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So is NextGen really NextGen?

May 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is the ninth in a series of articles looking at the impact of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) on GA pilots.

What the heck is this all about? NextGen really not NextGen?

Over the course of the last 10 months we have reviewed quite a few navigation techniques that always brought something new to the table. It could be in hardware, procedures, rules, or even just seat of the pants know how. Each and every addition added improvements in safety, efficiency, or speed.

So were these previous developments considered NextGen? You bet they were. [Read more...]

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Whistleblowers highlight safety issues

May 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has the highest per employee whistleblower count in government. This startling statistic was sent to the President and Congress in a letter from the Office of Special Counsel, the agency responsible for protecting government employees who report problems where they work.

[Read more...]

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FAA seeking comments on new flight blocking proposal

May 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The FAA is accepting comments until June 8 on its latest proposal to allow pilots to block their flight information from public view.

[Read more...]

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General Aviation Airports Study released

May 17, 2012 by 3 Comments

The FAA has released a study called “General Aviation Airports: A National Asset.” The 18-month study was conducted “to capture the many diverse functions of general aviation (GA) airports,” FAA officials said, in the hopes that the “general public will have a better understanding of GA airports in the community and within the national air transportation system.”

[Read more...]

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Teaching and Testing CFIT Avoidance seminar created

May 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) recently delivered the eighth in its series of “Seminar-in-a-Box” products for use by the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), “Teaching and Testing CFIT Avoidance.”

[Read more...]

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FAA revises flight blocking rules

May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The FAA has published new procedures that would give aircraft owners broader control over their flight information’s disclosure, according to a report at AOPA.org. The agency will accept comments on its notice of proposed process until June 8.

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Much ado about nothing

May 13, 2012 by 1 Comment

LeRoy Brown should hate me, but he doesn’t. He should at least be mad at me, but he isn’t ­— and for that I’m eternally grateful.

You see, I met LeRoy in the worst of circumstances for an editor. We had published a story from a freelancer that told of the long-ago exploits of a pilot and his B-17. Great story ­— problem was the guy who told it was the wrong guy. He was giving himself credit for things LeRoy had done. So understandably, LeRoy was upset when he called our offices.

We were able to smooth things over a bit ­— but it still galls LeRoy to this day that that man would lie so much ­— but remarkably, he has not only forgiven me, he has become my friend.

[Read more...]

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DWI charge against former FAA administrator dismissed

May 13, 2012 by 5 Comments

The Driving While Intoxicated case that led to Randy Babbitt’s abrupt resignation as the FAA’s leader has been dismissed, according to a report at AOPA.org. Babbitt told reporters he bears no ill will against the police officer who arrested him for driving while intoxicated in December, after a Fairfax, Va., judge ruled May 10 that the traffic stop was made on a “mere hunch,” and without just cause.

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Making safer general aviation pilots

May 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Many years ago when I took my Commercial checkride, the Designated Pilot Examiner told me that a pilot’s commitment to safety ebbs and flows. We are at our safest right after a checkride. As we gain experience, our vigilance can diminish, replaced by a new-found confidence that can lead to complacency.

Over the years efforts to keep pilots at that just-back-from-the-checkride level of safety has led to the creation of FAA-sponsored safety programs. The most recent incarnation is the FAASTeam, the name derived from FAASafety Team.

[Read more...]

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FAA forecast for LSAs improbable

May 3, 2012 by 3 Comments

The FAA recently issued its 20-year forecast for aviation, showing growth prospects for business jets and LSAs. It also forecasts a decline in the total number of piston-powered aircraft. Viewed from a distance, this might seem beneficial to LSA producers and sellers. Reasonably, FAA’s report appears to suggest recreational pilots will enjoy more hours aloft in a growing fleet of LSA.

Against a backdrop of what seems to be continuously increasing prices for avgas — some believe 100LL might even disappear — the fuel efficiency of LSAs becomes more important. For example, Rotax just launched its 912 iS fuel-injected engine boasting a 21% reduction in fuel consumption, taking the popular engine from burning about five gallons per hour to a theoretical four gallons in an hour of flying. Should we LSA enthusiasts celebrate these facts?

Regretfully, I find FAA’s forecast improbable (see details below). [Read more...]

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