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# Max Trescott Aviation Trends Aloft

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://maxtrescott.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Jeju Air flight 2216 Mystery: Why Aircraft Didn’t Slow During Slide on the Runway](https://maxtrescott.com/2025/01/jeju-air-flight-2216-mystery-why-aircraft-didnt-slow-during-slide-on-the-runway/) - Experts seemed to have missed one critical aspect of the Jeju Air flight 2216 crash video: the aircraft didn’t slow down as it slid along the runway. The aircraft touched down at around 160 knots, and after it was in the grass, it was still doing about 152 knots. But the only way that could happen… is if the engines were developing a lot of power and weren’t at idle.
- [Lightspeed Delta Zulu Review](https://maxtrescott.com/2023/01/lightspeed-delta-zulu-review/) - The new Lightspeed Delta Zulu headset not only helps prevent hearing loss, but it also provides pilots with a custom sound profile…to compensate for hearing loss you already have. But probably the best feature is that the headset has a built-in carbon monoxide monitor that is always on when the headset is on. I love that because now I don’t have to remember to pull out and turn on my standalone CO monitor when I fly.
- [Ten Lessons from Cirrus midair crash with Metroliner over Centennial](https://maxtrescott.com/2021/05/ten-lessons-from-cirrus-midair-crash-with-metroliner-over-centennial/) - Last week, all pilots and passengers miraculously survived a midair crash at Centennial Airport, near Denver, CO. A Cirrus SR22, which was flying a right traffic pattern to runway 17R, hit a Metroliner that was on a long final to runway 17L. The Cirrus, which was flying a shallow, continuous turn from downwind to final,
- [Max Trescott's G3000 and G5000 Glass Cockpit Handbook](https://maxtrescott.com/2021/03/max-trescotts-g3000-and-g5000-glass-cockpit-handbook/) - What do some fighter jets, light business jets, turboprops and even Joby Aviation’s eVTOL all have in common? They all use, or plan to use, the Garmin G3000 or G5000 glass cockpit! The Garmin G3000 and G5000 are used in twenty-three aircraft models, and manufacturers have announced plans to use them in a half dozen
- [NTSB Report on Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash](https://maxtrescott.com/2021/02/ntsb-report-on-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash/) - There are so many lessons to be learned from this accident, so please listen to this episode of my podcast.
- [SR22 IFR Crash - Poorly Flown IFR Approach & Unneeded Fuel Stop](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/09/sr22-ifr-crash-poorly-flown-ifr-approach-unneeded-fuel-stop/) - If you don't listen to the Aviation News Talk podcast, I encourage you to subscribe here for iPhones and here for Android phones or listening on a desktop computer. In the most recent episode, I talk about the tragic crash of an SR22 last month in Illinois. I was initially struck by the large number
- [Electric Aircraft 2020 and Why You'll Want One - Bye Aerospace eFlyer2](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/08/electric-aircraft-2020-and-why-youll-want-one-bye-aerospace-eflyer2/) - Check out my latest YouTube video interview with George Bye that includes a number of images and video clips supplied by Bye Aerospace. George has been on a 12-year quest to make electric aircraft a reality. I became convinced that electric aircraft are our future after I first talked with George in 2010 and later
- [5 Ways Somatogravic Illusion is Killing Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/07/5-ways-somatogravic-illusion-is-killing-pilots/) - Somatogravic illusion affects all pilots, and it continues to kill them in five specific situations. Part of the reason Somatogravic Illusion is so successful in killing pilots is that it is rarely taught to pilots. And to help you learn about how it kills pilots and the five specific situations for where you should
- [Untitled](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/07/last-week-the-ntsb-held-a-4-hour-meeting-about-the-crash-of-an-atlas-air-767-that-crashed-into-a-bay-near-houston-last-year/) - Last week, the NTSB held a 4-hour meeting about the crash of an Atlas Air 767 that crashed into a Bay near Houston last year. Amazingly everything was going fine until both pilots started making errors, and in just 30 seconds they plunged from 6,000 feet into the Bay. In episode #156 of my Aviation
- [How to Recover from a Spin Video - Catherine Cavagnaro](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/07/how-to-recover-from-a-spin-video-catherine-cavagnaro/) - I'm excited about a new video I just posted of my interview with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro. In it, Catherine talks about some of the debunked theories of lift that some flight instructors still talk about and then about how lift really works. She explains stalls and then shows videos that show how a skidding stall
