Pilot Proficiency

__The 2004 fourth of July fell on a Sunday, so I had the added benefit of a Monday off from work. My wife and I had planned our trip to Toledo, Ohio, a couple of weeks earlier to catch up with some old friends. This was a perfect-length trip for a single-engine airplane and one […]

In last month’s Aftermath, which concerned fatal accidents that the NTSB had linked to hypoxia, I was puzzled by a few that involved experienced pilots who had been flying, in one case for a rather short time, in the 12,000- to 18,000-foot altitude range without supplemental oxygen. If scrambled fighters find a maskless pilot slumped […]

A heated battle in the House and Senate over union organizing rights is threatening to block congressional action needed to keep the FAA operating, raising the possibility of an agency shutdown as early as this week. The top issue preventing passage of a new FAA reauthorization bill are changes to National Mediation Board rules that […]

Having a clean windshield is not a matter of being a clean freak. A dirty or scratched up windshield can be a potential flight hazard, as it can significantly reduce forward visibility, particularly at certain sun angles. Knowing how to clean a windshield so you get the dust and grime off is important, and it […]

Just when it appeared as though the glare of public scrutiny had shifted away from air traffic controllers, the FAA now says it is investigating “the possibility” of a tipsy controller who failed an alcohol test six hours into his eight-hour shift at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center on July 5. The FAA […]

Who’s psyched for Oshkosh? I know I am. This will be my first trip back to EAA AirVenture since 2004 after making many such pilgrimages with my dad as a kid. At my last job I was lucky enough to get to cover the Paris Air Show, Farnborough Air Show, Asian Aerospace in Singapore, EBACE […]

(July 2011) When the carepages e-mail arrived among other messages, I wasn’t quite ready to open it. The last communication that I had received regarding John’s condition was through a phone conversation via his wife. With stoic control over the tone of her voice, Pam had discussed the involvement of hospice care. I clutched my […]

(July 2011) “Hey, Tom, ride up the road with me, would you?” Beer in hand, Tom looked up from the picnic table in surprise. I explained that I wanted to talk to the pilot of a Sundowner that had just landed and was parked on the ramp at Hangar Two. “This is, well, a little […]

Just like boaters can be perceived as rank amateurs if they make the rookie mistake of leaving their bumpers and lines hanging in the water after they’ve pulled away from the dock, pilots can assume that same aura of cluelessness if they turn off the runway after landing and then taxi all the way to […]

For pilots, altitude is like friends. The more you have, the happier you should be. More altitude equals more options if you’re faced with a forced landing. You’ll also be able to see your destination easier as you approach an unfamiliar area. But too much of a good thing can also become an issue. There […]