Aviation Safety

Beech C33A Debonair Shorted Voltage Regulator Overvoltage warning light illuminated. Installed a new voltage regulator (p/n R1530b), started engine, switched on electrical system, warning light came on. After troubleshooting with manufacturer’s support, unit shorted internally. Manufacturer blamed faulty alternator and would not honor warranty. Unit will not work with this system no matter what manufacturer […]

I was tired of renting from the local FBO and needed a larger airplane, anyway, for the growing family, so I looked at a few flying clubs. One situation caught my eye, in which a long-time owner wasn’t flying his big Cessna much and wanted to form a club around it. I was game, and met […]

September 1, 2022, Orlando, Fla. Diamond Aircraft DA42 NG Twin Star At about 1700 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when it flipped over in high winds and came to rest inverted. The private pilot was fatally injured and the flight instructor was seriously injured. Instrument conditions prevailed as the intended instructional flight waited […]

It’s an article of faith in aviation and other endeavors that having more experience with a specific machine is less risky than having less. In aviation, we measure this by the number of hours accrued in a specific aircraft type. A corollary is that pilots with relatively few hours in-type are at greater risk of […]

I had friend—a mentor, really. He flew Hawker Hurricanes in WWII, and had great war stories. Like the time he was jumped and shot down by three Messerschmitts in the North African desert. He described the German machine gun rounds hitting his wings looking “like a sewing-machine stitching.” Looking over his shoulder, he saw the “white […]

In an ideal world, upon reaching our decision altitude/height (DA or DH) or missed approach point (MAP), there would always be beautiful visibility and a clear runway. As we all know, life throws curveballs. A classic curveball in instrument flying can be a missed approach. Preparation is worth an ounce of cure, and these tips […]

It’s that time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of us rarely straying into the teens or above, airframe icing usually isn’t a thing until late fall. Nowadays, with the typical freezing level much lower than other times during the year, we’re much more likely to see it up close and personal. […]

The flight test was not going well. I was doing fine, which was easy because I was the check airman giving it. The guy I was testing, though, was having more trouble than expected. A few maneuvers were marginal, but so far none called for a failure. So far. Next was an ILS approach. We […]

Look at an airspeed indicator or vertical speed tape, as below, in a piston-powered airplane and you’ll see a yellow range of indicated speeds. This is called the “caution range.” Since typical piston airplanes can’t cruise in this speed range under most circumstances, we often don’t spend a lot of time learning how very different […]

As we near the end of a year which, quite frankly, can’t over soon enough for me, it’s a good time to look back over our shoulder at what’s behind us—and what might be gaining—even as we try to focus on what’s ahead. In many quarters, 2022 was a good year. New and used aircraft […]