USA Today took a break from its recent airport bashing to run a guide to plane-spotting sites near major airports. It includes suggestions from readers for airports ranging from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta, to San Francisco. Check it out here.
First solo ends in ditch
This November 2007 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: Cessna 172. Location: Atwater, Calif. Injuries: 1 Minor. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The flight was the student pilot’s first supervised solo. The […]
A call to action: We can fight TSA
Think you can’t make a difference? You can — just ask the Transportation Security Administration. When the TSA introduced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would have required airline-like security on all GA aircraft weighing over 12,500 lbs. (known as the Large Aircraft Security Program or LASP), it was flooded with comments — more than […]
What is the procedure for a hot engine start?
Q: I have a Grumman Yankee Model AA-1 with a Lycoming O-235L 108-hp engine. What is the procedure for a “hot engine” start? When I shut down the engine, I run it lean at 1,800 rpm for about 10 seconds before I pull the mixture. Then, when the engine is cold, it starts right away. […]
‘The worst is behind us’
The last year has been traumatic for GA: Orders have dropped precipitously, customers have cancelled orders, manufacturers and other companies have had layoffs, and the industry has been battered by attacks against business aviation and federal funding for GA airports. “We’ve been through a free fall,” Jack Pelton, Cessna Aircraft Co. chairman, president and CEO, […]
101-year-old pilot to give first-hand account of the beginnings of U.S.-Saudi relationship
Capt. Joseph Grant, a U.S. World War II pilot, will be in the Washington, D.C. area this week for the national book launch of “King Abdulaziz…His Plane and His Pilot,” by Michael Saba. Grant will provide a rare first-hand account of the history and the beginning of the diplomatic Saudi-U.S. relationship as the first pilot […]
Video briefings highlight hot topics
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) recently unveiled the first video in an ongoing series featuring NATA President Jim Coyne called “Coyne’s Video Briefings.” A new video will be released every few weeks focusing on “hot topics” and important current events affecting the general aviation industry. The first briefing, titled “Fiscal Crisis,” focuses on the […]
Senators push to pass FAA funding this year
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Senate have joined together to voice the importance of passing a long-term FAA funding bill (S.1451) before the end of the year. In a letter circulated by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who is a pilot, 35 senators said the bill would provide much-needed funding for metropolitan and rural airports […]
Safety Symposium and Job Fair set
FltOps.com will team with the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), to present the next in its series of pilot safety symposiums and job fairs, on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the New York-LaGuardia Airport Marriott. At a time when the public is questioning attention to safety, one of the primary purposes of the event is to remind […]