Air Vagabonds
It seems every aviator I know would like to be an international delivery pilot. Each month, I receive more e …
Pilot Talk
Tales of wisdom and adventure from our talented columnists.
The Wellstone Accident
The NTSB has released its final report on the October 25, 2002, accident in which U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and seven others were killed at Eveleth, Minn. The twin-engine turboprop King Air A100 didn’t have a cockpit voice recorder, so there was no possibility of investigators learning what the pilot and copilot might have said to each other about the way things were progressing during the VOR approach to Eveleth. Investigators had to rely on other things to figure out what caused the airplane to experience an aerodynamic stall at a critically low altitude. In reconstructing the accident scenario, investigators used radar data, ATC audiotapes, aircraft performance numbers, interviews and a large body of experience derived from investigating other accidents.
To access this content, you must purchase Plane and Pilot Membership.
Pitts Specialski
An e-mail that I received said: Report, can I gain the necessary drawings for independent building given plane PITS …
The Miracle Of Clouds
Although I’ve made some slight progress in learning to fly during the last 38 years, I’ve never even …
Learning From Mistakes
One of the best things that the FAA ever did to promote aviation safety was to provide immunity from FAR violations prosecution for pilots who voluntarily report problems and incidents to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) before the FAA gets wind of what went on. During most months, NASA’s ASRS receives about 2,000 to 3,000 reports from pilots, controllers and mechanics. Quite a bit of the information works its way into studies of various safety issues.
To access this content, you must purchase Plane and Pilot Membership.
Setting The Record Straight
Lyn “I’m the boss?” Freeman, Plane & Pilot’s leader (a scary thought, at best) challenged me to put my …
Through The Looking Glass
At first, it might seem a bit odd. In a control room in NASA’s JPL laboratory, scientists and engineers …
Whispers
At first, I wasn’t certain I had heard it. It was a faraway voice, not quite a whisper, and …
The Columbia STS-107 Accident
All of us in aviation lost seven friends last February. No one can forget the horrifying video of the space …
Gone With The Wind
With apologies to Margaret Mitchell, most pilots would welcome the opportunity to be “gone with the wind” and let Mother Nature help keep a lid on upwardly creeping fuel costs. Just a few days ago, a friend of mine found that favorable winds aloft coupled with a direct-to-destination IFR routing cut more than a half-hour off the usual trip home to New York after a business meeting in Ohio. Even better, there was an absence of shear and turbulence, making for a smooth, quick ride. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. From time to time, National Transportation Safety Board investigators have to look at situations in which the capabilities of the pilot and/or the aircraft were exceeded by wind conditions.
To access this content, you must purchase Plane and Pilot Membership.
