Search Results for: general aviation inc

Pilots have been complaining about FAA regulations (and those of its predecessor agencies) since the first aviation rules were issued in the 1920s. A lot of that complaining stems from the aviation media constantly bombarding us with horror stories of over-regulation and how its killing general aviation. The reality is very different, at least for pilot certification under FAR Part 61 and flight operations under Part 91.

Theres really no question that maintaining radio and radar contact with ATC significantly adds to flight safety, whether youre IFR or VFR, and whether youre going somewhere or just boring holes. But its vitally important to remember that when your communications are lost, airplanes fly on physics discovered by Bernouli, not on communications pioneered by Marconi.

The first years and hours I spent aloft werent really loggable toward an FAA pilot certificate. Thats because I was doing it from a hang glider, jumping off the side of a mountain, wearing a helmet and strapped to a wing. I was the landing gear. It was more of a sport than a form of transportation, but that early exposure to flight taught some lessons that were easily transferred to powered airplanes. I went on to earn my private and an instrument rating, and have flown some interesting airplanes along the way.

The FAAs BasicMed rule took effect on May 1, creating a new option for pilots who want to fly without an FAA medical certificate. Under the BasicMed rule, pilots can fly under certain circumstances without a medical certificate, but they must pass an online course about aviation medical issues, complete a medical exam and checklist, and meet certain other criteria. The FAAs Advisory Circular (AC 68-1) on Alternative Medical Qualifications describes in detail how pilots can comply with the new policy.

I just got around to trying Jeff Van Wests IFR Sim Challenge from the Feb. 2017 issue. Its great! Many of us use desktop simulators like Prepar3d to practice instrument procedures. This makes it really challenging in a useful way. Please keep up this feature. Im sure it will only get better as you work on it.

In late 2010, experienced pilot and U.S. senator James Inhofe was issued a pilot violation by the FAA. Displeased with the violation process, he created and sponsored the Pilots Bill of Rights 1 and 2. The NTSB is supposed to be an impartial entity to which a pilot may appeal a certificate suspension or revocation. For decades, aviation attorneys have known this is not reality.

Had he not chosen Ohio’s back roads over the interstate on one fateful trip from Indiana to Pittsburgh in 2014, Vintage Wings might still just be Jason Capra’s childhood dream. But be it through divine fate or mere coincidence, the airline pilot with a lifelong obsession for World War II aircraft came face-to-tail with the […]

Infrastructure investments at U.S. general aviation airports may become a lot more flexible thanks to a bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). S.1320, the Forward Looking Investment in General Aviation, Hangars, and Tarmacs (Flight) Act of 2017, among other things, moves to reform Non-Primary Entitlement (NPE) funding, cut […]

Harrison Ford had the people of Boston buzzing earlier this month, when he was spotted visiting popular locations like the Freedom Trail and Fanueil Hall. He was in town as a guest of the Aero Club of New England, which honored the actor and pilot with its annual Godfrey L. Cabot Award for his work […]

Garmin International Inc. announced last week it received approval that gives thousands of general aviation pilots a chance to replace their old directional gyro system or horizontal situation indicator with the company’s G5 electronic flight instrument. When linked together with the appropriate VHF communications and standard or GPS navigation units, “the G5 can be considered […]