The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is bringing together U.S. and Canadian officials in an effort to make crossing the border a simpler, less cumbersome and more manageable experience for general aviation pilots and passengers. At an Oct. 2 meeting hosted by AOPA in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders met […]
flying
Coradine launches LogTen Pro X
PORTLAND, Ore. — Coradine has released LogTen Pro X, a pilot logbook available for all Apple devices. LogTen Pro X features a new interface designed to reduce distraction and help pilots focus on their data, according to company officials. It is optimized for iOS8 and iPhone 6 and includes fast flight entry, automatic GPS detection of nearest […]
Drugs and the GA pilot
FAR 91.17 prohibits flying after the use of “any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety.” Yet every year pilots crash, killing themselves and their passengers, often because the pilot is chemically compromised by over the counter medications. That’s the big message from a recent study by the National Transportation […]
Two airplanes (almost) anyone can afford
“Everything you need and not much else,” is the catchy tagline from aviation entrepreneur Chip Erwin. With those words, he described the Italian Zigolo, which is based on a design by American Mike Sandlin. (In a sign of our global times, Erwin imports it to both USA and China.) One look at the aircraft and […]
Would you hesitate to declare an emergency?
The fact that all three of my passengers were throwing up simultaneously left me three options: Tough it out and press on to our destination; join them in their nauseous state; or declare an emergency and get the hell on the ground. My right seat passenger was a Horizon Air first officer. She thought she […]
Third-class medical reform caught in government maze
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It started two-and-a-half years ago and there is still no clear end in sight. It’s another example of apparent government slow — or no — action. In March 2012, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) petitioned the FAA to reduce the requirements for a third-class medical […]
NTSB study on drug use criticized by GA groups
A new study on pilot drug use released by the National Transportation Safety Board is “incomplete and its conclusions should be regarded with caution,” according to officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The study of more than 6,600 cases reviewed toxicology tests performed on pilots killed in aviation accidents from 1990 through 2012. The […]
Pilots plan Capital Air Tour
The challenge of flying a general aviation airplane to all the state capitals in the lower 48, plus Alaska, in just two weeks is one that most private pilots would never accept. It is however, the flight plan for an inspiring journey being attempted by two veteran pilots to raise public awareness about smaller, municipal […]
FAA interpretation of cost-sharing flights raises cautionary flags
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent ruling by the FAA regarding share-the-expense rides raises a cautionary flag for private pilots to be sure they are in compliance with not-for-hire regulations. The FAA issued a legal interpretation after several groups launched programs that brought together people wanting to travel to a particular place and pilots intending to go to the same […]