Aviation Safety

I am having a bit of a bad-luck streak. For those who are not aware, the last flight of a trip is fondly called the “go-home” leg, and it is absolutely cursed. You could be having the perfect rotation, avoiding delays, mechanical issues and weather for days with minimal fuss. All of a sudden, it is […]

(Editor’s Note: This is the second contribution to a multi-part series on going beyond the standard preflight weather briefing to find the details underlying what our EFBs tell us. Look for subsequent installments in future issues.) The forecast for Monterey, California (KMRY), advertised clear weather for the whole day. This didn’t make any sense, because […]

 Beech 1900 departs Charlotte and stalls on takeoff, killing all 21 aboard. A Cessna 402 departs Marsh Harbor for Opa-Locka. Instead of landing safely, it crashes 200 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. A Piper Comanche departs Scottsdale, losing control in the climb and becoming a CFIT statistic. I could keep going, and […]

So I’m flying along one day, fat, dumb and happy in the pattern at the Winchester (Va.) Regional Airport, KOKV. When I lived in the area not too long ago, Winchester was our preferred local practice field when Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO), my airplane’s home base, got too sporty. There were many other area airports […]

Mr. Warmkessel is incorrect when he states that the FAA will not issue a First Class medical certificate after the age of 65. There is no age limit for any class of medical. I quote from the FAA’s website: “There is no age restriction or aviation experience requirement for medical certification. Any applicant who qualifies […]

By any measure, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s just-concluded AirVenture fly-in was a success. According to online sister publication AVweb.com, official attendance was “approximately” 677,000—a new record handily blowing past last year’s count of 650,000. According to EAA CEO and President Jack Pelton, “We had record-setting totals of campers, exhibitors, volunteers, and more. It was also […]

Beech 300 King Air No Unfeather Ability During engine pre-takeoff performance runs, the #2 prop would not come out of feather. Maintenance inspected the engine and performed engine runs but could not duplicate the discrepancy. Out of caution, the right engine prop governor was replaced. Part total time: 4957.0 hours Cessna 182K Skylane Low RPM […]

The day’s mission was a 1450-mile round trip to retrieve a friend’s son for a holiday visit. My V35 Bonanza had been fueled the night before for an early departure, and the two passengers arrived on schedule. After passenger briefings and an explanation of how to open and close the cabin door, among other items, […]

May 1, 2023, Batesville, Miss. Cessna 182D Skylane At about 1345 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway while landing. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Nearing the destination, the pilot was experiencing moderate to heavy chop. The first approach was too high, so he conducted […]

One important thing pilots too often minimize is the need for proficiency at their craft. Just because you have something in your wallet saying you legally can do Thing A, it doesn’t mean you can always do it well, or to minimum standards. An FAA medical certificate is similar: On a certain day not that […]