Flight Safety

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to the FBO at Henderson Executive Airport (HND) in Henderson, Nev. AVweb reader Christopher Dean heaps praise on the service team in Henderson: We spent eight days out there going up and coming back daily. The line crew simply rocks […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to TNT Air at N47 in Pottstown, Penn. AVweb reader Howard Whyte recommended the FBO after an unscheduled stop at Pottstown: Recently, while my wife and I were on a cross country flight to visit her brother, we experienced a […]

This article originally appeared in IFR magazine, Mar. 2005. Accident reports can make enlightening reading, but some of the NTSB reports from prior to 1983 are a bit cryptic. Like this one, from a Boeing 747 accident at Chicago O’Hare: DCA79AA009TYPE OF ACCIDENT: COLLISION WITH AIRCRAFT, BOTH ON GROUNDPHASE OF OPERATION: LANDING ROLLPROBABLE CAUSE(S): TRAFFIC […]

A Boeing 767 can taxi up a shallow-grade taxiway on one engine and no additional power. I should know — I have been taxiing big airplanes up the hill in Atlanta next to Delta’s Jet Base for over 28 years now.The key to the whole conga-line taxi thing is to take your time and not […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Sep. 2006. An inherent problem that comes with familiarity is that it tempts us to take risks we would otherwise never consider. Think of the road you take home from work every day. Because you’re familiar with its every bounce and undulation, you probably take a turn or […]

Imagine yourself in the captain’s seat of this DC-3 (see photo below), flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and hard on the gauges. Which instrument on this airline-standard panel of the 1940s and ’50s is directly ahead of you? It’s the turn-and-bank indicator. This is a throwback to the earliest days of instrument flight, when […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb’s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Medford Air Service at KMFR in Medford, Ore. AVweb reader Jim Boeckl said the FBO staff took great care of him after his airplane limped into their facility. “Our engine broke flying near MFR, and we landed and taxied […]

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 […]