The general aviation industry has long known about the vulnerability of the engine-driven vacuum pump. This device supplies the energy to spin vacuum-driven primary flight instruments, typically the artificial horizon and directional gyro of a so-called “steam gauge” airplane. It’s an Achilles heel of an otherwise IFR-capable platform and, although conscientious pilots train for so-called […]
Aviation insurance company Avemco teamed up with the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) last week to discuss some of the common safety issues and pilot personality traits highlighted by the types of insurance claims filed after aircraft accidents. Presented by pilot and head of Avemco’s underwriting operations Mike Adams, the seminar focused on data […]
For the want of an appropriately sized paper coffee cup and lid (sorry, Ben), likely tens of thousands of dollars and at least one day at the beach were lost by those affected by a mid-Atlantic diversion of Condor A330 earlier this year. The inconvenient chain of events damaged the airplane and disrupted the travel […]
In my view, there are four basic categories of aviation weather threats: low clouds and reduced visibility; turbulence and low-level wind shear; airframe ice; and thunderstorms (which may contain the three other hazards in one nasty package). When evaluating weather for a planned flight, I look at observations and forecasts with each of these specific […]
Boeing’s next generation 777X project suffered a setback on Thursday when a door blew off during pressurization tests. There were no injuries in the mishap, which occurred on the static test plane, an aircraft that is shrouded by protective and structural metal superstructure to put massive stress on the airframe, sometimes to the point of […]
One of the first things student pilots learn is how to recover from a balked landing and go-around. Sometimes, the approach is so bad that we don’t even get to the “balk” part. But when we do—as when recovering from a bounced landing—we’re exposing ourselves to the bottom corner of an airplane’s operating envelope: low […]
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach has moved all its aircraft out of the potential path of Hurricane Dorian and closed all its facilities until Sept. 9 in advance of the approach of the powerful storm. ERAU officials are urging students and staff to take the necessary precautions to remain safe if the storm hits […]
The aviation industry in recent years has highlighted loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) as the leading cause of general aviation fatal accidents. Many aviation organizations, including government agencies, have devoted considerable time and resources to target this problem and develop effective mitigations to reduce the number of LOC-I accidents. Much of that effort focuses on […]
From our earliest days as student pilots, the instructor probably explained how pitot-static instruments work as well as the “plumbing.” During my private checkride the examiner asked me to diagram the system and explain its operation. A Quick Review The pitot tube is only connected to the airspeed indicator, allowing ram air from the slipstream […]
Canadian authorities have launched investigations, including a criminal negligence probe, after a skydiver was injured when both her main and reserve parachutes failed to deploy properly. The 30-year-old woman suffered broken bones and other non-life-threatening injuries after falling about 5,000 feet during a solo jump near Trois Rivieres, Quebec. It was described by local media […]
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