Features

(This story originally appeared in Aviation Safety Magazine.) “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it.” Stop me if you’ve heard that before. The same could be said about managing the risk of general aviation. We—both FLYING and the industry as a whole—spend a lot of time preaching to pilots […]

From IFR Magazine reader Daniel Spitzer: I heard the following at Orange County Airport in New York: Instructor: “Diamond taking Runway 04 for departure,” followed immediately by ”Diamond aborting, groundhog crossing the runway veeeerrrrry sloooooowly.” Wise guy on frequency: “Did the groundhog call Ground for clearance?” followed immediately by ”Well, groundhogs don’t have a lot […]

Most respondents dismissed the drone sightings on the East Coast as hype.

This story originally appeared in Aviation Consumer Magazine For many, turbosupercharging is a must, while pricey upkeep is the price to pay for high-flying efficiency and safety. But even the best-maintained turbos have little tolerance for careless operation, although these days, advanced electronic engine monitors are a welcomed backstop. But no matter how gently you […]

On my AirVenture pilgrimage from New Jersey to Oshkosh many summers ago, I was watching a couple of small but darkening red splotches showing up ahead on the Nexrad screen of my handheld GPS navigator. This was in the early days of having weather radar displays available on portables, and I was glad I had […]

Most respondents believe the planemaker is on the mend.

The one time I suffered an engine failure, it was partial, not total. One cylinder’s intake valve spontaneously disassembled itself—a neat trick for a one-piece component—leaving the other five jugs to continue merrily along, albeit with some major vibration and a distinct power loss. I had plenty of altitude and enough engine power to reach […]

In the late 1970s, I was fortunate enough to spend some one-on-one time with Royal Air Force Battle of Britain hero Robert Stanford Tuck. I had worn out the pages of his biography, Fly For Your Life, and was awed by the chance to have a face-to-face conversation about flying Spitfires and Hurricanes while engaging […]

Respondents say they need to work on all aspects of flying.

For AVweb fans who are also students of music theory, from reader Mike Toews: I teach aerobatics part-time at a local flight school and received the following text from a musically inclined student who was getting frustrated with numerous booking cancellations due to weather, maintenance, scheduling issues, etc., etc. “I’m writing a song called ‘Aerobatic […]