Search Results for: general aviation inc

A lot of pilots saw some impressive video of a German Airbus airline crew trying to land in a horrendous crosswind. Other than the wind, the weather was good. The crab angle on final was substantial and the turbulence enthusiastic. It turned into quite a tussle over the runway as the pilot tried to land. […]

I thought I had covered the whole subject of the controller/pilot interface pretty thoroughly. In the January 2008 issue (“The Controller Failed to Inform…”), I used two accidents to illustrate the perils of depending on the controller to keep out of weather and away from high terrain. In the July issue (“Saved by the Controller”) […]

Often considered one of the best barometers of general aviation health, the numbers for used turbine aircraft sales continue to decline overall, though sales outside North America are on the rise. According to AvData, based in Utica, New York, business jet sales in North America were down from 199 in June 2007 to 116 in […]

Every Flight Manual, every Pilots Operating Handbook and every aftermarket pilots guide contains checklists. Normal and emergency, and in some airplanes, abnormal and alternate procedures checklists attempt to cover most situations youre likely to encounter. The FAA, instructors and authors (myself included) expend great effort trying to get pilots to use printed checklists. So it may seem odd to read there are times when a printed series of steps is too cumbersome to use. There are some times when you should forget the checklist. Most in-flight situations are not so time-critical that forgetting to move a switch or control spells immediate disaster. These conditions provide enough time for you to make inputs or move controls, then as time permits pull out a checklist and verify you have forgotten nothing. For instance, when leveling off from climb to cruise you may forget to close cowl flaps; the engine may cool rapidly as airflow accelerates, and cooling drag may prevent the airplane from reaching its maximum speed. But the engines not going to quit, and the airplane isnt going to fall from the sky. Level off, then as time permits reference a printed checklist to catch and correct your omission.

Two wings. Check. Horsepower up front (or maybe in the back). Check. Liquid money in the tanks. Check. Somewhere to go? Hell, yeah! Hang on a minute. As absurdly simple as it sounds, it is a fact that different aircraft serve different roles. Sometimes, the plane, pilot and mission dont match up any more. We know how it goes. You go through primary flight training in a tame little trainer, perhaps a short-legged Cessna 152 or 172, or maybe a Piper Warrior. Youve become accustomed to the frequent fuel stops and finite loading capabilities, and know every avgas-fueled diner within 100 miles. But maybe youve started a family, gained a baby or just want to get out of your own backyard without stopping for fuel quite as often. Maybe something faster, more comfortable, something that will get you over the terrain and out of that miserable chop. And if you need to cover half the country in a day, youll definitely need a faster ride. Or not. If youve passed the point in your flying or professional career where you no longer need that go-fast airplane, youre a good candidate for a lower fuel burn and lower cockpit workload. Too, if your medical renewal isnt much of a gimme any more, perhaps the Sport Pilot and LSA world can open new doors to you as others close.

By FAA count, there have been more than 3,000 incursions into the Washington, D.C., Area Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) since the restricted area’s inception in 2003. As a result, the agency last week issued a final rule mandating completion of a one-hour online course for pilots who wish to fly under VFR within 60 nautical […]

Another EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is in the can, and writing this is one of my first considered actions since returning home and putting the airplane away late last night. Many attendees are saying the 2008 edition was one of the best ever, if not number one. The weather was magnificent, with no rain at the site, there were just enough new aircraft and gadgets to keep things interesting and most people seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps one of the reasons this years event was so good has to do with their (and my) expectations. Through no fault of their own, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) spent the several weeks leading up to the event fending off gloom and doom predictions centered on the price of aviation fuel and general economic conditions. Theres no way, many observers said, for this years show to be as well-attended as previous ones. Notably, the associations staff took a “wait and see” attitude.

Its been said that experience is what you get when you dont get what you wanted to get. Well, taking significant liberties, a pilot might then say that a deviation is where you go when you dont get to go where you planned to go. Got it? We pilots are typically a robust and determined bunch. We dont like to admit we cant travel our planned route. Once were on our way and it looks like Mother Nature doesnt want us on our planned route, the common technique is to simply go have a look before deciding on a different, longer route. To understand the fallacy in this, lets cover a little basic geometry to see that its better to deviate early for the shortest practical addition to your route while maintaining your sanity and keeping your blood pressure in check with a conservative deviation.

When the General Aviation Manufacturers Association released production figures last week, what first might have looked like bad news for piston manufacturers, turns out to be rosier than it might have seemed. The bad news: Total first-half shipments for piston singles and twins were down 15.7 percent compared with last year’s first-half numbers. But the […]

What comes to mind when you think of the National Business Aviation Association? If you say the NBAA represents traditional corporate flight departments with full-time professional pilots flying turbine-powered aircraft, you would be correct. At least that describes the core of the NBAA. But Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the hugely successful association, says […]