Dubbed “The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2,” new measures introduced last night in the House and Senate would allow private pilots to no longer hold a third class medical certificate for noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats. The legislation, authored by a group of […]
Looking for a spiritual lift, I entered Signature Flight Support in Boston with its soaring cathedral ceilings and even higher fuel prices. I had hoped to beat Capt. Courtney Crain to the FBO as she was airlining in from Palm Beach, Florida. We had not flown together in months. Alas, she was already hunched over […]
As I accelerated to 60 knots, I was already picking up a load of ice. It coated the windscreen and formed a thickening layer on the leading edges, I knew Id made the right decision. Instead of flying, I was driving. My car was icing up. The day before, the takeoff forecast was for marginal VMC: a ceiling at 2500 feet agl. My destinations morning fog layer was to break up at 10 a.m. local and be replaced by scattered clouds at 15,000 ft. Wanting to do this trip VFR-only, the picture was for marginal conditions at departure but trending toward good VMC.
Am I ready for this flight? Thats the question I found myself asking when I decided to resume flying in a rental aircraft after a six-month lapse. This was after selling the V35B Bonanza Id owned for eight years. Since I was due for a flight review anyway, I engaged an instructor and got checked out to fly a Cessna 172 from a local flight school. I was comfortable flying the Skyhawk after only an hour and three landings, despite not having flown in six months. That certainly wouldnt be the case for all the aircraft Im rated in: The last time I flew a jet was more than seven years ago.
A 17-year, 26,000-hour A320 captain, who was a check airman for his airline as well as a certified airframe and power plant mechanic, called a friend to say he would fly over his house later that day to show him the Aerostar 601P he had bought. At a quarter to five the friend, a retired […]
Here’s some news that’s sure to inflame the ADS-B detractors out there. NavWorx has just announced a fully compliant ADS-B In/Out solution that carries a list price of just $699. And that’s not for some portable unit. It’s the same box as the certified gear, but without the certified price. Alas, if you’re like most […]
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association yesterday released worldwide 2014 year-end aircraft sales and delivery numbers, and not only are the figures encouraging for the future health of the industry, they very nearly shattered records. GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce reported that, for the year, total worldwide general aviation airplane shipments rose 4.3 percent, from […]
The Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted Zone will come under assault by a mass of unusual visitors this spring as scores of World War II fighters, bombers and transport planes participate in an epic flyover of the nation’s capital in celebration of the 70th anniversary of V-E Day. More than 75 warbirds are confirmed for the […]
Backcountry pilots can rejoice after an agreement was reached this week allowing general aviation airplanes on national forest lands. For more than a decade, the Recreational Aviation Foundation has been working with the United States Forest Service and policy makers in Washington, D.C., to preserve legal access to backcountry strips and to reopen airstrips that […]
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