Flight Safety

One of the most enjoyable things about frequenting the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport is getting to spend time with some very interesting people who are determined to live their lives fully; who are always reaching out to do things that enrich their existence and that of others. Part of the fascination of spending […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to McMinnville County at KRNC in McMinnville, Tenn. AVweb reader Jerry Trachtman said the county-run facility’s staff went above and beyond: “Traveling from my home base of Melbourne, Fla., to Oshkosh, I stopped for fuel at McMinnville, Tenn. (RNC), based […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, June 2005. The romance of flying to an out-of-the-way location, one only accessible with a personal airplane, is a powerful attraction to many pilots and their passengers. Unfortunately, the landing areas at many remote destinations — resorts, fishing camps, islands and lakes come to mind — are not […]

I was awakened by a phone call from a good friend. His opening words were, “Man, am I glad to hear your voice!”My instant response to that is usually, “Oh %$#@! Who bought the farm this time?”He said, “There was a fatal Mustang accident at Camarillo this morning and I’m happy to hear you weren’t […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Corporate Wings at KCHS in Charleston, S.C. AVweb reader Val Nasano said the FBO’s staff really delivers: “I have been using Corporate Wings CHS since I started traveling to Charleston on business in 2006. I receive the same royal […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to TAC Air at KAPA in Denver, Colorado. AVweb reader Scott Brooksby raves about the service at TAC Air: “These guys were great; their self-serve fuel prices were great, and they loaned us a crewcar to go to dinner. When […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Feb. 2005. Controllers are just like pilots: All are human and make mistakes. Most are good, know the rules, do everything they can to make your flight efficient and safe, and make sensible judgments. Only a tiny fraction are highly paid chair-warmers too lazy or bored to have […]

Ladies and gentlemen, I said on the PA, I know this defies belief, but we aren’t delayed in any way today. There is no gate hold, no ATC delay, and we have all the necessary paperwork to dispatch this flight.The catering, such as it is, was placed on board 20 minutes ago and all of […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Aug. 2006. Although you won’t find it as an official cause in any accident report, get-there-itis has been the root of many decisions that eventually led pilots down a wrong and dangerous path.Sure, diverting to another airport is hardly ever a desirable option, but some pilots seem determined […]

Aviation lore is full of stories of the pilot who soloed an Aeronca Champ or Piper Cub after only four or five hours of instruction. When I started flying in the late 1970s, it was unstated but understood that something was wrong if “first solo” didn’t come in under 10 hours. As airplanes and the […]