What can we learn from an accident where a Baron is pummeled by hail?
Questions from the Cockpit: A friendly dogfight
High-wing vs. low-wing aircraft: Who wins in this debate?
Human Factors: A case of mistaken identity
What lessons can we learn from a pilot who crashes while landing at the wrong airport?
Questions from the Cockpit: Strength is relative
Staci, a student pilot in Arizona, asks: Why are airplanes less strong when it comes to negative Gs than positive Gs? Our “normal” trainers are said to be OK to 3.8 positive but only 1.52 negative. Even aerobatic airplanes, while stronger on both sides of the scale, are still weaker in the negative G area. It would seem to me you’d just build an airplane to be the same strength all the way around. I’m hoping you can tell me why there is a difference in strength between positive and negative.
Human Factors: Finesse required
So one takeaway from this accident is to concentrate on deliberate, smooth application of throttle — of any lever, dial, or knob on the flight deck, for that matter. We really don’t have anything in our play book that needs to be done at the speed of light and the strength of Superman.
Human Factors: Safety in numbers?
The big takeaway from this accident is clearly that flying as a crew requires good communication and a clear discussion of who is responsible for each aspect of the flight. If we really want to take a page from airline crew resource management, duties should be divided up, rather than duplicated.
Questions from the Cockpit: Reno reboot
Question from pretty much every pilot I know, in pretty much every state: What did you think of the National Championship Air Races in its new location?
Questions from the Cockpit: Night and day
Mack, a student pilot in Florida, writes: I just learned that there are three different definitions of night in the regulations! What’s the deal with all these overlapping definitions? Is the FAA just trying to make it harder on students than it needs to be?
Human Factors: It’s not really a checklist
When something unexpected happens in flight we’ve all been taught to Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. But pilots need to realize that’s not a checklist, but a cycle to be repeated over and over again until the situation is resolved.