- [Normalization of Deviance - Red Bull Air Racer Michael Goulian Interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/06/normalization-of-deviance-red-bull-air-racer-michael-goulian-interview/) - Normalization of Deviance. According to aerobatic national champion and air show pilot Michael Goulian, if a pilot or an organization gets away with deviant behavior, over time it becomes normalized and can lead to disaster. You've probably heard of Normalization of Deviance in connection with NASA and the loss of both the Challenger and the
- [Aviation News of the Weird and iPad Incidents](https://maxtrescott.com/2020/03/aviation-news-of-the-weird-and-ipad-incidents/) - If you’re like me, you’re looking for a little comic relief from the nonstop news on the COVID-19 coronavirus. Not that I’m not taking it seriously; I do. I started sheltering at home 8 days ago, while in my county, sheltering at home only became mandatory yesterday. I do a week aviation podcast called Aviation
- [Lightspeed Tango Wireless Headset Review](https://maxtrescott.com/2019/12/lightspeed-tango-wireless-headset-review/) - Ever since the Lightspeed Tango Wireless Headset was introduced in 2016, I’ve wanted to try it. The idea of no longer being tethered by cables to an aircraft is appealing, yet few headset manufacturers offer such a solution. So last month when I had a long ferry flight to move a Cirrus SR22 from Miami
- [S.F. Bay Tour Seminar at AOPA Livermore](https://maxtrescott.com/2019/06/ill-be-giving-my-how-to-fly-the-sf-bay-tour-seminar-at-the-aopa-flyin-at-livermore-later-today-friday-at-3-pm-ill-also-ha/) - I'll be giving my How to Fly the S.F. Bay Tour seminar at the AOPA Flyin at Livermore later today, Friday at 3 PM. I'll also have my Bay Tour maps for sale for $15. There's also a meetup for Aviation News Talk listeners today from 5-6 PM at the Starbuck at the corner of
- [Black Friday and Cyber Monday Aviation Deals](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/11/black-friday-and-cyber-monday-aviation-deals/) - It's Black Friday! Here's a list of deals that I compiled and shared with listeners of the Aviation News Talk podcast earlier today. Normally the weekly podcast consists of general aviation news and pilot safety tips and an occasional interview. But this week, I decided to share some of the deals that I've run across.
- [NTSB Report on Air Canada 759 Taxiway Incident at SFO: Pilot Error](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/09/ntsb-report-on-air-canada-759-taxiway-incident-at-sfo-pilot-error/) - The NTSB adopted seven recommendations today in the wake of the Air Canada Flight 759 incident, in which an A320 jet nearly landed on a taxiway occupied by four fully loaded passenger jets. Here's my analysis.
- [Top Ten Lessons from Delta Flight 192 – Naked Man on the Runway at Atlanta Airport](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/06/top-ten-lessons-from-delta-flight-192-naked-man-on-the-runway-at-atlanta-airport/) - There are many lessons that pilots can learn from the incident yesterday in Atlanta in which a man climbed up on the wing of an arriving airliner, jumped off, and ran naked onto the runway. The ATC audio from Atlanta Tower is instructive and a little entertaining to listen to, so I encourage you to
- [Mike Busch On Engines Book and Interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/06/mike-busch-on-engines-book-and-interview/) - In May 2018, Mike Bush on Engines was released. I purchased the book when it was released and have learned a lot since I started reading it. In addition to teaching the reader about the many engine components and how to operate engines properly, he talks about the missing art of troubleshooting as a general practice in general aviation.
- [Garmin GDL 52 Portable SiriusXM® ADS-B Receiver](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/06/garmin-gdl-52-portable-siriusxm-ads-b-receiver/) - When it comes to buying tools that can help in flight, pilots don’t like to compromise. After all, it’s our lives at stake as we thread traffic and weather to our destination. So I was delighted when Garmin Aviation Marketing Manager Joey Ferreyra contacted me and asked if I’d like to evaluate Garmin’s new GDL
- [CFI Insurance and Reducing Liability as a Flight Instructor - John Ferrell interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/04/cfi-insurance-and-reducing-liability-as-a-flight-instructor-john-ferrell-interview/) - John Ferrell There’s been much discussion in our industry of a CFI shortage, yet there’s a huge supply of potential CFIs among the ranks of airline pilots. However, many airline pilots are reluctant to take up flight instruction as a side job because of concerns over their exposure to increased liability that might put their
- [ACCIDENTWISE 2018 - THIS Thursday April 26 at Moffett Field](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/04/accidentwise-2018-this-thursday-april-26-at-moffett-field/) - ACCIDENTWISE, is an aviation safety event run at Moffett Field. Last year, it had over 200 attendees, making it one of the largest safety events in the country! This year's event is Thursday, April 26, 2018. The event is run by the Aero Club of Northern California, with the help of sponsors AOPA Foundation, NASA ASRS, Cirrus, and Lightspeed.
