Feedback

I just read your editorial ("Assuming The Position," October) about "position and hold," which is now "line up and wait," which I last heard in fourth grade. It reminded me of when I first began flying in May 1981. In Riverside County, Calif., I learned of a vortac named March; not the month, the air force base. Its still there. A great big you-cant-miss-it vortac everyone knows about, next to March Air Force Base. I hadnt been flying long when the FAA renamed the vortac, in its eminent wisdom, to Homeland. I pondered: Why in the world would the FAA-which obviously had way too much time on its hands-rename the Vortac from a well-known feature, March Air Force Base, to an obscure name, Homeland? No one knew.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA faces criticism for seemingly arbitrary naming changes (e.g., VORTACs) and is urged to fully adopt international aviation standards (ICAO) for global consistency and safety, despite some specific disagreements with certain terminology changes.
• A significant challenge in pilot training is identified, where independent flight instructors often prioritize logging hours over essential decision-making and emergency scenario training, particularly in simulators.
• Clarifications are provided regarding aviation maintenance regulations, emphasizing that FARs primarily mandate static system and transponder checks, not pitot system checks, and detailing who is qualified to perform specific inspections.

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