WASHINGTON, D.C. — When William Piper Sr. was active in bringing aviation to many people in different walks of life, the interests, groups, companies, and politicians were fragmented. He commented to me that it took 50 years before the public realized there should be beltway routes around cities rather than force all traffic to go […]
Opinion
The first regulations
Those who are familiar with today’s Federal Aviation Regulations know that they are a thicket of rules, occupying four volumes of the Code of Federal Regulations, consisting of 460 sections extending over 3,600 pages. But 85 years ago, it was a simpler time for aviation. That’s when the regulation of aircraft and pilots began with […]
Healing continues for Reno survivor
“He’s doing alright. Doing pretty good actually,” said Tracy, the wife of Reno Air Races crash survivor Larry Cruz. (I wrote about him Oct. 9). He is still in Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center but now has his new hook. He’d like to get moved to the rehab floor, but he still has a lot of […]
Congress is listening… at least one member is
Congressman Todd Rokita (Indiana) is a commercially-rated pilot who shares my concern with regulatory bloat and responded to my editorial “Have you put on some weight?” I recently read your editorial in General Aviation News titled “Have you put on a few pounds?” As both a commercially rated private pilot and as a member of […]
Occupy General Aviation
You’ve seen them on the news. They’re mostly young, but a broad spectrum of age brackets is evident in the full group. Often angry, frequently lacking focus, they have successfully done something the general aviation market has been loathe to do — attract massive media attention. On that score they’re winning the battle. First it […]
Controller error report tells only a partial story
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Air traffic controller errors on and around airports have increased sharply in recent years, but data gathered by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) doesn’t tell the complete story. Mistakes by controllers handling arrival and departures have nearly double in the past three years. Runway incursions at airports with control towers increased more […]
Flight time for pay?
Clay Lacy was honored at NBAA2011 with the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award. From Mary F. Silitch’s story at AINonline, Lacy is quoted as saying, “at 12, I started working at Cannonball Airport receiving flight time for pay.” Historically, that was pretty common. Does anyone pay with flight time anymore?
A campaign begins
Readers write to me from time to time. I’m glad they do. The wonders of the computer age allow us to communicate with each other more easily and productively than ever before. Email doesn’t cost a thing, and with the ability to attach photos, as well as links to videos or other content, means that […]
NextGen: Over budget and behind schedule
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cost overruns, time delays, and management mistakes are all causing the NextGen program to be at risk. That, in brief, was what members of Congress heard from witnesses at a recent hearing of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Two government watchdogs particularly were critical of the […]