- [Best Way to Load an Instrument Approach When Flying with Vectors](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/02/best-way-to-load-an-instrument-approach-when-flying-with-vectors/) - In the latest episode of the AviationNewsTalk.com podcast, a listener asked about the best way to load an instrument approach when flying with vectors to final. You can play it here on an iPhone or iPod, or on an Android or web browser. I talked about it in far more detail in the podcast, so I encourage
- [Buying a New Cirrus SR22 and Flying it Home](https://maxtrescott.com/2018/02/buying-a-new-cirrus-sr22-and-flying-it-home/) - No, I didn't buy a new Cirrus last week, but it felt like I did! The experience was awesome, and I wanted to share it with others, so I recorded an interview with the pilot who accompanied me on the trip. He's thinking of buying a new Cirrus, and I brought him along so that
- [Northern California Wildfire Rescues – CHP Pilot Jan Sears Interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/10/northern-california-wildfire-rescues-chp-pilot-jan-sears-interview/) - Late on Sunday night, October 8, 2017, CHP officer/pilot Jan Sears was returning from a routine patrol in one of the department’s GippsAero GA-8 Airvan airplanes, when he spotted a faint flicker in the dark hills above the Napa Valley. He told his partner, Flight Officer Todd Labadie, that it might not be anything, but that
- [Instrument Pilot IFR Tips - Top Priorities & Briefing the Approach](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/10/instrument-pilot-ifr-tips-top-priorities-briefing-the-approach/) - Everyone knows that when flying VFR, that a pilot’s priorities are to aviate, navigate, and communicate. But when flying IFR, pilots are often confused by their priorities when faced with a high task load while preparing to fly an instrument approach. In a recent Aviation News Talk podcast I explain that IFR pilots should prioritize these
- [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Evacuation Flight – Irma 2017](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/09/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-evacuation-flight-irma-2017/) - On Christmas Day, 2006, a tornado destroyed more than 40 airplanes belonging to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). But this year, as Hurricane Irma began tracking toward Florida, the University was prepared with a plan: Fly all 63 of its aircraft to Alabama in a single coordinated flight! This image of the flight, that started at
- [Hurricane Irma Relief – General Aviation Pilots Helping Storm Victims](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/09/hurricane-irma-relief-general-aviation-pilots-helping-storm-victims/) - Welcome to Aviation News Talk where we talk about… the very best of General Aviation and the people in this industry. I’m Max Trescott and if you’re new to the show, we usually have a weekly show that shares pilot safety tips and general aviation news from around the around. But this week, we can’t ignore the death and destruction of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, so we’re releasing our shows more frequently…. We’re focusing on how general aviation is responding to these disasters….and how you as a listener…. can help.
- [Best Aviation Jokes - M&R Joke Hour](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/09/best-aviation-jokes-mr-joke-hour/) - Pilots and aviation fans love good jokes! So I asked listeners of the Aviation News Talk podcast to send me their best aviation jokes. In addition to those jokes, I scoured the Internet to find the best aviation jokes out there. And then I added a few aviation jokes of my own, including one I
- [General Aviation Accident: Surviving a Takeoff Crash with Ailerons Reversed](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/08/general-aviation-accident-surviving-a-takeoff-crash-with-ailerons-reversed/) - In July 2017, a friend of mine had a crash during takeoff in his Piper Arrow at the Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, CA.The plane was destroyed in the crash and the pilot survived with minor injuries. The plane had been at the airport for maintenance, including adding toe brakes to the copilot side, and
- [13 Fun Ideas for National Aviation Day](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/08/13-fun-ideas-for-national-aviation-day/) - National Aviation Day has been around for more than 75 years, and it's a great excuse to get others involved in learning to fly. Or, use it to put some spark back in your flying by trying something new in aviation. National Aviation Day is Saturday, August 19, but you can do these things on
- [Cirrus Embark - Free Cirrus Flight Training for Buyers of Used Cirrus SR20 and SR22 Aircraft](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/07/cirrus-embark-free-cirrus-flight-training-for-buyers-of-used-cirrus-sr20-and-sr22-aircraft/) - Free flight training in a used Cirrus? Yes, the Cirrus Embark program does just that. It provides free flight training for recent buyers of used Cirrus aircraft, such as the SR20 and SR22. This is big news; I don’t recall any manufacturer of any aircraft type paying for training for buyers of their used aircraft.
