IFR Magazine

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Reader’s accounts of their funniest, cleverest, worst, best, or proudest moments in flight. Send us your cleverest (or most embarrassing) moment on the radio-or your favorite fix names or airport names-with a subject of OTA, to IFR@BelvoirPubs.com. Be sure to include your full name and location.

What’s new in the world of avionics? Attitude indicators are now FAA approved. If you own a drone, get ready to have it registered. Virtual Air Traffic Control is coming to the States. Cargo overloading leads to crash killing nine people in Alaska. The NTSB holds a panel on loss of control, and more.

If your aircraft’s instrument landing system cannot go below half a mile, you will find trouble with Jeppesen charts, which measure runway visible range by one-eighth of a mile increments.

IFR reader feedback from November’s issue. Covers instrument currency, TEC routes, and aircraft landing.

Electric airplanes are becoming a reality. There are already electric trainers in Europe, but the Federal Aviation Administration is just now considering accommodations for electric aircraft batteries and motors. It is reasonable to think that standards for fully certified aircraft with electric propulsion is well on its way.

There are two types of radar used in air traffic control: primary and secondary. Primary is commonly referred to as skin paint. Radio waves shoot out from a rotating radar antenna, bounce off the skin of whatever they hit, and return to the antenna. These only determine a targets location via its range and bearing from the antenna. The distance that location changes in the time between antenna sweeps is used to calculate its speed.

Lockheed Martin’s Flight Service Stations are still open, but the services for pre-flight briefing and cockpit assistance are dwindling fast. The FSS now pushes for more pilot self-assistance as it is gradually being replaced by digital applications.

It makes perfect sense that Santa Claus would employ freight aircraft to help him with his Christmas duties. Here’s an account of what a real cargo pilot goes through at the most wonderful time of the year.

Do ATD simulators replace the requirement of sim instructors? Weve clearly stated in a previous article that an instructor signoff is not required if youre using a simulator (ATD) to maintain your instrument currency, but now the FAA has changed its mind. Ultimately, what matters is the necessity of logging instrument time, which an instructor is mandated to sign on while you fly. The whole point of maintaining currency is to log proof of compliance, so no- sim instructors are here to stay.