Pilot Proficiency

This week, Robert Goyer reported on the new certification standards that are currently in the making at the FAA. Our industry is in dire need of this change. We need it to improve our safety record and to attract more people into the wonderful world of flying. I learned to fly in a Cessna 152 […]

As a former FBO line boy whose job was to wash airplanes, this video makes me cringe. As a pilot, it also makes my palms sweat a little. The airplane is an Antonov An-24. The place is Bodaybo, a gold-mining town in the Russian Far East. The runway is a muddy mess, making the takeoff […]

While you’re probably never likely to encounter** runway contamination as bad as this**, with the coming onset of winter weather, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how slush, ice, mud or standing water can affect your airplane’s performance. The main effect of runway surface contamination on takeoff is reduced acceleration. Beyond that, loose […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Steve Bonine, who has nothing but good things to say about the service at Hangar 10 in Kansas City, Missouri. Hangar 10 (KMKC) Kansas City, Missouri “This FBO […]

Monte Mitchell, the former longtime president of the Aircraft Electronics Association and a legendary figure in the avionics industry, died on Oct. 16 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He was 83. Mitchell served as AEA president from 1977 to 1996 during a 40-year career in the avionics industry. After serving in the Korean War, Mitchell joined […]

I’d planned on telling you today all the reasons why I felt Hawker Beechcraft’s planned sale to Superior Aviation Beijing was very likely on the verge of unraveling. I’ll still do that, but the story took on a new dimension when a press release from Hawker Beechcraft arrived in my e-mail inbox at 8:05 this […]

On October 14, Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” Yeager completed a celebratory flight to mark the anniversary of his historic first supersonic flight. In pure Air Force fashion, Yeager, now 89, broke the sound barrier 45,000 feet over the Edwards Air Force Base at 10:24 a.m., 65 years to the minute after his original flight. But […]

On Sunday morning, the 65th anniversary of Chuck Yeager’s historic supersonic flight in the Bell X-1, Austrian base jumper Felix Baumgartner became the first person to ever go faster than the speed of sound without the benefit of a craft. The record came after Baumgartner leapt from an altitude of 128,000 feet from the gondola […]

October 14 was no ordinary day for Drew Gryder of Hampton, Georgia. It was the day of his 16th birthday. And Gryder spent this milestone birthday doing something not many, if any, teenagers had done before. He completed triple solo flights – taking to the skies in a glider, a single-engine airplane and a multi-engine […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Allan Cobb, who has nothing but good things to say about the service at Piper Memorial Airport. “I fly into LHV on a regular basis to visit my daughter who’s attending […]