Airmanship

Aiming a laser at an aircraft can distract or disorient pilots and is a federal crime,” begins the executive summary of a 51-page Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the practice. A typical incident occurs when someone on the ground aims a laser at an airborne aircraft, usually in a high-workload environment like an approach […]

Long ago and far away, I was an instructor pilot (IP) on the U.S. Air Force/Northrop T-38 Talon, a supersonic trainer that first went into service in 1961. I was based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas. Today, the T-38 remains in service with the USAF, as well as with NASA. One […]

Short-field landings have been part of my flying right from the onset of private pilot training. My instructor had flown in the Alaska Bush, and was very comfortable operating out of short airports, grass or otherwise. The go-to runways near me were Cranland Airport (28M), in Hanson, Mass., and Myricks Airport (1M8) in Berkley, Mass. […]

On July 27, 2022, the FAA proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) that would require repetitive inspections of turbocharged, reciprocating engine-powered airplanes and helicopters, and turbocharged, reciprocating engines with “spot-welded, multi-segment v-band couplings at the tailpipe to the turbocharger exhaust housing flange.” Under the proposed AD, the clamps/couplings would be inspected annually, regardless of their […]

Somewhere, as you read this, an advanced pilot candidate is decrying the need to master the so-called commercial maneuvers. “You’ll never hear ATC call and say, ‘Give me a Lazy 8 for spacing,’” they might say. And they’d probably be right. The thing is, many of the maneuvers we must master to pass a practical […]

Inspiration struck me for this topic while flying recently. I would not quite call it complacency, but flying on gusty days definitely feels routine. For example, it would not deter me if I saw a local airport reporting LLWS (low level windshear) +/-5 knots by a Skyhawk. In fact, a local airport is famous for […]

I grew up right down the street from Cape Cod Airfield (2B1), in Marstons Mills, Mass. To me, the airport feels like the embodiment of some of the best qualities of general aviation. The airport is extremely accessible, with picnic tables right in front to watch the activity. There is flight training, banner towing, skydiving and […]

So I’m flying along, fat dumb and happy, into the Charlottesville-Albemarle (Va.) Airport (KCHO). The tower controller tells me to enter a right base for Runway 03, which I do, followed by a touch-and-go and entering left closed traffic like a good boy. I mentally pat myself on the back, and think, “Good job, flying […]

As international supply chain issues in 2022 continue to affect the world economy, they also can be easy to ignore. Until something you need isn’t readily available in a timely fashion. So it is—and has been—with the FAA’s designated pilot examiner (DPE) cadre. The DPEs necessary for an FAA pilot certificate practical test can are […]

Most pilots are familiar what the industry calls “quarter-turn” fasteners, those quick-release devices used to secure engine cowlings and fairings on aircraft of all sizes and uses. They typically go by their manufacturer’s name, like Camloc or Dzus. They sometimes require a special tool and they can be difficult to adjust to ensure their security. […]