- [Traffic Pattern Tips, Cirrus Crash, Air Canada Update](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/07/traffic-pattern-tips-cirrus-crash-air-canada-update/) - Did you ever wonder exactly what a tower controller means when he or she says “Make Right Traffic?” It means, fly to a position where you can enter the traffic pattern on the 45, then turn to downwind and fly the traffic pattern. It doesn’t mean to enter on the downwind, or any other way to join
- [Air Canada Near Miss at SFO; Implications for General Aviation Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/07/air-canada-near-miss-at-sfo-implications-for-general-aviation-pilots/) - Air Canada A321 photo by Brian Bukowski, CC BY-SA 2.0Air Canada flight 759 had a near miss at SFO last week, when it inadvertently lined up to land on a taxiway instead of on the runway. FlightAware.com showed the Air Canada Airbus 320 dropping to as low as 175 feet before initiating a go-around and
- [Private Pilot Tips](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/07/private-pilot-tips/) - You’d think it would be obvious, so you shouldn’t have to tell a student pilot. That was a theme at a recent discussion of flight instructors. Of course everything is obvious in hindsight. This week's Aviation News Talk podcast lists over 20 tips picked up from this discussion. All of these stories are about things
- [ATC Privatization - Call to Action](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/06/atc-privatization-call-to-action/) - Six years ago, I started an article on the Obama Administration proposal to implement user fees on aircraft flying in controlled airspace with the words, "Here we go again." And yes, once again, the specter of ATC Privatization has reared it's ugly head again. While I always knew that privatization would likely be bad for
- [Hot Weather Tips for General Aviation Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/06/hot-weather-tips-for-general-aviation-pilots/) - California and the southwest are in the grip of a heat wave, and temperatures are forecast to reach 120 degrees in Phoenix today for just the fourth time in history. Of course when the temperatures soar, it's harder for planes to take off and American Airlines has already canceled over 30 flights scheduled to fly in
- [Low Cost, Garmin G5 Electronic Flight Instrument for certificated, experimental and LSA Aircraft – Garmin Interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/06/low-cost-garmin-g5-electronic-flight-instrument-for-certificated-experimental-and-lsa-aircraft-garmi/) - Garmin recently announced that their low-cost, G5 Electronic Flight Instrument will now be available for use in certificated aircraft. It fits directly into a standard 3 1/8 inch hole used for instruments in most aircraft, which reduces installation time and cost. On the Aviation News Talk podcast episode, I interviewed Garmin software engineer Joe Gepner,
- [Portable ADS-B Receiver Recommendations and Limitations](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/05/portable-ads-b-receiver-limitations/) - I was teaching a pilot yesterday and was surprised that he didn't know that his portable ADS-B receiver often won't show the traffic closest to him, which is the most important traffic. I thought everyone understood the limitations of these devices, but apparently not. So that's the topic of the episode 12 of the Aviation
- [Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Review](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/05/cirrus-sf50-vision-jet-review/) - Last month I spoke on the AviationNewsTalk.com podcast about Cirrus Aircraft receiving a Production Certificate from the FAA to build their new SF50 Vision Jet. So a week ago, I flew to Knoxville, Tennessee to tour the new Cirrus Customer Experience Vision Center, and to spend some time in the first Cirrus Vision Jet delivered to
- [How to Flight Plan a Long Cross Country Trip to Texas in a DA42NG](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/04/how-to-flight-plan-a-long-cross-country-trip-to-texas-in-a-da42ng/) - Flight planning a 1300 NM cross country flight; that's topic of the latest episode of the Aviation News Talk podcast! I'm not saying my techniques are the best way to flight plan a trip, but they are the ones I used for this trip. And I'm sure with listener feedback, I'll learn even better ways to flight
- [Max's Aviation News Talk podcast is #1 Aviation podcast in Apple iTunes](https://maxtrescott.com/2017/04/max-trescott-aviation-news-talk-podcast-is-1-aviation-podcast-in-apple-itunes/) - Hello readers, I have big news to share with you! I produce and host a new weekly podcast called Aviation News Talk. which iPhone and iPad users can find here in the Apple Podcasts app. Yesterday I was surprised to discover that that show is now #1 in the Aviation category of Apple iTunes! I hope you
