WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board will consider a study on drug use trends in aviation Sept. 9. It will examine trends in over-the-counter, prescription and illicit drug use documented from toxicology reports of pilots that died in aircraft crashes for the 22 years between 1990 and 2012. The meeting on the drug […]
Opinion
Brrrrr, ka-ching
If you’re connected to social media in any way, you’ve no doubt spent a good deal of time in recent weeks watching people get wet. Like flagpole sitting, goldfish swallowing, and stuffing as many college kids into a VW bug as possible, it’s something of a fad. Most commonly referred to as the “ice bucket […]
Video: Jamie Beckett’s Ice Bucket Challenge
As always, our Politics for Pilots columnist looks at things just a bit differently…Here’s his take on the challenge:
Ask Paul: The oil filter debate continues
In the July 5 print issue of General Aviation News, reader Dennis Reiley offered his thoughts in Letters to the Editor about my column, “Does my engine need an oil filter?” Here’s a bit of what he had to say: “I have to disagree with Paul. Every internal combustion engine needs an oil filter — even those […]
FAA interpretation of cost-sharing flights raises cautionary flags
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent ruling by the FAA regarding share-the-expense rides raises a cautionary flag for private pilots to be sure they are in compliance with not-for-hire regulations. The FAA issued a legal interpretation after several groups launched programs that brought together people wanting to travel to a particular place and pilots intending to go to the same […]
AirPooler wants FAA clarification on ride-sharing interpretation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Steve Lewis, co-founder and CEO of AirPooler, says the FAA’s announced interpretation of flight-sharing-costs is causing confusion among pilots and urges the agency to clarify what it means. The FAA’s position, he said, is based on a 1963 ruling that was reversed the following year. Lewis said the FAA is now calling cost […]
Action, reaction, over-reaction
In the political arena opinions are rampant. Facts are often scarce, and statistics are often tweaked until reduced to little more than useless gibberish designed to support an otherwise unsupportable argument. This is true in every town, every state, and every country. It’s a human trait, not a failing of the left or the right, […]
VFR sectional? There’s more to know
One way to avoid mid-air surprises is to know where likely traffic is coming from. That’s easier said than done outside your local area. It’s really tough for new pilots still learning the ropes. When I was a student in the mid-1960s, I already knew the FAA said to watch out around VORs, where traffic […]
GA issues stalled until after election
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress is now on its summer recess. Members will reconvene Sept. 8 for a session of just two weeks and two days. Once it adjourns Sept. 23, the Congress won’t meet again until after the November election. This is a short time for a quarreling legislative body to accomplish much of what it was […]