Risk Management

The NTSB says it still doesn’t have any answers about the root cause of a battery fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 in Boston in January but it’s going to great lengths to get it done. At a news conference in Washington on Thursday, Board Chairman Debra Hersman said the interim factual report it […]

An old and often-used justification for owning a light General Aviation aircraft is the ability to bypass the automobile and the airlines in order to spend valuable time in a more productive manner. This rationalization focuses on the time savings created by flying oneself. Thus, according to the reasoning, it is possible to easily meet […]

A pilot who had twice extensively damaged airplanes by flying into thunderstorms tries it a third time. This time he doesn’t live to tell about his own foolishness. Remember back to when we were student pilots, with maybe 20 hours under our belts? We all asked our instructors “How many hours do you have?” Even […]

Advances in technologies and regulations mean the best mix of airplanes, simulators and other resources also is changing and will enhance your training. In recent years, the general aviation community has complained our activity has grown too complicated and, as a result, applicants for the private pilot certificate now average about 70 or so hours […]

“Kick the tires, light the fires.” So goes a popular, flippant saying about preflight inspections. Most of the time, that’s what we and various accident reports would label an “inadequate preflight inspection.” Sometimes-immediately after stopping long enough to drop off or load a passenger, for example-it might be adequate. After all, we just flew it […]

Congress has mandated a 1,500 hour minimum flight time requirement for scheduled air carriers next summer, and unless FAA regulations come along to supersede it the “impending pilot shortage” that even the general media has latched on to could become a reality sooner than later. When regulation outpaces thinking, and policy is made without concern […]

Aviation entrepreneur Rod Rakic’s idea for OpenAirplane has earned the support of some big names in the aviation industry who believe it could simplify access to aircraft, improve pilot safety, increase profits for flight schools and FBOs, and generally boost the aviation industry — all by changing how we rent airplanes. OpenAirplane is nearing its […]

Mapmaker DeLorme’s inReach messenger/tracker uses the Iridium satellite network to send position reports and text messages from almost anywhere on earth. The handheld device can send pre-determined text messages with an up-to-date position included. Pairing it via Bluetooth with an iPhone or Android device allows for custom text messages or short emails. It can also […]

ExtremeO2 Aviator has developed an aviation-focused conditioning process that trains the body to maintain oxygen blood saturation at altitude. The ExtremeO2 altitude contrast conditioning is said to help protect pilots from hypoxia and its effects on night vision while restoring brain function, increasing reflex speed, improving G-force recovery and enhancing tolerance to higher altitudes. It […]

An FAA program for non-punitive reporting of safety concerns among air traffic controllers needs “significant improvements” before it can become effective, according to a report issued last Thursday by the Transportation Department Office of Inspector General. “Failure to address potential deficiencies in transparency and accountability may lead to the perception that the Air Traffic Safety […]