Aviation Safety

As we were quite literally pushing the button to send our October 2022 issue off to the printer, news unexpectedly arrived that many of us had been waiting for: The FAA granted General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI) its long-sought airframe and engine supplemental type certificate (STC) for the company’s G100UL unleaded aviation gasoline. Although GAMI […]

Every flight starts with procedures and checklists for ensuring we follow all of its steps correctly. We have procedures for preparing the aircraft for flight, we have procedures for how to depart the airport and we have procedures for returning. These procedures are designed to help the pilots ensure that the aircraft is operated safely, […]

There’s only so much airspace. Without minimizing separation requirements—as was implemented with reduced vertical separation minimums, or RVSM, in certain airspace—there’s no way to squeeze more aircraft into a finite area. At the same time, there are only so many ATC facilities and controllers staffing them. Anyone who has flown down the U.S. East Coast […]

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 […]

Beech 58 Baron Failed Landing Gear Motor The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear but had no indication it was down. The tower verified the gear was not extended. After troubleshooting, he manually extended the gear and landed uneventfully. Technicians found the gear did not fully retract and the landing gear relay circuit breaker […]

The day’s mission was to get me and my A36 Bonanza from Virginia to Wichita, Kansas, with a stop in Columbus, Ohio, to pick up some fuel and a pilot-rated passenger going to the same multi-day meeting I was attending. The first leg was solo and uneventful, and soon my passenger and I were winging […]

July 2, 2022, Oklahoma City, Okla. Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140 At about 0829 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it failed to gain altitude after takeoff and apparently stalled before contacting terrain. The pilot sustained serious injuries; the passenger was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot reported the airplane did not perform […]

Airframe icing can be found year-round, depending on geography and altitude. In North America, we’re heading into the season when pilots of personal airplanes, which generally don’t fly high enough to worry about ice most of the year, need to factor it into their planning and execution. Even if you’re flying something with a form […]

Today’s integrated avionics typically depend on electronic systems for their orientation information, part of the avionics’ attitude heading reference system (AHRS). The AHRS deploys some combination of rate gyros and accelerometers, each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. Many need supplemental information, both as raw data and as a cross-check for accuracy. For […]

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 […]