- [Jack Pelton, EAA Chairman Previews Next Weeks AirVenture at Oshkosh](https://maxtrescott.com/2014/07/jack-pelton-eaa-chairman-previews-next-weeks-airventure-at-oshkosh/) - Here's a fun update from Jack Pelton, EAA Chairman, on AirVenture which starts this weekend, on the Aviation Geeks podcast. I'm substituting for co-host Rob Marks this summer while he writes a book. I invited Jack to be our guest this week and led the conversation. Great fun....and no, it's not to late for you to
- [Rusty Pilot Seminars Near You!](https://maxtrescott.com/2014/07/rusty-pilot-seminars-near-you/) - Have you been out of the skies for more than 90 days? Or maybe for years, but plan to return someday soon? If so, you may want to attend one of AOPA’s Rusty Pilot seminars! As you know, sometimes life gets in the way. For pilots, flying is rarely their top priority as they build
- [Gossamer Airplane Presentation in Mountain View, California](https://maxtrescott.com/2014/03/gossamer-airplane-presentation-in-mountain-view-california/) - If you’re lucky enough to be in the S.F. Bay area next week, don't miss the Aero Club of Northern California luncheon featuring Dr. Morton Grosser presenting on the human-powered, Gossamer Airplane project. Luncheon is at 11:15 AM at Michaels at Shoreline, Mountain View, CA. Please send your name and choice of Cobb Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad, or Baked Canneloloni in an email to RSVP@aeroclubnorcal.org or call 408-634-8062.
- [Rod Machado dinner event - November 1 Hiller Museum, San Carlos](https://maxtrescott.com/2013/10/rod-machado-dinner-event-november-1-hiller-museum-san-carlos/) - If you’ve never heard Rod speak then you’re in for a real treat. He’s one of the funniest aviation speakers on the planet, so it’s bound to be hilarious evening. He will be honored on November 1 in San Carlos, CA at an Aero Club of Northern California dinner event. And it's all for charity. Tickets just cover the price of dinner, but the Silent Auction...well that's where the action is at. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
- [Boeing 777 Procedures from a 777 Pilot](https://maxtrescott.com/2013/07/boeing-777-procedures-from-a-777-pilot-asiana-214/) - The retired 777 pilot I spoke with is not interested in being publically identified and I’ll alternate using he and she when describing this pilot’s comments to me. Note that this pilot flew the Boeing 777 for more than 10,000 hours. He said that the only way a 777 gets slow is if the autothrottles are not engaged, even if they are armed. Yet she said that Boeing procedures are for the autothrottles to remain engaged throughout the landing until after the aircraft rolls out onto the runway. He also said that the crew would have had to turn off the autothrottles, as there is no autopilot mode that disengages them.
- [Finally! An Accurate G1000 simulator](https://maxtrescott.com/2013/06/finally-an-accurate-g1000-simulator/) - Finally there’s a device that so closely mirrors the real Garmin G1000 that I don’t need to make excuses for it. It’s the new GT Glass Trainer from Precision Flight Controls (PFC). Technically, most devices found in flight schools are not flight simulators. The FAA reserves that term for the million dollar devices used to train pilots in turboprops and jets. Most systems found in flight schools are AATDs, or Advanced Aviation Training Devices. The GT Glass Trainer is an AATD. Enter the GT Glass Trainer. It is low cost compared to other G1000 AATDs, about $25,000, and I estimate it replicates the G1000 with 99.8% accuracy, vastly better than other devices I’ve seen. I’ll discuss why it’s so accurate in a moment.
- [How will it Read in the NTSB report?](https://maxtrescott.com/2013/03/how-will-it-read-in-the-ntsb-report/) - When in doubt about a possible course of action, I think about how any subsequent NTSB report might read. Recently, a student and I had already started the engine, but the ATIS reported a direct crosswind gusting to the aircraft’s maximum demonstrated crosswind capability. The student was ready to go...
- [Julie Clark Event - November 9 Hiller Museum, San Carlos](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/10/julie-clark-event-november-9-hiller-museum-san-carlos/) - Generally, I don't write about local events, but this one is so special I'm making an exception. Get yourself however you can to San Carlos, California on November 9 for a night to remember. That's the night the Aero Club of Northern California will honor air show pilot Captain Julie Clark at their annual Crystal
- [Podcast: Building a Career as a Flight Instructor](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/10/podcast-building-a-career-as-a-flight-instructor/) - Many look upon the flight instructor position as a stepping stone towards another career goal while earning poverty level wages. Other instructors are able to command six figure incomes and pursue a fulfilling career helping create knowledgeable and safe pilots. One of the misconceptions in the aviation industry is that flight instructors will always make less than minimum wage and will live in poverty until they obtain a better flying job. Today I want to debunk this myth and help you become a successful flight instructor who has many students and is able to make a great living teaching.
