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.

Southwest Sensors Improve Weather Forecasts

Southwest has installed water-vapor sensors on 87 of its 737s, and is sharing the data with the National Weather Service. “We have seen improvements in the capabilities for forecasting severe thunderstorms, and also the forecast of whether the storm is going to produce rain, snow, freezing rain, or sleet,” said Carl Weiss, an aviation meteorologist […]

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“Zombie Drone” Can Hijack Other Drones

A computer programmer has published online a free set of instructions that allow a simple toy Parrot drone to become a “skyjacker.” Samy Kamkar said the SkyJack drone is “engineered to autonomously seek out, hack and wirelessly take over other drones within wifi distance, creating an army of zombie drones under your control.” Kamkar, who […]

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Short Final

San Marcos, Texas (KHYI) was busier than normal this recent November weekend due to Formula 1 racing in Austin when the following exchange was overheard: KHYI Tower:“Mooney 1234N, cleared for take-off, Runway 13.” Mooney 1234N:Tower, Mooney 1234N. Can I land first? KHYI Tower:Mooney 1234N, cleared to land. Robert Elliottvia e-mail

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Aviation Gets a Congressional Star Turn

If you were paying attention to the news last week, you may have noticed that the otherwise chronically broken Congress actually proposed a bi-partisan budget package. Now lets not delude ourselves into thinking strains of Kumbaya will soon be pealing from the Capitol and the members will be caroling on Pennsylvania Avenue, but this little […]

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FBI: Beech Employee’s Airport Terror Plot Foiled

Fifty-eight-year-old Kansas man Terry Lee Loewen has been charged with attempting to explode a car bomb Friday morning at Wichitas Mid-Continent Airport where he worked as an avionics technician for Hawker Beechcraft. Authorities allege that Loewen intended to detonate the explosives and die in the explosion, having been radicalized by fundamentalist Islam. Authorities say Loewen […]

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FAA Moves On Sleep Apnea, Obesity

The FAA is moving ahead with implementation of mandatory screening and tests (apparently regardless of widely reported objections) for obstructive sleep apnea in pilots with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, the agency said Thursday. Individuals are typically categorized as obese by current BMI charts if they score a number higher than […]

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Tis Always The Season For MAF

With Christmas approaching, AVweb checked in with Mission Aviation Fellowship to learn about its ongoing involvement flying relief missions in the recently typhoon-stricken Philippines and found the organizations work there is still well under way. MAF pilots like Dave Forney have been delivering food to coastal dwellers in the Philippines who have used it as […]

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Visiting the DC-3 Airports

On September 10th, 2001, the world of general aviation was, if not rosy, not too bad. Cessna had re-started single-engine production and a new company called Cirrus was having encouraging success with a composite airplane with a parachute. You could see a future. A day later, it all but vanished in a choking cloud of […]

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Repair Stations Object To FAAs ECi Action

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) Wednesday joined the NTSB, AOPA, EAA, the National Air Transportation Association and others in requesting that the FAA reconsider proposed rulemaking regarding ECi cylinders used in Continental engines. ARSA wrote in electronic comments submitted to the FAA that the agency disregarded the most basic requirements for promulgating a regulation, […]

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Asiana Pilot ‘Very Concerned’ About Landing Visually

The pilot in the left seat of Asiana Flight 214 that crashed in San Francisco in July told the NTSB he didn’t feel comfortable flying a visual approach on that cloudless, calm day, nor did he feel well enough trained to operate the Boeing 777’s automatic flight systems. The NTSB held a public hearing Wednesday […]

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