“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 […]
Pilots
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 […]
ASA debuts Learn to Fly blog
New from ASA is the Learn to Fly Blog, a place for current pilots, students, and future pilots to learn, explore, and share insights on the foundations of flight and flight training. Find out what it takes to become a pilot, learn the fundamental principles behind the wonder of flight, get test-taking tips, share training experiences […]
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 […]
Latest issue of FAA Safety Briefing online
The September/October 2014 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on the world of student pilots and airmen-in-training. A continuation to the magazine’s last student pilot-themed edition in 2012, this issue explores additional tips and resources to help provide a successful path to initial pilot certification, as well as provide a refresher to those more experienced aviators, FAA […]
CATS Testing Center opens at GMU
A new CATS Testing Center has opened at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in Greenville, S.C. The new testing center, the only one in the Upstate of South Carolina, is located in the Palmetto Pilot Supply store in the Greenville Downtown Airport’s main terminal. GMU has five flight schools and is the busiest general aviation airport […]
License or certificate?
If you pilot an aircraft, you probably tell friends you have a pilot’s license. Right? Maybe. What you have now is a pilot’s CERTIFICATE. The FAA issues LICENSES for commercial space transportation. The FAA recently began using certificate most of the time for aviation to differentiate it from space work, as well as from licenses issued by foreign […]
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 […]