Flight Safety

Continental Motors is working with the FAA to dispel what they see as confusion and unnecessary concern about a mandatory service bulletin (MSB) issued by Continental Motors in early 2017 for a camshaft gear found mostly in older IO-520 and IO-550 engines. Several GA groups, including AOPA, the American Bonanza Society, COPA, Twin Cessna Flyer […]

An online course that will satisfy the aeromedical education requirements of the BasicMed regulations should be approved sometime next week, FAA representatives told AVweb Thursday. BasicMed regulations will become effective on May 1, but one requirement to use BasicMed in lieu of a Third Class Medical is that pilots must take an approved online course […]

The first airline customer for Aireon’s space-based ADS-B tracking services will be Malaysian Airlines, Aireon reported in a press release issued this week. Aireon is placing ADS-B receivers on Iridium NEXT low earth orbit communications satellites, which will receive location reports from ADS-B Out equipped aircraft and relay that position to end users through Aireon […]

In an April 5 report on its ADS-B rebate program for general aviation, the FAA says it has processed 5,008 reservations for the rebates, and 14,910 rebates remain to be claimed by the end of the program on Sept. 18. That’s much slower than the FAA’s planned rate for reaching its goal, which projected 12,000 […]

A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested in Albany, New York, on Monday for trying to board his plane with a loaded handgun in one of his carry-on bags. TSA officers spotted the .380 caliber gun during a routine X-ray scan, the agency said in a news release. The gun was loaded with six bullets. The […]

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter was on a routine training flight with three crew on board when it crashed on a golf course in Maryland Monday afternoon, killing one pilot, CNN has reported. One survivor was in critical condition, and the other was in serious condition, according to the U.S. Army. The flight had launched from […]

“I hope they shut down the airport and turn it into a toxic waste dump. That’ll really piss off the liberals.”— Overheard at my local airport diner This will come as a surprise if you’ve read AOPA’s lobbying materials, but maybe we’re not such awesome neighbors. I teach at San Carlos and Palo Alto, in […]

The NTSB has released a special report based on its investigation last year into the effectiveness of pilot weather reports. The report concludes that pilots need better training and procedures, and air traffic controllers need to do more to be sure the pilot weather reporting system enhances aviation safety. One key to a safer system […]

Some years ago I was flying into a very congested London Heathrow Airport when I heard the following exchange with Heathrow Approach. Heathrow: “Speedbird 123, what is your position in the hold at Lambourne?” Speedbird: “We are just turning outbound at flight level 200.” Heathrow: “Roger, Speedbird, could you possibly cross Lambourne inbound at 3000 […]

The Air Force moved quickly last week to quell concerns that it would force pilots to stay in uniform beyond their agreed-to separation dates. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein told an event in Washington last week that’s not currently an option to stem the exodus of pilots to the airlines. “I want […]