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Stupid Pilot Tricks, Spanish Style… This installment of things you definitely should not do with an airplane comes from the Scottish Highlands. There, two Spanish pilots reportedly flew their ultralight under a road bridge, scaring the heck out of residents in the area. Witnesses spotted the light aircraft flying under the Ballachulish Bridge between Fort […]

Throws Its Hat Into The FAA’s Ring… Boeing says it (with help from some other companies) has what it takes to make the National Airspace System (NAS) more efficient and safer. The company hopes to clinch a big deal with the FAA to design, produce and implement a new, fully integrated air traffic flow system […]

System Turned On Today A major technological shift in air navigation became a reality today. The FAA flicked the switch on the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) signal, a crucial first step on the way to highly accurate satellite-based navigation in the U.S. “We’re just waiting for the avionics to catch up,” said FAA spokesman […]

Group Protests $21 Billion Deal… It’s the U.S.’s largest exporter and by far its largest aerospace company, so when Boeing stamps its feet, the ground shakes under most of us. Lately the Chicago-based manufacturer has been attracting the attention of critics who claim Boeing is drawing too much from the government trough. The Citizens Against […]

Authorities Start Probe Of ADIZ-Related Crash… The pilot involved in the D.C. ADIZ flight plan-related fuel starvation and subsequent encounter with trees last week four miles from Martin State Airport in Maryland has recognized his role in running out of fuel. “Ultimately, the pilot is responsible for what happens,” Dale Roger told The Baltimore Sun […]

Report Blasts FAA On Cost Overruns, Performance Problems… The FAA is years behind schedule on many of its projects, while costs increase at rates that are not sustainable or affordable, the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General concluded in a report issued last week. “Overall, the 20 projects we reviewed have experienced cost growth of […]

Pilot Crashes After ATC Denies Access… A pilot who said he ran out of fuel while circling outside the Washington, D.C., ADIZ, waiting for ATC to find his flight plan and clear him to enter, crashed four miles short of the runway on Sunday. The pilot and his two passengers suffered minor injuries. The Cessna […]

Seeking Legislation For GA Access… The latest legislative attempt to broaden access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has passed the committee stage. Included in the Aviation Security Technical Corrections Act of 2003 are provisions to allow non-scheduled carriers back into the metropolitan airport. The bill has been passed by the House Committee on […]

States Meddle In Pilot Certification… Look for the alphabet groups to switch their focus from Michigan to New Jersey in the now-familiar battle to prevent states from getting into the pilot-qualification business. Just as the Michigan House was giving unanimous support to a bill that would repeal that state’s criminal background-check law, New Jersey legislators […]

Unmanned Aircraft Seen As “The Hope For The Future”… While unmanned aircraft, for obvious reasons, are an increasingly popular option for the military, drone builders are now expanding their horizons to the civilian market. This became apparent at last week’s Paris Air Show, a venue traditionally known for exhibiting the best specimens of manned aircraft. […]