Search Results for: general aviation inc

Back in the 1950s, social critic and philosopher Lenny Bruce said that no one is shocked anymore. He was probably correct, given our national tolerance for the excesses of those in the entertainment biz, and those seeking to join the weirdness. Yet, I find my level of amazement at flight schools that grind out new instrument pilots without insisting that they actually fly an airplane in the clouds remains at the near shock level.

Obstructions, sand, mud, wandering animals and other surprises like the end of the runway rushing up to meet you…these are just some of the hazards common to short and soft fields. We all think we’re trained for them, but there’s a big difference between training and reality. I’m not knocking what CFIs teach or what’s required on the practical tests, but what you learned in your training may be insufficient to prepare you for the real thing.

Let’s face it: If you can’t get what you want in life, why bother? That same adage holds when you interact with air traffic control (ATC). Whether you’re VFR or IFR, if you can’t get what you want from ATC, your trip will take longer, burn more fuel and generally annoy you to the point where you actually begin to believe the old adage, “If you have time to spare, go by air.” It doesn’t have to be that way. After all, you are the pilot-in-command (PIC) and that sweet voice on the other side of the radio frequency is there to help you, right?

The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) announced yesterday it has reached a partnership agreement with the NextGen GA Fund to help aircraft owners find “quick, affordable financial incentives” for upgrading their avionics. With the 2020 equipage deadline, there has been concern within the general aviation community over the cost to upgrade current aircraft to meet the […]

The FAA has been dragging its heels on the issue of driver’s license medicals for private pilots for the better part of two years, but the proposal might finally get the attention it deserves. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta recently sent a letter to AOPA apologizing for the delay in the association’s request to expand driver’s […]

Photo by Jim Raeder| The used airplane picture has gone through some big changes in recent years, and none have been more dramatic than those that have occurred in the market for piston airplanes, which are still selling for far less than they did before the downturn of 2008. While certain brands and models of […]

Last summer, General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce worked elbow-to-elbow for two weeks with a group of high school students. They were assembling a Glasair Sportsman kit plane at the company’s Arlington, Washington, headquarters — under the “Two Weeks to Taxi” program. Now, as part of the 2014 program in cooperation with […]

Industry groups are sounding alarms over a surprise change to the FAA’s longstanding policy toward GA flight simulators that one organization says will diminish many pilots’ ability to receive adequate training. In the policy reversal issued on January 2, the FAA said it plans to rescind all Letters of Authorization for general aviation flight simulators […]

It’s not something I usually admit in polite company, but I think I’m fairly prone to addiction. I’ve never been a raging alcoholic or desperate junkie, mind you, but when I take an interest in something, I tend to go all in. Shortly after I started motorcycling, I rode my old BMW on a 15,000-mile […]

In those kinder and gentler days (which may be more legend than fact), an FAA inspector who learned that your Mooney was sitting on its belly might have taken down the details over the phone, filed a brief report and even offered sympathy for your embarrassment and the cost of the repairs. General aviation activity […]