Flight Safety

Authorities are investigating Thursday’s fatal crash of a twin-engine seaplane in Perth, Australia. The crash into a river in front of thousands of spectators gathered for an Australia Day event was captured from multiple viewpoints on witness videos. The pilot and passenger on board the Grumman G-73 Mallard were killed about 5 p.m. when the […]

At the Sport Aviation Expo is Sebring this week, we spoke with several manufacturers of light sport aircraft (LSAs) about their expectations for the newly announced FAA BasicMed rule. The people who spoke to us for this AVweb exclusive podcast acknowledged that there are buyers for whom avoiding a medical is the key criterion and […]

General aviation pilots make IFR takeoffs in reduced visibility and low ceilings on a daily basis. We line up, launch, establish a climb, transition to the gauges and press on with the flight. Assuming there is an approach with adequate minimums at home plate or a nearby airport, we’re confident we can return and land […]

Four more aircraft makes are now approved for the EAA/Dynon avionics Supplemental Type Certificate program. Owners of some Beechcraft, Grumman, Maule and Mooney models can now purchase the STC and install the two Dynon electronic flight information systems, EAA announced this week. The EFIS-D10A and EFIS-D100, which have been made available in the past year […]

Josh Hoch, age 31, of North Queensland, has been charged in an Australian court with pouring contaminants into the fuel tanks of rival operators, causing engine failures and forced landings. Officials said Hoch, whose Linked In profile describes him as the “owner, director and chief pilot of Hoch Air,” also faked crashes twice, in 2014 […]

I’ve done enough instruction in the Cub now to understand it’s the worst place in the world to do great flight instruction. Ever been in the front seat of one? Super Cubs don’t count and neither do any of the new-age Cub knockoffs. They’re as far from the 1930s ergonomic hell of a J-3 as […]

Textron Aviation reported record growth in 2016 for their network of Cessna Pilot Center-affiliated flight schools. The program added 24 new flight schools last year for a total of 163 Cessna Pilot Center affiliates. Through the Cessna Pilot Center program, Textron Aviation partners with independent Part 61 and Part 141 flight schools around the world […]

The AOPA Air Safety Institute has launched a new initiative, the Safety Alliance, which brings together safety-related resources from across the industry in one location online. The content, all of which is free to all pilots, is organized by topic on its own Safety Alliance webpage. “ASI is proud to provide a common platform for […]

Both people on board were killed when a Beechcraft 300 King Air crashed and burned at Tucson International Airport, shortly after noon on Monday. The aircraft had just taken off for Mexico, and crashed on the ramp between the terminal and a cargo area. No one on the ground was hurt. The heavy smoke and […]

Often the hardest part of flying into a big Class B airport is finding your way around on the ground. After landing at Washington Dulles, I heard this exchange on the ground frequency. Hawker: “Ground, Hawker xxx, uh, we’re having some trouble finding Foxtrot” Ground: “Hawker xxx, where are you?” Hawker: “We’re at Zulu and […]