Flight Safety

AVweb’s Russ Niles went along with Cirrus demo pilot Ivy McIver as she took a brand new SR22 G5 from the factory in Duluth to Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida. Some typical spring weather patterns made it a challenge. view on YouTube

Redbird Simulations is taking three zero-time students to solo flight in seven days using simulators and diesel-powered RedHawk 172s. AVweb learns how the program works. view on YouTube

The FAA has published a list of 736 NDB and VOR/DME instrument approaches (PDF) it wants to shut down starting this year as it moves to satellite-based navigation. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published April 13 the agency says the approaches facing the axe are “redundant or underutilized” based on criteria it established […]

The pilot of a new Mooney Acclaim with only a few hours on the airframe escaped serious injury Monday afternoon when the aircraft lost power and crashed during a landing attempt at Lakeland Linder Airport. Mooney COO Tom Bowen told AVweb Monday evening that the aircraft was completed during the past month and had been […]

While monitoring traffic at KAPA, we overheard a Skyhawk pilot having a difficult day. Having gone around on his first attempt, he ended up safely on the ground on his second — if a bit long and far from gracefully. Tower:“Skyhawk 123, you O.K. there?” Skyhawk 123:“Yeah. We took a bounce there. [pause] I hope […]

Most instructors these days, when pressed to give an ideal number of hours for a new student to solo, will say it’s 10 hours in the airplane. So, all things being equal, can you do that in a week? Sure. Redbird’s “One Week Ready to Solo” campaign, now four days in at Sun ‘n Fun […]

If there is anything that motivates pilots, it’s passion. Their fire to fly imbues every fiber of their beings. You hear it in their speech and see it in their body language anytime the prospect of flight is about. They have looked down upon the hidden waterfall in the wilderness and the circular rainbow around […]

It’s hard to compete with regulatory change for a topic that’s slow-moving, complex, and sleep-inducing, but GAMA’s European rep Greg Bowles is excited about the progress happening now, which he says will have real impacts on aircraft owners, buyers, and manufacturers around the world within the next few years. He talked with AVweb’s Mary Grady […]

A Florida mailman landed his gyrocopter by the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Wednesday afternoon and was promptly arrested. Doug Hughes now faces federal charges including airspace violations after flying into the restricted area as part of a long-planned effort to protest government corruption. According to the Tampa Bay Times, a federal judge ruled Thursday he’ll […]

The company that built its business around automating airplanes is now saying it’s time for airline pilots to brush up on their stick and rudder skills. TheWall Street Journal reportsthat Harry Nelson, the former VP of flight testing and now a product safety executive for Airbus, told the 70th annual meeting of the International Federation […]