Probable Cause

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Jan. 2006. Owning an airplane can be a real pain. There are costs for insurance, tiedown/hangaring, annual inspections and debt service, all of which are incurred before the engine even turns over. Add in the hourly costs of fuel, oil, tires, unscheduled maintenance and overhaul reserves, and it’s […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Mar. 2007. There is no rule that states how many instrument approaches a pilot can fly before going to another airport and there shouldn’t be. I am not in favor of removing any of the pilot’s authority to conduct operations the way he or she sees fit. However, […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Dec. 2005. In aviation, perhaps more than with any other activity, there is really very little that’s new and different when it comes to accident causes. If we fly only on calm, VFR days, pay excruciating attention to our training and proficiency, and operate only new airplanes with […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Feb. 2007. Every one of us remembers the old phrase, “Fly the airplane first.” The reference is to our first job as pilots, which is to maintain safety of flight and/or operation any time we are sitting in the left seat and the engine is turning. It means […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Nov. 2005. We all have so-called “personal rules” we use to help us make decisions when everyday challenges arise. In aviation, they are sometimes called personal minimums and are used to help us decide whether this morning’s low visibility and cloud cover — even if legal VFR — […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Jan. 2007. When a pilot contemplates an IFR flight, the focus will tend to shift towards the latter part of the trip. This is reasonable, as an approach is arguably the most challenging phase of any IFR flight.This focus on approaches, enforced during initial and recurrent training, does […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Oct. 2005. Having the talent and skill to fly an airplane pretty much when and where we want doesn’t mean we should. Any number of factors may, from time to time, argue against making a trip or completing one. Weather, terrain, mechanical shortcomings, time of day and/or some […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Dec. 2006. It’s not too difficult to understand the theory of the ILS approach. The pilot is required to fly a horizontal radio beam while referring to a cockpit indicator that tells him whether he is left or right of the course. At the same time he must […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Sept. 2005. Night flying can be one of the most enjoyable ways a pilot can exercise his or her flight privileges. The air is generally smoother, there usually is less traffic (unless you’re flying near Memphis or Louisville) and any traffic will be easier to spot. Too, clear […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Nov. 2006. Years ago I used to fly into the Toronto City Centre Airport (CYTZ), although in those days it was called the Toronto Island Airport, because it was built on an island in Lake Ontario.Back then, the only instrument approach that was available was an NDB approach […]