Weather Flying
Article: Sweet Dreams
If the NTSB had its way, the FAA would be gauging whether or not you’re having sweet dreams and sleeping through the night cuddled up with your teddy bear. ...
Article: The Steve Fossett Accident
The NTSB says the probable cause of the 2007 crash of adventurer Steve Fossett was an inadvertent encounter with downdrafts above mountainous terrain that exceeded the climb capability of the Bellanca Super Decathlon he was flying. Downdrafts,...
Article: Top Mistakes In Convective Environments
Deep, moist convection, better known as thunderstorms, are the nemesis of all aircraft, big or small. Avoidance is mandatory. Deep, moist...
Article: The Pilot Decides
Each year, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing FAA controllers, honors members who’ve helped save pilots from dangerous situations that might have resulted in accidents.
Article: Should You Reset A Circuit Breaker?
Article: More Than Monitoring
While I was...
Article: Weather In The Cockpit
Article: Icing Awareness
Ten years ago, the...
Article: Understanding RPM
It was just after 6 p.m. when I turned...
Article: The Ugly Side Of Spring
Whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his own shadow or...
Article: Prime Time For Icing
The first hints of warmer weather can cause a sigh of...
Article: Myth Bustin'
Right up front I should post a very clear caveat: Myths within any technological field almost always have a grain of, if not truth, at least enough...
Article: Icing Folklore
Icing is already a terribly complex topic without the many old wives’ tales and rules of thumb making it even more...
Article: Thunderstorms: Managing The Risk
It was June 1977, and I had climbed out of Reading, Pa., in a new Rockwell...
Article: Weather-Avoidance Assistance
While the primary duty of controllers is to separate and direct traffic, they also have a duty to help pilots avoid weather hazards. The FAA’s handbook for controllers requires them to issue pertinent information on observed and reported weather, p...
Article: Face Weather With More Confidence
The trip was to be a long one: Watsonville, Calif., to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was supposed to take...
Article: Finding Weather
Weather happens, and the vast majority of us ...
Article: The Katrina Aftermath
My timing couldn’t have been worse. On Monday, August 29, 2005, I boarded an American Airlines 767 out of Los Angeles and headed for Orlando, Fla., well aware that Hurricane Katrina was...





