writing prize, sponsored by Sporty’s and the Richard Collins family, offers $2,500 to a pilot, including a student pilot, who is 24 years old or less. “The article must be original, not previously published, and no longer than 1,500 words,” said Sporty’s in its news release. “The topic may reflect any aspect of […]

As the government shutdown rolls into its 11th day on New Year’s Day, aviation services are feeling the impact, and NATCA is not happy about it. The controllers’ union has plenty to complain about … the FAA has closed its training academy in Oklahoma City, and training at all ATC facilities is suspended. Many new […]

Michel spent 10 days at Mario Zucchelli Station in Antarctica. The team of scientists and station staff were very supportive and helped him remove the skis from the RV-8, plan the rest of the flight, and offered friendship, a bed, and good food. Even from 10,000 miles away, Michel still found time to update the […]

Over time, many of the features in a personal airplane cockpit have become more or less standardized. Power controls are color- and shape-coded, flight instruments consistently work the same way and when we push on the pitch control, houses get bigger. Not so much for many other controls, especially those for important systems. The Cessna […]