Features

FAA To Require Secondary Flight Deck Barrier This is a response to 9/11. It’s sobering to think that new college students (and even 19-year-olds) today do not remember this event: to them, it is something they learned about in history class and from their parents. By the time this rule change is implemented, many FOs […]

Recently I got a request from an instrument student. He needed help fielding the inevitable systems and scenario-based questions about the G1000’s many failure modes. I authored an article on that topic in 2010 for IFR, but it was insufficient given the depth and breadth of questions he could face. So I added that he […]

Our local airport has one strip, one departure, and a mix of general aviation and airliner traffic. Airliners often have a fixed wheels-up time and Ground will prioritize their movement over the general aviation traffic. The commercial ramp is between the general aviation ramp and the approach end of the preferred runway. I heard the […]

There it is. Right there on the ramp in front of you. You finally pulled it off. You’ve wanted a turboprop—no, that turboprop—ever since you saw one a few days after you soloed. Now, look at yourself. You just closed on the purchase of that Cessna 425. That one, with the incredibly cool four-bladed prop […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

Accident Probe: Deferred Maintenance It is the perfect storm. As airplanes age they need more maintenance but the supply chain is withering as suppliers consolidate or simply close with no other enterprise providing the part. Parts costs are rising at an almost exponential rate exacerbated by the regulatory administrative burden to certify low demand parts […]

When I earned my instrument rating many years ago, it was common to add the notation “No SIDs, No STARs” in the comments block of an IFR flight plan. This was primarily because these procedures were published in a separate book from instrument approaches at the time, and it wasn’t common for private operators to […]

I heard the following around my home airport: Cessna 1234M: “Cessna N1234M, four miles northeast for landing with Echo. Full stop.” Tower: “34M turn right base. Cleared to land 25R.” A few moments later as the Cessna was on short final: Tower: “34M, be aware tractor mowing between 25R and 25L.” Cessna 1234M: “Roger. Too […]

“Some wounds never heal, and for me it was the Honda Mini Trail I couldn’t have,” says seven-time Reno Sport class champion Jeff LaVelle. “It was $280 back then and it might as well have been $280 million.” And so began Jeff’s obsession with speed and freedom and winning and, eventually, airplanes. He couldn’t swing […]

Owning an aircraft is an empowering experience. Winged assets in your hip pocket can open up all kinds of opportunities and adventures free of many concerns associated with traditional clubs and aircraft rental operations. It’s also an awesome responsibility, often isn’t kind to your wallet and can bring many new and unanticipated challenges. For one […]