Close

Member Login

Logging In
Invalid username or password.
Incorrect Login. Please try again.

not a member? sign-up now!

Signing up could earn you gear and it helps to keep offensive content off of our site.

Home
Default Blog Header

Recent Posts

Blog Categories

Flying Time by Pia Bergqvist

image-Pia-Tiger 300x202

About Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined Flying in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft. Read full bio >
An Update on the Future of SMO
image-SMO Tower
Enlarge Photo

As I have reported before, the City of Santa Monica is going through a three-step airport community process, also called the visioning process, to help determine what the future holds for the Santa Monica Airport (SMO). Phase II of the process, in which community members were given an opportunity to put in their vision for the airport property, has concluded and a report has been submitted to the City Council by Moore Icanofano Goltsman, Inc. (MIG), which conducted the study.

Where Training Counts
image-Redbird FMX
Enlarge Photo
Photo: Redbird Flight Simulations

While details of the F/A-18 crash in Virginia Beach, Virginia are still murky, as always there is something to learn from an accident. In this case, we should all think about how current we are with emergency procedures. Military pilots spend countless hours training in simulators and airplanes for events that likely will never happen to them. We should do the same.

Stay Out of the Clouds
image-clouds
Enlarge Photo

Recently, a former private pilot student of mine revealed some information during his biennial flight review that made my heart skip a few beats and nearly get stuck in my throat. He said he enjoys flying through clouds. Had this been one of my instrument students, I would have been happy. But this man never continued his training to receive an instrument ticket.

Ask and You Shall Receive
image-ATC
Enlarge Photo
Photo: Mark Brouwer

Last week, P-51-pilot Chuck Gardner had trouble getting his landing gear down in preparation for landing at the Mobile Downtown Airport. After attempting the recommended emergency gear operations procedures, Gardner asked for help. And did he ever receive!

I See You
image-i see you
Enlarge Photo
Photo: Cessna Aircraft Company

Online flight tracking is a great resource for travelers and flight instructors alike. Websites such as FlightAware and flightwise are frequently used by friends and loved ones to watch the progress of airplanes enroute to their destinations. And if you don’t wish to actively track the flight, you can set up alerts that update you on the progress of the flight. These online resources help you plan for when it’s time to head to the airport to pick up the traveler.

Learning the Art of Escaping
image-emergency egress
Enlarge Photo
Photo: Aviation Egress Systems, Victoria, BC

I’m of the school of thought that there is no such thing as too much training. And while you may think underwater emergency egress training may be superfluous if you stay within the confines of our borders, the day you end up upside down in an airplane in one of the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico or the Hudson River, you’ll be glad you went the extra mile. If you’re a seaplane pilot, this type of training should be considered essential.

Getting Spoiled in an AStar
image-flying astar 0
Enlarge Photo

Once again, a new flying bug has bit me. This time the bite came from a bug-like aircraft – a helicopter. I had a chance to fly a Eurocopter AS350B3, also known as an AStar, the same type of helicopter that landed on top of Mt. Everest a few years ago and set an unbeatable record for the highest altitude landing and takeoff.

Are You Awake?
image-fatigue
Enlarge Photo

The recently implemented FAA rules on pilot fatigue for airline pilots made me ponder the importance of being alert when flying. If you’re not on your game it’s easy to nod off, particularly if you’re flying with an autopilot, and the consequences can be devastating. It’s worth taking an extra step in the prefight process to consider your level of alertness as a step to decrease risk.

For the Love of Meigs
image-meigs field

Photo by Marge Beaver, provided by
Friends of Meigs Field

Enlarge Photo

When I read about the lack of progress at the Northern Island redevelopment near downtown Chicago in political columnist Greg Hinz’s blog last week, I felt a familiar sense of nausea. It was the feeling I got when I first saw a picture of the large Xs carved into one of the most incredible aviation landmarks in the United States, Meigs Field. I experienced the same feeling when I saw the island from Sears Tower a couple of years after the airport closed. Today the field looks much the same as it did then – an unsightly field with some basic paths and temporary tent-like structures.

Push to Live
image-skylane climb
Enlarge Photo
Photo: Photo Courtesy of Cessna

A single-engine accident in Florida recently in which two people died shortly after takeoff reminded me of another high-performance single-engine airplane accident that happened at Santa Monica airport in 2009. A SIAI-Marchetti SF-260C crashed onto the runway shortly after taking off, killing two people onboard. I’m not suggesting that the cause of the accidents were the same, but nonetheless, they both happened immediately after the airplanes departed.

Page 1 of 4
next >