“What the —!” the learner cried out as we rolled out from landing. Ahead of us some 1,000 feet down the runway there was a bald eagle standing on the centerline, scarfing down the carcass of what looked like a large...
Etiquette is defined as a “customary code of polite behavior among members of a particular profession or group.” Pilots understand that adherence to professional standards is nowhere more critical than during approach to the airport and landing. Fighter pilots instinctively understand...
Assembling flight training providers, industry members, and numerous federal agency representatives, the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) conducted the 15th annual Flight School Operators Conference in Las Vegas on February 21-22. More than 300 attendees shared best practices, resources,...
Light sport aircraft (LSA) have been part of the aviation firmament for almost 20 years and over that time some models established themselves even as newcomers regularly arrived. The way the FAA accepts—not “certifies”–-these airplanes allows for rapid improvement, which has...
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report earlier this week on the midflight door plug separation on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, and I am sure I’m not alone in wondering if there are some proverbial screws loose between point...
The FAA recently blessed Dynon’s certified SkyView HDX avionics for Beechcraft Baron 58 and 58A models. The OEM’s Dynon Certified three-axis autopilot will also be available now as an option to install with the HDX system. Barons also will benefit from...
The comment period for the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking, Modernization Of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC), ended as of January 22, and aviation associations drew my attention—along with others—this month with their lengthy and considerable comment submissions. The General Aviation Manufacturers...
Are you ready for MOSAIC? Let’s be crystal clear. You have no time left to comment on the FAA’s proposed rule. However, we won’t see MOSAIC LSA for many months yet. In this article, we look at G750, a 2+2 seat MOSAIC...
A section of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during flight on January 4 as the aircraft departed Portland International Airport (KPDX) en route to Ontario, California (KONT). The aircraft experienced an explosive decompression, and the flight crew...
A longtime pilot joke goes, “What makes an airplane fly?” The punch line: “Money!” Forget all that fancy talk about Bernoulli’s Principle. While it’s true recreational aviation is not the cheapest activity you could enjoy, neither is flying only for folks...
