According to audiotapes released by the FAA, US Airways Flight 1549, known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” suffered a “double bird strike.” A formation of birds had approached the aircraft while it passed through an altitude of about 3,200 feet. When the aircraft hit the birds, the windscreen quickly turned dark brown and both engines […]
Summer’s danger zones
Climatology — the study of the generally prevailing weather conditions common to a region — often gets short shrift in pilot training curriculums, but there’s a lot to be said for having a good handle on regional weather patterns, according to a story just posted to AOPA.org, which notes: “For those venturing into unfamiliar regions […]
ISM business to celebrate Learn to Fly Day
Orlando-Gateway Sport Pilot Flight Training Center at Florida’s Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) will host two free seminars in recognition of National Learn to Fly Day on May 15. The seminars, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., will teach participants about the aviation industry, as well as provide guidelines for how to become a licensed sport […]
Tailwheel shimmy catches pilot by surprise
This April 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Champion 7KCAB. Injuries: None. Location: Alexander City, Alabama. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was conducting a personal flight with the owner […]
First: Ask the right question
When I was a relatively young instructor I had the good fortune to call a small uncontrolled airport in central Connecticut my home base. Meriden Markham may not make the annals of aviation as a hotbed of technical achievement, innovative design, or the home of a manufacturing marvel, but I learned more about teaching, and […]
Philadelphia controllers transition to NextGen
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the FAA’s plan to modernize the national airspace system, controllers in the Philadelphia area now have the capability to use a satellite-based system to more efficiently and safely track and separate aircraft. “This new technology is a tremendous leap forward in transforming the current air traffic control system,” said […]
NTSB investigating near collision of jetliner and 172
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the near collision of a jetliner and a small private plane at the intersection of two active runways at Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Southern California. At about 10:58 a.m. PDT on April 19, Southwest Airlines flight 649, a Boeing 737-700 inbound from Oakland, […]
Phillips launches rebate program for compassion flights
Phillips 66 has launched a rebate program designed to support pilots who volunteer their aircraft and time to fly seriously ill patients who need specialized medical treatments. Starting June 1, pilots flying missions organized and approved by Angel Flight Northeast and Mercy Medical Airlift (which administers Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic and Airlift Hope America) will qualify […]
CFI receives grant for safety training device
FAASTeam Lead Representative and CFI Michael Lessard of Sullivan, Maine, has received a grant from the Wolf Aviation Fund to build a Spatial Disorientation Awareness Training Device. These devices, typically known as “Barany Chairs” or “Vertigo Chairs,” are effective devices to expose subjects to the physical effects of spatial disorientation, as they would be encountered […]