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.

FBO of the Week: Landmark Aviation (KLAL, Lakeland, FL)

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to the Lakeland Florida location of Landmark Aviation (KLAL). AVweb reader Alec Thigpen recommended the FBO, telling us how manager Stephen Leidigh helped him (and others) during the very busy week of Sun ‘n Fun: [O]n a busy Saturday of […]

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Probable Cause #59: Failure To Identify

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, July 2007. A turbocharged engine provides sea-level power to a higher altitude than a normally aspirated powerplant and is the main difference between the two. However, if a pilot is not totally familiar with the operation of turbocharged engines, it is entirely possible to misdiagnose a problem.Could that […]

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FBO of the Week: Midwest National Air Center (KGPH, Mosby, MO)

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Midwest National Air Center at KGPH in Mosby, Missouri. AVweb reader Robert Parker recommended the FBO, citing the owner’s eerie prescience: John somehow knew before we landed that we’d been fighting fierce headwinds the previous four hours. He met […]

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Leading Edge #18: Achieving Balance

The Wright Brothers were successful because they combined two vital elements of airplane design: control and stability. Wilbur and Orville achieved control through a pioneering design that evolved into what’s used in almost all fixed-wing aircraft today — a system that makes use of the stability designed into the airplane. Controllability cannot exist without some […]

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Skip Flight Planning

This article originally appeared in IFR magazine, Mar. 2006. In spite of the avalanche of stern e-mail that’s sure to come, let me start with my core position: Flight planning is dead.I can hear it already, “Boy, didn’t they teach you that you should ‘plan your flight, and fly your plan?’ ” They sure did. […]

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The Pilot’s Lounge #126: The Less-Than-Great Planes

No matter where pilots gather, it’s only a matter of time before someone starts a debate over which are the best and worst airplanes. It is no exception in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport, and the battle was raging one afternoon when I happened to wander in. Old Hack was adamant that the […]

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FBO of the Week: Indy Aero (KMQJ, Mt. Comfort, IN)

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Indy Aero at KMQJ in Mt. Comfort, Indiana. AVweb reader Penny Litz, a volunteer for the American Military Heritage Foundation, told us how Indy Aero came to her rescue recently: [T]he AMHF operates a rare Lockheed twin-engine PV2 Harpoon […]

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Probable Cause #58: Known Deficiencies

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Apr. 2006. It’s rare to find even a brand-new airplane without at least one “squawk” — a mechanical deficiency. Of course, the FAA would say that all equipment and components of an aircraft must be working properly or placarded as inoperative, else the airplane isn’t legally airworthy. The […]

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FBO of the Week: Quality Aviation (KFBL, Faribault, MN)

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Quality Aviation at KFBL in Faribault, Minnesota. AVweb reader Rick Lemon made a day stop at Quality while touring a nearby college with his daughter and wife: Jerry [from Quality] met me at the plane and provided a courtesy […]

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Cockpit Smoke Hoods

This article originally appeared in Aviation Consumer magazine, Nov. 2006. It’s never a good time for an inflight fire. Stoked by fuel or an electrical short, this nasty brand of emergency is near the top of most pilots’ list of nightmares. But a cabin fire’s consequences can be mitigated by using a smoke hood, which […]

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