- [FlightLink – Lightspeed’s Cockpit Voice Recorder App](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/10/flightlink-lightspeed-cockpit-voice-recorder-app/) - One of the best surprises I found at AirVenture 2012 in Oshkosh this summer was FlightLink, an iPhone/iPad app for the Lightspeed Zulu.2 ANR headset. I was surprised, as I couldn’t imagine what kind of app one might create for a headset. Fortunately the people at Lightspeed were more imaginative than I and they created FlightLink, an app for recording cockpit audio on your iPhone or iPad.
- [Dealing with the Marine Layer – Having a Plan B](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/07/dealing-with-the-marine-layer-having-a-plan-b/) - All pilots flying in the S.F. Bay area need a Plan B for dealing with the marine layer. To not consider alternatives ahead of time is reckless: the marine layer is a fact of life and if you fly long enough, eventually it will impede your flying. Recently I executed one version of a plan B I formulated decades ago and have taught to many of my students: I landed at Livermore and walked to a nearby motel. It was simple and easy with a guaranteed safe outcome.
- [NTSB Alert—In-Cockpit NEXRAD Weather Age Misleading and Killing Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/06/ntsb-alertin-cockpit-nexrad-weather-age-misleading-and-killing-pilots/) - Pilots are dying because they’re unaware that NEXRAD data is much older than the 1 or 2 minute “age” they see on the screen. the NTSB issued an alert warning “pilots using in-cockpit FIS-B and Satellite Weather display systems that the NEXRAD "age indicator" can be misleading. The actual NEXRAD data can be as much as 20 minutes older than the age indication on the display in the cockpit. The issue is discussed in detail in my Max Trescott’s Garmin G1000 Glass Cockpit Handbook. Chapter 8 is devoted entirely to Onboard Data Link Weather, such as the services provided by SiriusXM, previously known as XM Weather.
- [Icon A5 Video Shows Spin Resistance](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/05/icon-a5-video-shows-spin-resistance/) - I’m excited. Flying is about having fun and the Icon A5 Seaplane promises to deliver more fun than most planes. But there’s more to the airplane than just fun. As a new video shows, it’s also a spin resistant plane that could make flying safer. Spin resistance isn’t new. One of the earliest planes to
- [Floatplane Pilot Rescues Thrown Boater from Lake](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/05/floatplane-pilot-rescues-thrown-boater-from-lake/) - On April 30, 2012, three seaplane pilots rescued a boater just before dark who'd had been thrown in the water. 20-year old Alexander James Higginbotham was already becoming hypothermic while treading water for 15-20 minutes in the frigid 45° water. He’d been in a 14-foot fishing boat when the bolts he used to attach a seat to the boat broke, sending him backwards into the water. Rusty Eichorn, an Itasca County Commissioner, owned the Cessna 180 floatplane that made the rescue and he was assisted by pilots Lynn Bohanon and Kenny Forst who were also on board.
- [Aviators Guide to Ireland](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/04/aviators-guide-to-ireland/) - The Aviators Guide to Ireland is a marvelous 400-page guidebook that includes detailed photos and information about 210 airstrips in Ireland. Even if you think it’s a long shot that you’ll ever fly a plane in Ireland, you'll want to get a copy of this book and dream about flying around the Emerald Isle.
- [Oregon to Discriminate Against Seaplanes](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/03/oregon-to-discriminate-against-seaplanes/) - The Oregon State Marine Board is poised to ban seaplanes on Waldo Lake, even though a Federal court ruled in 2009 that the ban was arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion. I rarely ask anything of my readers, but I will now. Please take a few minutes to send a letter or email to the Oregon State Marine Board and oppose the provision of OAR 250-020-0221 and OAR 250-030-0030 that bans floatplanes from Waldo Lake. The Columbia River Seaplane Pilots Association has a Waldo Lake page that lists a number of reasons why Waldo Lake should remain open to floatplane owners.
- [Lake Berryessa Seaplane Splash-in a Hit](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/03/lake-berryessa-seaplane-splash-in-a-hit/) - The 1st annual Lake Berryessa Polar Bear Classic Splash-In, held February 4 in Napa, California was a hit, drawing a dozen seaplanes from northern California and Nevada. In addition to the video, you can view a photo album of the event.
