A team of former FAA officials have created the Montis Weather Observation System (MWOS), which they describe as a “tool that goes beyond mere weather observations, offering a multifaceted approach to enhance situational awareness and response capabilities. It provides 360° camera images, an extensive array of weather sensor data, ADS-B tracking data, and a suite of analytics.”
FAA
According to the FAA, I should be in a nursing home
I’ve spent thousands of dollars out of pocket. I’ve met every demand the FAA has made and still they keep moving the goalposts. At this point, it feels less like a medical process and more like a war of attrition. The FAA, it seems, is simply hoping I’ll give up.
Blame it on the lawyers
When there is a problem with the transition to unleaded avgas, maybe those affected will sue the EPA or the FAA. But more realistically they will sue everyone from the airplane manufacturers to the fuel distributor, letting the courts sort it out to determine the winners and losers.
MedXpress upgraded
Upgrades have been made to the FAA’s MedXpress website to assist pilots in preparing for their next visit with an aviation medical examiner (AME).
The #2 reason people quit flight training
The #2 reason people quit flight training might be a surprise to most people.
Aviation advocates welcome approval of pilot mental wellness legislation
The bill directs the FAA to revise regulations for mental health disclosure and treatment, with the aim of removing barriers to mental wellness services and updating archaic policies surrounding mental health disclosures.
Questions from the Cockpit: When ATC goes dark
David, an airplane owner in Iowa, writes: Given the recent reported radio outage at Newark, I’m sure we could all use a refresher and perspective on lost comms. It’s one thing to have an on-board failure, but seems much different if ATC goes down, especially in busy airspace. It would be great to hear and learn about scenarios that appear more likely than we thought.
Spatial disorientation: GA’s deadliest threat
According to 2025 research from the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, general aviation accidents caused by spatial disorientation had a 94% fatality rate compared to the 19% fatality rate for all GA accidents.
Court claims GA still doesn’t have a commercially available unleaded avgas
Judge S. Raj Chatterjee noted in the May 30, 2025, ruling that since G100UL has not gone through the ASTM process for specification, it cannot be considered “commercially available.” But the folks behind the unleaded fuel have something to say about that.