Aviation News

One of the many exciting parts of EAA AirVenture Oshkoshis the opportunity to get a ride in a special aircraft. I had the good fortune to catch aride in the jump seat of Dick Thurman’s P-51 Mustang, “Tender, Slender, andTall.” Dick offered the ride while he flew both individually and as a flight of threefor […]

What a monster. What a behemoth. What a ride! TheGrumman Albatross is the biggest in the line of a fleet of fabulousflying boats. The Widgeon, Goose, Mallard and Albatross make upthe Grumman line of flying boats in ascending order of size—andsize is what the Albatross has. You’d better bring your fortyfoot ladder to pre-flight this […]

The M-26 Airwolf is built by PZL Mielec in Poland andjoins a short list of FAA Certified airplanes in the Aerobatic and Standard categories.Mielec built MIGs as a government entity during the Cold War and is now functioning as aprivate company in the newly capitalistic regime. The aircraft is constructed of 51%American made parts which […]

The FAA has issued Bulletin No. 98-1 (dated February 10, 1998) announcing a new enforcement program that will allow FSDO inspectors to issue “tickets” for flight violations. The FAA will use Form 2150-7 which they call an “Administrative Action” — I call it a “ticket.” The inspector will decide on the spot whether the ticket […]

Flight Operational Quality Assurance (“FOQA”) programs are an attempt by airlines to identify data from uneventful airline flights in order to pick out potential problems and correct them before they lead to accidents. A FOQA program requires the installation of a Quick Access Recorder (“QAR”) onboard an airliner to record flight parameters. Data is collected […]

There are two types of aviation businesses: those who have been involved in litigation, and those who will. Air crashes and business disputes often result in the parties hiring lawyers and slugging it out in court. Due to the technical nature of the aviation industry, lawyers rely heavily on expert witnesses to explain the technical […]

The NTSB was formed by The Independent Safety Board Act of 1974. The NTSB was designed to be an independent agency not susceptible to the influence of other parts of government. The Board is managed by five “Members” appointed by the President, each for a five-year term. Once appointed, the member theoretically has job security […]

Because of the risks inherent in flying, all airmen should have an understanding of their rights, options and responsibilities in the event of an accident. The confusion, stress and grief which naturally occur after an accident may interfere with your ability to do the right things at the time. As with emergency procedures, learn now […]

If you hold an FAA certificate — no matter whether you are an airman or an aviation business — it is important to realize that the FAA considers your certificate a privilege. If you commit an infraction that endangers safety, the FAA may revoke this privilege, suspend your certificate, or assess penalties, even if no […]