- [Sharing Airspace with Drones](https://maxtrescott.com/2012/02/sharing-airspace-with-drones/) - The 145-page FAA reauthorization bill forces the FAA to speed up the introduction of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System, which will inevitably lead to more mid-air collisions. To date, UASs have been authorized solely along the Mexican border and within restricted airspace. In the near future, pilots may be sharing all airspace with these unmanned aircraft. At least one UAS has already had a mid-air collision. In August 2011, over the skies of Afghanistan, a 450-pound UAS hit a C130 cargo plane, damaging the plane and forcing an emergency landing. The drone was destroyed.
- [Help Honor Triple Ace C.E. "Bud" Anderson](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/10/help-honor-triple-ace-ce-bud-anderson/) - Would you like to help honor a WWII Triple Ace? Then sign up to attend the Aero Club of Northern California's Crystal Eagle Award dinner on October 22 at the Hiller Museum at San Carlos Airport. You'll find full details at http://www.aeroclubnorcal.org/CrystalEagle_Next.html At the dinner, you can also bid on many cool aviation items in the silent
- [Social Media and Google Plus for Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/09/social-media-and-google-plus-for-pilots/) - Recently someone replied to one of my maxtrescott.com blog articles that they hadn’t seen me posting as often to my blog and they wondered why. There are several reasons, but a big one is that I’m now spending a little more time posting on Google Plus and a little less time writing blog articles. So I would like to invite my blog readers to join me on Google+. That doesn’t mean my blog is going away…it just means that we can connect even more regularly elsewhere. I find that it’s faster and easier for me to create on Google+ that to post a new blog article. Generally I post shorter comments on Google+ and longer comments on my blog. But I can use an unlimited number of words in each Google+ post, so eventually it could replace my blog.
- [$100 per Flight Aircraft User Fees Proposed in Deficit Reduction Plan](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/09/100-per-flight-aircraft-user-fees-proposed-in-deficit-reduction-plan/) - A press release today from the AEA, Aircraft Electronics Association, signals that once again we need to rally all pilots to fight proposed user fees. Deficit reduction is important, but preserving our industry is also important. Currently the proposed $100 per flight fee would only apply to aviation operators flying in controlled airspace.
- [Help Save Historic Blimp Hangar One at Moffett Field](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/08/help-save-historic-blimp-hangar-one-at-moffett-field/) - If you're in Silicon Valley and look at the south end of Hangar One at Moffett Field, you'll see that a large amount of siding has been removed, exposing the hangar's inner framework to the elements. Unfortunately, the $32 million from Congress to re-side the hangar has run into resistance, which isn't surprising in the current environment. Here's a photo I took 2 years ago when I was at Moffett Field flying teenagers for EAA's Young Eagles program. Sadly, the hangar looks different now. If you're in Silicon Valley and look at the south end of Hangar One at Moffett Field, you'll see that a large amount of siding has been removed, exposing the hangar's inner framework to the elements. Unfortunately, the $32 million from Congress to re-side the hangar has run into resistance, which isn't surprising in the current environment. There is an online petition to encourage the appropriation of funds for this project. Please consider going to http://www.tinyurl.com/4yll2tv and adding your name to the online petition to ask that funding be allocated to help preserve Silicon Valley's most iconic, historic landmark.
- [Max Trescott AirVenture Videos 2011](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/08/max-trescott-airventure-videos-2011/) - If you didn't get to see EAA Sport Aviation technology columnist Max Trescott at AirVenture 2011, here's your chance. Max produced 55 videos reporting all the new and exciting products featured at AirVenture 2011 and his reports are must-see. (We'll be posting more in the coming days) Follow Max as he discusses things like hybrid engines, iPad products, and anything from what's in today's aircraft panel to what's under the cowling.
- [Pilot Training Reform Symposium - What Would You Change?](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/04/pilot-training-reform-symposium-what-would-you-change/) - What ideas do you propose for 1) Improving General Aviation Safety and 2) Improving the Pilot Training Process so that more people become pilots. Those are the two central themes of next week’s 2011 Pilot Training Reform Symposium being held by SAFE, the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators. Hats off to SAFE for having the vision to take on this challenge. By bringing industry leaders together, including senior members of the FAA, they’re providing a forum for getting the best ideas in front of the people who can implement them. What ideas do you have that this group should hear next week?
