In April 2017, the National Weather Service transitioned the Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) from experimental to a live, operational product. The GFA should make interpreting the information easier, improving safety and efficiency, said John Kosak, weather project manager at the National Business Aviation Association’s Air Traffic Services. The expectation is that the GFA will replace the […]
Michigan sales and use tax bills heading to vote
The Michigan House of Representatives will soon vote on two sales and use tax bills related to aircraft parts and maintenance services. According to officials with the Michigan Business Aviation Association (MBAA) and the National Business Aviation Association, while aircraft parts used in the repair of general aviation aircraft not based or registered in Michigan are […]
Looking for a pilot-friendly optician?
Let’s face it, pilots are a special breed. Oftentimes, those in the medical profession don’t fully understand our needs. For that reason, Dean Siracusa has launched EyesThatFly.com. The founder of Flying Eyes Optics conceived the idea, because he found it was easier to explain a pilot’s unique vision requirements to a fellow pilot – not to mention […]
Wind gusts nose Piper over
The pilot performed stop and go landings, at a private dirt airstrip in Drexel, Missouri. After his third landing, while taxiing to the east for takeoff, he reported encountering several wind gusts that nosed the Piper PA 22-135 over. The airstrip is located between two weather reporting stations. Winds for the area were out of the south at […]
Lake touch-n-go
Dwayne Kear of Norman, Oklahoma, sent in this photo of a 1969 Lake Buccaneer LA-4 climbing after a touch-n-go on Lake Tenkiller near Gore, Oklahoma, in October 2016.
Any landing you can walk away from…
By AMELIA REIHELD. Aw, Shucks (or words to that effect) … In my defense, I did not say those famous last words when the bottom fell out. I didn’t even think them. Honest. But I guess this sad story needs to start at the beginning… The Saturday after Thanksgiving was a crisp, beautiful day to […]
A great aircraft sometimes overlooked by buyers
By WILLIAM BENNETT When pilots search for that one special airplane to purchase, they sometimes get stuck in the rut of only looking at Cessnas, Pipers, Beechcraft, Mooney and Cirrus. All make good and capable planes. But most of the time the SOCATA “Caribbean Series” gets overlooked. Especially by those pilots in the USA who […]
NTSB recommends ways to increase effectiveness of PIREPS
Citing how important weather reports by pilots are to flight safety, a special investigation report released by the National Transportation Safety Board called for changes in training and procedures for pilots, air traffic controllers and others within the aviation community to enhance the effectiveness of the entire pilot weather reporting system with the intent to reduce pilots’ […]
Customs to hold Global Entry Enrollment interviews at Oshkosh
Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will hold a Global Entry enrollment event at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During the show, CPB will conduct 500 interviews for conditionally approved Global Entry applicants. Global Entry is a voluntary expedited clearance initiative for pre-approved low risk international travelers, who are processed by biometric identification using […]