Search Results for: general aviation inc

From the beginning the FAA has treated jets differently. In almost every area of certification the standards for jets have been more stringent than for propeller-driven airplanes, and one of those jet standards had been a requirement for two pilots. That rule remained in force until 1977 when Cessna won approval for single-pilot operation of […]

One Saturday morning in the early 1990s my six-year-old son and I headed out for a little IFR adventure. Ceilings were 700-900 feet, and the winds were mild. In Topeka, Kansas, we have the benefit of two controlled airports. Billard has a very active instruction and general aviation program, and Forbes is a former Air […]

With the practiced air of a concert pianist adjusting his piano bench, Les Abend slid his captain’s seat forward and towards the midline of the American Airlines 757, adjusted the seat height and rudder pedals with habitual precision, surveyed with satisfaction the array of dials, screens, switches and throttles, then turned to me and first […]

The photos were tucked in the back of the gallery, almost hidden behind the colorful nautical scenes and seaside landscapes that typifies most of the commercial paintings sold in town. The photos also featured local landmarks of the harbor, the town and the North Shore coastline-but they stood out from the other artwork in two […]

take exception with the statement made in the sidebar “Oil-Changing Tips” in Octobers article, “Is Oil Analysis Worth It?” You state, “If you are the owner, changing your own aircraft oil and filter is completely legal with the FAA.” Not so!The authorization for this action is in FAR 43.3(g), which states: “The holder of a pilot certificate issued under Part 61 may perform preventative maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by that pilot which…

Making the go/no-go decision can demand more experience than the low-time pilot has. Decide when to call it a day or to take a look, but with a solid alternative.

Constantly evaluating our progress means more than glancing at the moving map. We also need to expect the unexpected and be prepared to change our plans.

NASAs safety reporting program offers more than potential amnesty from an enforcement action. Instead, it helps operators and the FAA understand mistakes and learn from them.

“I always use flaps for climb. I get more lift that way.” Some would call this statement perfectly logical, because flaps do increase lift and increased lift certainly ought to make an airplane climb faster. Others would say that the reasoning is fallacious, and that flaps, by increasing drag, reduce rate of climb rather than […]

It wasn’t until one of the very last stops and the very last day of my visit at Oshkosh that I really understood that I still lead a sheltered airline life. The revelation didn’t sink in until my jaw went slack after catching a surprised glimpse of Larry Neal’s flying motorcycle exhibited in the Ultralight […]