Flight Safety

A. Scott Crossfield was bornOctober 2, 1921, in Berkeley, Calif. He took his first flight at age six in anoil company airplane, a flight that hooked him on aviation for life. DuringWorld War II he was a fighter pilot and fighter gunnery instructor in the U.S.Navy. In 1950, he joined NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory […]

Small children have vivid imaginations. They create imaginary playmates and re-enact stories, movies, etc. Unfortunately, as we grow older we tend to lose the ability to apply imagination to our activities. In training instrument students I explain the three skills required of an instrument pilot – instrument cross-check (scanning), instrument interpretation (what are these gages […]

We’re talking of course, about the North American T-28 “Trojan.” This time, AVweb’s resident warbird maven invites you along as he qualifies for his FAA Letter of Authorization in the T-28. Although the Trojan has only about half the horsepower of the Bearcat, it’s a considerably more complex airplane. Why, even learning to operate the […]

Nothing sprouts an argument among pilots quicker than a regulation. And the bud bursts into full flower when the argument is over the rules surrounding “known icing conditions.” A look at the history of this controversial phrase reveals a strange mixture of clarity and contradiction and offers a set of cautionary tales to those who […]

Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles by AVweb columnists on FBOs. If you haven’t already, be sure to read Howard Fried’s companion column “Eye of Experience # 37: The Place of the FBO in the Scheme of Things.” Sometimes things here in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport get a bit […]

Listen to Barb sing this song in RealAudio. Ifyou don’t already have RealPlayerinstalled, you can downloadit here. Wingtip turns above the far horizon;Dive into a quarter roll and pull up toward the sky;Wind has brought a turning of the season;The year rolls by; Sing a happy song and think of harvest time below,Watch your tach […]

Barb MacLeod was born June 10,1943, in New York City. She explored her interest in caving as a geology majorat Antioch College, but she preferred working in the dirt to working in theclassroom. Since opportunities for women in geology were rare, she switched toanthropology, and now holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. Her […]

As a pilot, you are a member of a unique group of people — a group that is sometimes difficult to understand, at least for non-pilots. In some ways, pilots are the most consistent and even-keeled group anyone is likely to meet, which makes it all the more surprising when a pilot’s behavior seems contradictory […]

One of the unsung benefits of being a general aviation pilot is getting to meet and know a lot of different FBOs. A Fixed Base Operator can be anything from a single-purpose business which sells fuel, or supplies, or provides training, or performs maintenance, or sells aircraft, or it can offer a combination of services […]

Talk about a muscle machine! It looks the part, and it flies like it looks. I really hate to brag (you do believe that, right?), but I’m having so much fun with this beast, I just have to tell you about it. The Grumman (aka “Grumman Iron Works”) F8F Bearcat was first delivered in 1944, […]