After an aircraft accident that claimed the lives of friends, Paul Burger made a commitment to help others avoid the same tragedy. Since then he’s donated almost $1 million and countless hours to general aviation safety.
AOPA
Warm weather IFR planning with ForeFlight
“Warm Weather IFR Planning with ForeFlight offers insightful tips to help identify weather that could interrupt our flight by looking at various tools readily available during the planning process,” said ASI Senior Director Paul Deres. “For example, selecting the IFR flight category overlay in ForeFlight gives us a birds-eye view of current weather across the region and helps us anticipate conditions we can expect for our flight.”
New video analyzes Cherokee Lance crash
The new video from the AOPA’s Air Safety Institute, “High Aspirations,” recreates the events that led a Piper PA 32 Cherokee Lance to crash only minutes after takeoff from South Valley Regional Airport (U42).
National Celebration of GA planned for May 2024
A wide array of aircraft representing virtually every chapter of general aviation’s history will be on display during a fly-over of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during a May 2024 commemoration of the many contributions the GA industry has provided to our nation.
The pitfalls of flying at night
“Night flying introduces challenges that are reflected in the data,” said Robert Geske, AOPA Air Safety Institute manager of aviation safety analysis. “More than one-quarter of fatal night flying accidents occurred because of spatial disorientation, a condition that can bring about loss of control in flight — the leading cause of all night flying accidents.”
Advocates save KGBR
A effort led by local community supporters and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) led to Walter J Koladza Airport (KGBR) in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, earning a “special permit” to continue operating from town officials.
What’s it like to fly a Fire Boss?
In Peak Performance: Flying the Fire Boss, the Air Safety Institute’s Richard McSpadden rides along to see how firefighting pilots safely scoop 800 gallons of water out of a lake in 15 seconds, and then release the roughly 6,600-pound load in less than two seconds to douse fires — and then he tries it and sees how hard it really is.
Video provides early analysis of Florida fatal accident
According to a preliminary NTSB report, the airplane took off over dark water with no discernable horizon, then began a shallow climb and a right turn. “It seems possible that this is a classic spatial disorientation accident due to somatogravic illusion, triggered by accelerating in situations without good visual references,” AOPA officials said.
New video features IFR flight planning tools and tips
The AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new video in its Beyond Proficient: IFR video series that provides tools and tips on IFR flight plan filing for pilots.