Aviation Safety

Some recent fatal accidents have highlighted that general aviation pilots sometimes forget where they are and simply presume they have the performance and terrain clearance to motor off toward their destination after takeoff. That’s a result of complacency in the cockpit, aided and abetted by ATC giving us vectors when departing airports served by a […]

The day’s mission was to get me and my Debonair from Wichita, Kansas, to Las Vegas, Nevada, in loose formation with a friend who would be flying his Piper Comanche 180. Although we had scheduled this trip weeks ago, we both presumed the other guy a) had done this before and b) knew how. Over […]

I read your article, “Polishing Your Scan: Our Top Five Tips” (December 2021), twice. As always, it was well-written and thoughtful. I have to say my experience with view-limiting devices seems to be the opposite of that suggested in the article. Compared to flying with a view-limiting device, I find it easier to maintain precise parameters […]

One of general aviation’s worst characteristics is that it’s not very environment-friendly. Putting aside (please!) the continued presence of lead in the vast majority of aviation gasoline, the typical aircraft piston engine is neither fuel-efficient nor clean-burning. That’s what happens when powerplants that haven’t fundamentally changed since before WWII are pressed into service for their […]

When compared against the opposite extreme—summer—flying in winter has a lot to recommend it. Because the air is cooler and therefore denser, aircraft performance is better. For the same reason—cooler air—flying in winter can be more comfortable than in the summer, thanks to the lack of air conditioning aboard the overwhelming majority of personal aircraft. […]

Beechcraft Model 58 Baron Broken Propeller Control Cable While en route, the right engine oversped to 3500 rpm and had no control. Shut the engine down and landed with no further problem.  Maintenance ran the right engine and it made takeoff power, but had no propeller control. Found prop control cable broken. Going to remove […]

My little Cessna 140 had just gotten out of a four-month top-end overhaul and it was time to stretch its legs, with a 786-sm flight to Des Moines, Iowa, my hometown. It would replicate my late Dad’s flight in the opposite direction with a few more fuel stops. After watching the weather for 10 days, […]

October 1, 2021, Chandler, Ariz. Robinson R22/Piper PA-28-181 At about 0740 Mountain time, the Piper airplane and Robinson helicopter collided in midair. The airplane sustained minor damage; the flight instructor and student aboard it were not injured. The helicopter was destroyed; its flight instructor and student were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Both aircraft were […]

A close friend of mine, also a pilot, revels in flying low enough to view various features on the ground, to the extent a long cross-country flight in IMC not only bores him but seemingly can elevate any anxieties. I get it, and always enjoy that vista when I’m able. But I also subscribe to the […]

If you listened much to the cellular telephone companies talk about the ongoing rollout of 5G performance standards for your devices, you might think it was the best thing since sliced bread, canned beer and kissing on the first date. The FAA isn’t so sure, however, and in early November published a Special Airworthiness Information […]