Everyone knows the first step of recovering from addiction is admitting you have a problem. We in the aviation world have a dangerous addiction of our own: the crutch of technology. Read more →
Category: Aviation
The Weakest Link
Statistically, pilots are the cause of about 90% of all accidents. If we’re the weakest link, would aviation safety be better served by removing us from the cockpit? Read more →
How Far is Far Enough?
The latest crop of long-range business aircraft have the ability to traverse most of the world’s routes non-stop. For those which remain out of reach, I muse about whether the added range is worth pursuing in an environment of diminishing returns. Read more →
The Unintentional Aerobat
Do you think it’s possible to fly aerobatics without awareness of it? Not only is it possible — it’s quite common. I’ve seen it done in every kind of airplane, from little Cubs to large-cabin Gulfstreams. Read more →
Flying Backwards
If safety is paramount in aviation, why do the least experienced professional pilots sometimes fly the most challenging aircraft and profiles? Why do the newest instructors teach the most difficult courses? Isn’t that backwards? Read more →
All Work & No Play
Flying is fun — that’s why we got hooked in the first place. But flying for a living can easily suck the life out of your aviation passion… if you let it. Read more →
He’s One of Us Now
To run an organization effectively, it must be understand it inside and out by those at the top. Unfortunately, few if any of the executives at the FAA are pilots. But that changed recently and it’s a good thing for general aviation. Read more →
Who’s the Best Pilot?
“Who’s the best pilot you ever saw?” That famous line from The Right Stuff inspired me to ask what constitutes a great pilot in the real world. Read more →
A Self-Evident Solution
While the FAA employs many quality individuals, as a whole, the agency seems to be falling apart on us. Here are several examples of how FAA policies are hurting GA and how the trend can be reversed. Read more →
Teaching a Homeless Man to Fly
A fellow pilot recently wrote about teaching a homeless man to fly. His post reminded me that I once did the same thing, and in the process learned a valuable lesson about how we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to achieving long-held goals. Read more →