Rob Mark

On the surface, 3½ feet — just over a yard — might not mean much to most people. Spread your arms out and that’s about it. But in a business jet, every inch of extra space, like every pound of weight designers can eliminate, translates into additional customer options for organizing that new cabin. Aboard […]

Aireon, the partnership between Iridium Communications and air navigation service providers like NavCanada and the Irish Aviation Authority, this week confirmed multiple successful validating tests of the ADS-B system on board a number of recently launched Iridium NEXT satellites. One NavCanada test conducted on March 7 used a specially-equipped Bombardier aircraft with both top- and […]

An FAA study released last week concluded that people on the ground are susceptible to three dominant kinds of injuries should they be unfortunate enough to meet up with a drone, especially a unit’s unprotected propellers. Those risks include blunt force trauma, the most significant contributor to fatalities, lacerations and penetration injuries. When queried about […]

Runway visual range, or RVR, precisely measures the distance that a pilot flying an ILS approach might expect to see when looking down the runway in those critical seconds just before touchdown. Because landing and some takeoff minimums are based on visibility, an operating RVR system is a vital operational element to support the high […]

A U.S.-registered Israeli Aircraft Industries Westwind 1124 on Friday lost the wheel from its left main landing gear during takeoff from Goldson International Airport in Belize. The crew was made aware of the problem immediately after departure, but rather than risk an emergency landing in Belize with a heavy fuel load, they decided a landing […]

With the airlines currently hiring hundreds of pilots each month, the next decade is shaping up to be incredible for experienced aviators searching for a cockpit job. Many think only of an airline career. But not every young pilot is thrilled at the idea of spending 30 years cruising at FL350 for hours on end, […]

A report posted earlier this week on the city of Santa Monica’s website highlighted a number of potential safety issues surrounding current plans to shorten Santa Monica’s Runway 03/21 per the city’s January agreement with the FAA. The report said, “The 3,500-foot distance shall not include the runway safety areas that shall be constructed and […]

John Monnett always thought of himself as a jet pilot, but as his 50s began drawing to a close he realized the only way that was going to happen was if he built one himself. Luckily for Monnett, his day job is founder and president of Oshkosh-based Sonex Aircraft, a kit builder already known for […]

This summer’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will include a special July 26 evening ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the first U.S. raid on the Japanese mainland following the attack on Pearl Harbor. On April 18, 1942, 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers lifted off from the carrier USS Hornet and headed west toward Japan. […]

The FAA says runway incursions occur three times each day on average and represent a serious safety concern. The data also show GA pilots are involved in about 80 percent of runway incursions. “The question is, what are GA pilots doing, or not doing, that results in so many runway incursions?” Donna F. Wilt asked. […]