Search Results for: general aviation inc

Transitioning from winter to summer weather takes some thoughtful effort. Its not just about density altitude and performance charts.

[IMGCAP(1)]Harnessed

Two recent fatal accidents brought home for me a couple of concepts that, while not revolutionary, seem to have fallen by the wayside among many of us.

Both accidents involved Beech Bonanzas being operated by experienced pilots. Although one involved a ditching, it appears both should have been survivable. One apparently could have been avoided; the other resulted from a catastrophic engine failure, leaving the pilot with few options.

In at least one of these two accidents, the pilot and right-seater sustained what appears to have been ultimately fatal head injuries. A rear-seat passenger in this accident was able to walk away from the scene.

The firs…

Your airplanes safest turbulence-penetration speed may not be the published maneuvering speed. Why you might be too fast, and what you can do about it.

Flying is an art, with a little bit of science thrown in. But that science doesnt have to be intimidating if we apply a few rules of thumb.

With the coming age of very light jets (or whatever you want to call them) just around the corner, the question has been repeatedly raised but never really answered: How will pilots fare when transitioning from piston-powered airplanes to this new breed of little jets? It’s a much more complicated question than it at first […]

Selected recent general aviation and air carrier accidents

Battery Maintenance
With reference to Its Not A River In Egypt (Learning Experiences, January 2006), I do not agree with the crews judgment to fly the airplane with a known problem. The Barons batteries were in such a low state of charge they would not crank the engines.

External power should never be used when the internal battery power isnt sufficient to start the engine(s). Dead batteries require three to four hours to recharge fully from the aircraft generating system. Therefore they are not considered airworthy in a discharged state.

Batteries that have enough power to crank and start the engine(s) will generally recharge to a reasonable state of charge prior t…

Getting a vector to the final approach course is the norm at most airports, not the exception. But there are still a few things you need to know.

Why engines fail is easy to understand. Getting more pilots to do their part in preventing failures is the hard part.

Every pilot who stays reasonably up to date with the march of aviation technology knows that today even pilots of piston singles and light twins can get aviation weather in the cockpit. For those pilots who fly their airplanes for transportation, this is nothing short of a safety revolution. Instead of guessing and hoping and […]