The FAA doesn’t see patients on a day-to-day basis, so they should leave medical certification procedures up to the AMEs who practice their trade! In the process of medical recertification the FAA should only act as an appeal agency to make the final decision on whether airmen fly or not. As ironic as it seems, […]
Opinion
What about Tie-Downs?
At Romeo State Airport: $70,000 for design work for terminal area site preparation: $56,000 federal, $12,250 local and $1,750 state; $492,500 for construction of a new entrance road and site preparation for a new terminal building: $394,000 federal, $86,187 state and $12,313 state and local. Federal and state funding for “luxuries” like layout plans. Roads, […]
Still Learning
Well, Tom, I learned a couple of things (I’m almost 60 and started flying in 1965) from your article “Old School Flying.” 1. I never knew it was illegal to prop an airplane. 2. I’d never heard of the crank in the middle of a Piper instrument panel. Back in the 1960s, we had a […]
Old school flying
Your article on “Old School Flying” in the Oct. 20 issue was great! You know my affinity for the classic airplanes so this article really hit home. I went with a friend to pick up a new Legend Cub and fly it home a few months ago and it was a fun trip, flying low […]
When the media attacks
There probably isn’t an airport in the world that didn’t get a visit or a phone call from its local newspaper or television station in the wake of the crash of an SR20 in New York City on Oct. 11. The crash killed Yankee relief pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and Tyler Stanger, 26, a flight […]
Between a rock and a hard place
Several years ago I pursued a special issuance for my medical and received same. It was a long and tedious process but I was persistent and won. I was able to fly for several years and then out of nowhere I suffered a stroke that rendered me blind. It’s a good thing I wasn’t in […]
The sooner, the better
Your reference to the T3 airplanes scrapped by the Air Force caught my attention (Decisions, decisions, Touch & Go, Oct. 6). Some years ago, I became involved in the issue of the Air Force’s problem with “uncommanded engine stoppages.” I can assure you, the engine was not the problem. Nor was the proficiency of the […]
Congestion
As more and more people are saying “traffic in the area please advise” on the radio, the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) 4-1-9 g-1 now states: g. Self-Announce Position and/or Intentions 1. General. Self-announce is a procedure whereby pilots broadcast their position or intended flight activity or ground operation on the designated CTAF. This procedure is […]
Fair is fair? FAA, airlines continue blitz for user fees
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) held its annual conference and exposition here earlier this month and, as with most aviation meetings now, one of the hottest sessions concerned funding for the FAA. A panel discussion brought out the usual airline pitch of fairness. This hackneyed point was touted by Sharon Pinkerton, […]