aviation safety

Learn essential safety tips, ice thickness requirements, and gear for successful winter fly-ins on the Midwest’s frozen lakes.

“Know your limitations and don’t exceed them” is common advice for aviators. That statement is all well and good, so far as it goes. It generally encourages you, as the pilot, to do a good job of preparing for each flight and keep up your stockpile of skills by regular training and practice. In doing […]

If you’re like me, at some point in your pilot career, you may have asked yourself this: “Do I really need a weather briefing? The TAFs look like things will probably be fine. I’m not going that far. I’ll just get while the gettin’ is good, and I’ll be there before any bad weather moves […]

I never understood aviation until the day I lost it. In the span of two weeks, I failed a flight physical with my increasingly weakened eyesight and found a tumor that was removed the following day. In that moment, as I lay on my bed pondering the potential loss of my entire professional life up […]

CubCrafters, a leading designer and manufacturer of light sport and Part 23-certified aircraft, unveils a backcountry landing gear configuration to minimize ground loops in backcountry flying. CEO Patrick Horgan expresses confidence in the innovation, stating, “This is the most robust landing gear configuration ever put on a Cub type aircraft.” He highlights its strength and […]

While 2023 signaled the last time championship air racing would take place in Reno, Nevada, the organizing body—Reno Air Racing Association (RARA)—has said it would actively seek out new venues for its events. Now it’s down to three possible locations: Casper, Wyoming; Pueblo, Colorado; and Roswell, New Mexico. Off the list, for now, are Buckeye, […]

Over the weekend, the Michigan Aviation Safety Forum (MASF) gathered pilots and mechanics to provide proficiency and safety seminars. The MASF is a yearly collaboration between industry stakeholders, aviators, mechanics, and FAA staff to provide safety forums and mechanic (IA) recurrency training seminars that help maintain currency for technicians who keep aircraft legally and safely […]

In commercial aviation or general aviation, we should trust—but always verify. 

Bushliner Aircraft has announced what it is calling a groundbreaking collaboration with Jungle Aviation and Relay Service (JAARS Inc.), securing design rights for upgraded seats for the Bushliner 1850. The companies say this joint effort promises enhanced safety, crashworthiness, and versatility. These cutting-edge seats, renowned for their advanced S-frame inertia-absorbing technology, are being touted as […]

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY…Cessna 9 [unintelligible].” Another pilot on the frequency replied: “14A, how far north of the shoreline are you?” “Right in the middle. I’m out here by…there…there’s a boat going by… there’s a tanker getting drug. I am out in the middle, and I’m going down now. I’m going in the water.” It was […]