Search Results for: Cessna 172

PILOT DATABASE EXPANSION OPPOSED NBAA is fighting a proposed FAA pilot record database that will require airlines and so-called “gateway operators” to keep files on pilots, including written and practical tests for ratings and endorsements and even training notes during flight instruction. The proposal is an expansion of the Pilot Records Improvement Act enacted in […]

Dan Johnson told me, “The first light-sport airplane arrived in the U.S. in April 2005. The first two FAA-accepted special light-sport aircraft were announced…almost exactly 15 years ago.” Johnson reviews recreational aircraft and posts those reports on his site, bydanjohnson.com. A flight school needs to use an S-LSA in order to operate a light-sport aircraft […]

American General AA-5A Cheetah Debonded Nose Landing Gear Strut The nose landing gear strut debonded at the nose fork bearing spindle. Spindle and strut are bonded via a hot-bond agent while in an autoclave. Suspect debonding occurred due to unreported hard landings and extreme stress due to improper ground handling. Part total time: 3081.0 hours […]

May 2, 2020, Palmyra, Ill. Yakovlev Yak-52 At about 1600 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it struck terrain during an impromptu aerobatic maneuver. The solo pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. A pilot-rated witness observed the airplane make a low pass down the runway toward the south at 20-30 feet agl. He […]

Unless you’re flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane, you really don’t want the tail to touch the ground. It’s potentially dangerous, not to mention embarrassing. And a tail strike—when the tail section of an airplane contacts the surface while taking off or landing—can result in significant damage to the aft section of a tricycle-gear airplane. The good […]

My relationship with the mountains began on hikes with my family, camping trips up into the farthest corners of Glacier National Park that could be reached with a 7-year-old (me) and a toddling 4-year-old (my little brother) in close formation. We took what we could carry in our little packs—supplemented heavily with the resources my […]

Just more than 24 years ago, airline pilot Jérôme Binachon and computer engineer Jean-Paul Monnin had an idea to develop a flight training device that unites different aircraft types in one simulator. That effort produced Alsim’s ALX simulator, and today as the company has evolved, their AL250 and AL172 simulators are being chosen by flight […]

Believe it or not, air traffic controllers don’t issue radar vectors for amusement. I know it might seem like it when you’re getting strung out for a sequence or for traffic, watching the time-equals-money clock ticking away, increasing the costs of your flight. My goal as a controller is to get you on your own […]

Each season presents its own set of weather challenges. In winter, icing may be more prevalent, along with low ceilings, freezing precipitation and snow-covered runways. Tailwinds can be epic; so can headwinds. Spring and fall can be mirror images, but both often come with good-weather clouds and great visibilities, plus gusty winds and constant change. […]

April 1, 2020, Sequin, Texas Beechcraft M35 Bonanza At about 1340 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a precautionary landing. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. According to the pilot, after the initial power reduction following takeoff, he heard a continuous “loud exhaust popping” noise. The pilot decided to return to the airport […]