Normally, paranoia is considered unhealthy. As it pertains to flying, however, in my experience a moderate dose can go a long way toward keeping trouble at bay. Read more →
Category: Safety
Radiation Exposure in Business Aviation
A recent Harvard study highlights the increased incidences of cancers among flight attendants and notes that flight crew are exposed to the highest ionizing radiation dose of all U.S. workers. Are business jet crews any better off? Read more →
Stupid Pilot Tricks
Stupid pilot tricks come in many shapes and sizes. Here’s one in the shape of Hawker 800 which was captured by at least one enterprising photographer at the recent NBAA convention in Las Vegas. Read more →
When Things Go Sideways
There aren’t many second chances in life — and there are even fewer in aviation. One error and you’re out of a job! I’ve seen several examples of this recently, and it leaves me wondering if we might be missing out on an opportunity make aviation safer. Read more →
The Longest Day
Over the years, business aircraft have evolved dramatically in terms of their range. That’s wonderful for the passengers, but for the crew it presents some serious safety hazards which must be dealt with. Read more →
A License to Learn
When a newly minted pilot receives his or her temporary pilot certificate after a successful checkride, the examiner often refers to this piece of paper as a “license to learn”. Nearly twenty years into my flying career, does this aphorism still hold water? Read more →
Different Strokes
Many of us have encountered pilots with a militant, “my-way-or-the-highway” attitude toward flying. I prefer to be a little more open to other ways of doing things. Here’s why. Read more →
Perspectives on GA Safety
The safety record for private, Part 91 flying is significantly worse than that of charter and airline operators. Call me crazy, but I’d argue that this is actually a good thing. Here’s why. Read more →
NOTAMs: A Broken System
Culling through NOTAMs is like having dental work done without Novocain: it’s unnecessarily painful. There are better ways to serve up important flight data, ones that save both time and money. So why aren’t we using them? Read more →
A Better, Safer Airline Cockpit
Airspeeds, altitudes, attitudes, pressures, temperatures… airplanes have many limitations, and nobody would advocate exceeding any of them. So why don’t we give the humans who operate this equipment the same consideration? Read more →