George, a commercial pilot in Iowa, writes: In a recent column about the history of flight training, you said that while flight training hasn’t changed much over time, systems have become more complex. Don’t we really still have the same systems? Other than instruments, aren’t airplanes pretty much the same? We have powerplant, fuel, electrical, pitot-static systems…”
Human Factors: Higher and Heavier than Calculated
What can we learn about density altitude and its affect on airplane performance from this June 2024 accident?
Questions from the Cockpit: Slow to the Party
Kimberly, the spouse of a pilot-in-training in Arizona, asks: With all the changes in aviation over the last few decades, how has the current training of pilots changed, compared to previous generations?
Human Factors: Know Thy Airplane
What can we learn from an accident that happened while taking kids up for their first flights by a pilot who didn’t have full knowledge of the airplane’s systems and a mechanic who missed a clogged fuel line?
Questions from the Cockpit: Pirates of the Sky
Adam, an airline pilot based out of Texas, writes: “I recently watched the Japanese cartoon Porco Rosso with my little nephew. Afterward he asked me if there were really seaplane pirates back in the day. I told him that I thought they were probably fictional, but that years ago one of my teachers was ‘William Fly, the Airplane Guy’ and he would know for sure – so I’m asking you!”
An Everyday “Oops” Destroys a Mooney
What can we learn from a pilot who experienced a fire from a battery in his portable ADS-B unit?
Questions from the Cockpit: Complicated Characteristics
Trey, a student pilot in Colorado, writes: “I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the difference between maneuverability and controllability, I don’t think I’m stupid, but…”
Human Factors: When Over and Above Isn’t Enough
A March 2024 accident where the engine failed “without warning” raises the question of whether an “old school” technique might be able to catch problems newer tools miss.
Mandatory Reporting: Fact vs. Fiction
Justin, a private pilot in Texas, writes: “There’s a lot of chatter online about Air Traffic Control Towers “having to” report any mechanical issue a pilot has to the FAA and pilots having to follow up on incidents with the FSDO. Is this new? Where does this come from? What rises to the level of being reported? And what should you do if the FAA calls or writes?”