Meg Godlewski

Who said flaps don’t increase lift? Flaps do increase lift. Reference Chapter 6 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, which states, “Flaps are the most common high-lift devices used on aircraft. These surfaces, which are attached to the trailing edge of the wing, increase both lift and induced drag for any given angle of attack (AOA).”

The National Transportation Safety Board has released the preliminary report on the fatal seaplane accident near Seattle on Labor Day weekend. The NTSB has reviewed the aircraft’s maintenance records, the experience level of the pilot, and weather at the time of the accident. Nine adults and one child were onboard the de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine […]

I have logged in excess of 3,000 hours in a Redbird FMX Advanced Aviation Training Device. These are the devices that are mounted on cradles that provide the unit with pitch, yaw, and roll. One of the biggest surprises for the trainees who have been “flying” using the Microsoft Flight Simulator program and then try […]

Smoke-generated IFR didn’t keep visitors from the annual event at Hood River.

Big piston radial engines from the 1940s, ‘50s—and through today—require careful
attention during startup.

Investigation continues into last week’s deadly Turbine Otter crash near Seattle.

“Booster failure on today’s uncrewed flight. Escape system performed as designed,” tweeted Blue Origin in response to the first launch mishap for Jeff Bezos’ space tourism company. This morning the capsule carrying scientific experiments but no people, separated from the New Shepard rocket using the emergency mechanism. The capsule returned to Earth, but the rocket, […]

If you are old enough to remember September 11, 2001, you probably recall with some clarity where you were when you heard about the airliners deliberately flown into the World Trade Center. I was working at an aviation newspaper at the time. On the drive into the office I heard about the first aircraft hitting […]

One of my great joys as a flight instructor is teaching private pilot ground school, because that’s where flight training begins for many aviators. The candidates come in fresh, and it’s the instructor’s job to nurture their interest and to help them obtain foundational knowledge. It is serious business.  Sadly, many pilots in training see […]

There is a saying to remember when you visit a national park: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Unfortunately, some people ignore that admonishment, and that is what authorities at Lake Mead Recreation Area are concerned about as the water level drops and two World War II aircraft that have been submerged in […]