Mark Phelps

On November 15, the European Aviation Safety Agency approved its first iPad charting apps. EASA gave its blessing to Jeppesen’s Flight Deck Pro and Mobile TC Pro apps for iPad and iOS. The iPad electronic flight bags (EFBs) may be used in all phases of flight, and opens the way for Civil Aviation Authority approval […]

The current issue of the FAA Safety Briefing is devoted to the significance of operating general aviation aircraft around the globe. It offers a toolbox of resources for pilots looking to fly safely and legally outside U.S. airspace. Topics include a review of overseas flying requirements; a look at mastering the international language of aviation […]

The island of Nantucket could be hosting an important visitor for the Thanksgiving (post-election?) break. A VIP temporary flight restriction, FDC 2/4277, goes into effect today at 3:45 local time over Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. Restrictions will be in place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The TFR covers two areas, the first centered […]

One use for pilotless drones could be to provide lifesaving data and communications links after a natural disaster. A circling drone could serve as a sort of temporary AWACS platform, beaming WiFi and cell phone coverage down on an area stricken by downed powerlines and damaged cell towers. After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, for […]

Jonathan Trappe’s flights in his cluster-balloon craft have captured the hearts and imaginations of aviators; and just about everyone else. He now plans to launch his unique aircraft from the East Coast and ride the prevailing winds across the Atlantic – hopefully to Paris, but his final destination could end up being anywhere in Europe […]

This morning, John Mares has the answer to one question pilots ask themselves all the time: How would I react if the engine quit in flight? The Redondo Beach, California, resident successfully landed his 1961 Beech Debonair (N425T), rolling out on a grass highway median after an engine failure at around 3,500 feet. According to […]

Around 67 million years ago, during the Cretaceous era, an F-16-size species of dinosaur called Quetzalcoatlus flew through the skies above what is now Texas. In a study presented on Nov. 7 to the Geological Society of America, scientists demonstrated how they believe the largest flying creature in history was able to take off and […]

Thanks to an agreement with the FAA signed last week, the NTSB now has access to data collected as part of the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing Program (ASIAS). A joint effort of the FAA, airlines and pilots’ unions, the program has been in place since 2007. Its goal is to collect data on […]

Late last month, ASTM International’s F44 Technical Committee met for the first time in Atlanta. The group aims to use industry consensus standards in revising the certification process for standard-category general aviation aircraft. The cost of Part 23 certification has been a major barrier to new aircraft development, and also to the process of retrofitting […]

When Special Olympics athletes descend on the Princeton/Mercer County area of New Jersey for the 2014 games, some 800 of them will be arriving in Cessna Citation jets. The Seventh Citation Olympics Airlift was announced at last month’s NBAA Convention in Orlando, and the volunteer effort is expected to bring athletes from all 50 states […]