Jeff Smisek is the CEO of United Airlines. His CEO Letter in the November issue of Hemispheres Magazine was titled, “Aviation Tax Reform,” which caught my eye. “The taxation system across transportation modes is broken, and airlines and our customers are paying the price for this irrational structure,” laments Mr. Smisek. The government imposes “17 […]
Touch & Go
You might want to lay off the cookies Santa…
Dear Santa, I hope this letter reaches you in time. It has been a bit hectic lately, so I’m a little late. Wait, why am I telling you this? You already know. This year, I only want three things: Prompt certification for lead-free avgas: Shell recently joined GAMI and Swift in the race to produce […]
BMI could trigger additional scrutiny with proposed policy
The FAA is targeting pilots (and controllers) with a “proposed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) policy.” Pilots and controllers with a Body Mass Index (calculate yours here) with 40 and higher, will be the initial target. Federal Air Surgeon Fred Tilton wrote in recent medical bulletin those pilots “will have to be evaluated by a physician who […]
Why can’t we be more like China?
“China gets ready for takeoff,” [subscription required] is the cover story of the Nov. 18, 2013, of Fortune magazine. The article centers on Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China‘s efforts to bring the C919 to market. For perspective, the C919 is remarkably similar to the Airbus A320. So we’re not talking GA here. But in the […]
Thank you for your service
If there is one constant in life, it is that change is inevitable. In the aviation industry, this often manifests as people leave one job to take another. Or, as in the case of JoAnn and Sandy Hill from Longmont, Colo., it can take the form of retirement after what most would agree is a […]
Old Coot pilots come up with ideas for a new medical
Guest Editorial By John Christensen I recently attended my 50th high school reunion. I had a wonderful time reminiscing with classmates. As one would expect, the rather large crowd quickly organized itself into small groups, according to interests, past and present. I found myself embedded in a pod of old coot pilots. After the hangar stories, […]
‘He died doing what he loved’
Guest Editorial By THOMAS P. TURNER The pilot of a twin-engine airplane sped through a narrow mountain pass. Low clouds obscured the ridges and peaks; pine trees blurred past just a few hundred feet below, materializing from the mist, flashing dark green beneath the sleek airplane, and zooming into the cloak of mist behind with […]
Do you feel lucky?
Guest Editorial By STEVE BILL HANSHEW Pilots dread ramp checks. It’s a lot like a prostate exam in a flight physical — you don’t want one, but sooner or later you’re going to get one. No matter that it’s a part of an FAA inspector’s job to periodically audit any aircraft he or she chooses, […]
EAA vs. FAA: It’s complicated
To be honest, I’m a bit conflicted about all that’s been going on with the Experimental Aircraft Association and the FAA’s demand that the association cover some of the costs of air traffic control at this month’s AirVenture. Of course, EAA is much more than AirVenture. But once a year, it does host the mother […]