Flight Safety

AVweb’s Flight Safety section offers in-depth coverage of aviation safety topics, including accident analyses, risk management strategies, regulatory updates, and pilot training insights. Designed for pilots, instructors, and aviation professionals, this section provides timely information to enhance situational awareness and promote best practices in flight operations.

Free Online Course From ERAU

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University is offering a free massive open online course, or MOOC, at its website starting April 7. The five-week course, “The Human Factor in Aviation,” is only the second such course to be offered by the school. The course will be taught by Asst. Prof. Dennis Vincenzi, of the Department of Aeronautics […]

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Senate Acts On Third-Class Medical Exemption

A bill has been introduced in the Senate that would allow more pilots to fly without a medical certificate, AOPA said on Tuesday. The measure mirrors a similar bill that was introduced in the House in December. The legislation being proposed would expand the third-class medical exemption, which now applies only to sport pilots, to […]

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Hersman To Depart NTSB

After nearly 10 years at the NTSB, chairman Deborah Hersman is leaving to take a job as president of The National Safety Council, she announced on Tuesday. “It has been an honor to be associated with a noble mission that has at times inspired and evoked passion and at other times, been in the crosshairs […]

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Keep Those Run-ups Noisy

I never thought Id say this, but I think Im becoming more sympathetic to people who dont like airplane noise. And Im not talking about fly-over noise-thats transient and it at least affords the option of momentarily looking up to see whats making it. I like that kind. Im talking about airport ground noise; the […]

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Laser Pointer Gets 14 Years

A 26-year-old California man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for pointing a laser at a police helicopter that was responding to a report of his previous attack on a medevac helicopter. Defense lawyers argued Sergio Patrick Rodriquez, of Clovis in central California, was just goofing around with his kids when he shined […]

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Search Expands For Lost 777 (Updated)

The 777 that has been missing since Saturday may have changed courseafter communications were lostand flown for hundreds of miles to the west, across Malaysia and over the Strait of Mallacca, according to a Malaysian official who said “signals” had been detected, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. The Times said those reports were […]

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Journalist Miles O’Brien Back At Work After Losing An Arm

PBS science correspondent and aviation reporter Miles O’Brien lost most of his left arm recently after a freak accident while on assignment in the Philippines, but last week he was back at work and making plans to fly again. In an interview with Judy Woodruff, O’Brien said he has already spoken to doctors about the […]

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Short Final

Pilot:“Center, N12345.” Center:“N12345, where have you been? We haven’t heard from you in a while.” Pilot:“I’ve been in Fort Myers for the last three months or so.” Center:“N12345 -“[Chuckles.]“No, you’ve been NORDO for the last 45 minutes; we haven’t heard a communication from you. When did you last speak to a controller?” Pilot:“I guess 45 […]

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Skydiver, Pilot Survive Collision

The pilot of a Cessna 170B and a skydiver escaped a spectacular collision with minor injuries on Saturday at South Lakeland Airport in Florida. The pilot of the 170B, Sharon Trembley, 87, a World War II veteran, was taking off on his third touch-and-go of the beautiful morning when 49-year-old skydiver John Frost landed. A […]

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Modern Avionics: Beneficiaries and Victims

About five years ago, when I was doing some research on used airplane prices, I had a disquieting revelation. When late-model Cessna 172s were listed, they were inevitably described as G1000 Skyhawks. It was as though we had crossed some invisible divide and the venerable old Hawk–really not much changed from the original collection of […]

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