Flight Safety

Even as the number of laser attacks on aircraft has shot up, convictions of the accused have been difficult to achieve. Now, as reported by Phys.org, new, reasonably priced technology may help. In 2006, 384 laser attacks on flight crews were reported-that number shot up to 3482 in 2012 and, while all data has not […]

As the FAA is creating new rules to govern unmanned aircraft systems, questions have arisen about the proliferation of model aircraft, which can have wingspans up to 20 feet and run on multiple small jet engines. Inexpensive, ready-to-fly toy UASs, many controlled by smartphone apps or tablets, have expanded the attraction of the hobby. The […]

A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 was grounded early Wednesday because of an overheated cell in one of its lithium ion batteries. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the incident occurred about 4 a.m. local time at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The aircraft did not have any passengers aboard but was scheduled to fly to Bangkok […]

GAMA says Appropriations Committee leaders have called for a slight increase in funding for the FAA to research alternatives to 100LL. The administration included $5.571 million for the fuel research in its spending estimates but the committees agreed on $6 million. If it’s approved by Congress, it will be one of only a handful of […]

The FAA has asked a California court to dismiss a lawsuit that aims to close Santa Monica Airport, and AOPA this week said the government’s arguments are “compelling.” Ken Mead, general counsel for AOPA, said the FAA argued that the city signed the property over to the federal government more than 65 years ago, and […]

Pilot Keith Baird was flying his Cessna 210 with a new video camera on board for the first time, just after Christmas, when a Canada goose crashed through the windscreen, and he caught it on camera. Baird said he had just taken off from Brookeridge Airpark in Downers Grove, Ill., on Dec. 28 with one […]

The smog in some Chinese cities is too severe to fly these days, but two new general aviation policies recently coming into play may hopefully clear the forward vision a little for the market players in China. First, the Chinese regulator Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) loosened licensing requirements for private pilot licenses (PPL). […]

Southwest Airlines says a third person on the flight deck of Boeing 737-700 that landed at the wrong airport in Missouri on Sunday was a company dispatcher who was authorized to be in the jump seat for the flight. The airline didn’t elaborate on why the dispatcher was up front but said employees are permitted […]

While on a trip Christmas Eve in Atlanta Approach air space: Me:“Atlanta Approach, radio check.” ATL:“Loud and clear.” Me:“Got quiet out there. Just checking.” ATL:“I like it that way.” Jim Fortunevia e-mail

Letter of the Week:Affordable Avionics Garmin’s comments are just silly. They don’t want to use open standards because then they would have to admit there are things that might be better than what they have. A bunch of years ago, some large computer manufacturer said, “Don’t get locked into open systems,” and that large computer […]