- [$5 million X PRIZE Needed for a Low Cost Electric Airplane](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/03/5-million-x-prize-needed-for-a-low-cost-electric-airplane/) - General Aviation needs the equivalent of an X PRIZE for the design of a new, low cost, electric aircraft that cuts the cost of flying by 80%. To be effective, a general aviation X PRIZE needs to spur the development of an electric aircraft that is the functional equivalent of the venerable Cessna 152, or the more modern Cessna 162 SkyCatcher. Criteria should include: Two seats Speed of 100 knots Endurance of three hours with 30 minute reserve Recharging or battery switch time of 30 minutes Carry 400 pounds of pilot, passenger and baggage Costs less than $10/hour to operate for electricity Target production cost of $100,000
- [KLN 94 Gotcha Flying RNAV GPS Y and Z Instrument Approaches](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/02/kln-94-gotcha-flying-rnav-gps-y-and-z-instrument-approaches/) - A serious issue with the Bendix/King KLN 94 GPS, found in almost every Cessna built between 1997 and 2004, had been uncovered. When using the KLN 94 to fly RNAV (GPS) Y and Z approaches, there’s a huge gotcha that could kill an unsuspecting pilot. Specifically, the problem is that when you select a GPS approach on it, the letters Y and Z don’t appear in the approach titles, so it’s difficult to know which of these approaches you are selecting. Let’s look at the GPS (RNAV) Y 36L and GPS (RNAV) Z 36L approaches into the Napa County Airport, KAPC.
- [Seminar: How to Buy an Airplane for Business or Pleasure and Stay Safe](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/02/seminar-how-to-buy-an-airplane-for-business-or-pleasure-and-stay-safe/) - I have created a new seminar called Buying an Airplane for Business or Pleasure. We’ll discuss the buying process and alternate forms of ownership including partnerships, lease contracts, managed fractional ownership and leasing aircraft back to a flight school. I noticed a tragic downside that occasionally occurs when a pilot acquires an airplane. Some pilots crashed their dream airplanes soon after purchase and sadly a significant percentage of these accidents occur on the flight home. Here are some thoughts on how you can maximize safety while enjoying your newly acquired airplane.
- [Aviation Joke - Hunting for Moose in Alaska](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/02/aviation-joke-hunting-for-moose-in-alaska/) - I hope you'll indulge me while I share my all time favorite aviation joke.
- [What all Pilots Can Learn from Alaska Plane Crash Rescue](https://maxtrescott.com/2011/01/what-all-pilots-can-learn-from-alaska-plane-crash-rescue/) - It’s the worst kind of rescue one can imagine—one where the weather is so bad the rescuers crash and need rescuing. You’ll find the details in a well-written, 3-part feature story by Craig Medred in the Alaska Dispatch about a little reported plane crash last summer. The story is as compelling as a novel, but is virtually unknown because it was shadowed by a plane crash that killed Senator Ted Stevens the following day. Buried in the story are lessons that all pilots should heed.
- [Glassy Water Landing in a Lake Amphibian LA-4-200 Seaplane](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/12/glassy-water-landing-in-a-lake-amphibian-la-4-200-seaplane/) - Glassy water landings are among the most difficult water landings to make, since it's often impossible for a pilot to judge his or her height above the water. Seaplanes pilots use a glass water landing technique where they descend at 100 to 150 feet per minute until they contact the water. In this case, with a narrow canal, there were many visual references around me, making my glassy water landing much easier than if it were performed on a larger body of water, far from shore.
- [Night Flying Safety—What Your CFI Didn’t Teach You!](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/12/night-flying-safetywhat-your-cfi-didnt-teach-you/) - There’s a common myth that flying at night is no different than flying in the daytime because the airplane doesn’t know it’s dark. While perhaps clever, that’s irrelevant. What does matter is that night accentuates the shortcoming of pilots’ senses and perceptions, which makes it harder to fly safely at night. Not surprisingly, the night accident rate is abysmal. Based on surveying hundreds of people who’ve attending my seminars, I’m confident that most GA pilots log less than 5% of their flight hours at night. Yet fully 21% of all fatal accidents in the U.S. occur at night. In the San Francisco Bay area, nearly 50% of all fatal accidents occur at night, probably because of the unique combination of fog and mountains.
- [Flying the Lake Amphibian LA-4-200 Seaplane](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/11/flying-the-lake-amphibian-la-4-200-seaplane/) - This video shows a series of water landings on canals in the Delta region of northern California. The canals in this video are a few miles northeast of Byron Airport. The pilot, Max Trescott, is the 2008 National Flight Instructor of the Year and teaches flying out of the Palo Alto Airport in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Lake LA-4-200, also known as the Buccaneer, is an American four-seat light amphibious aircraft. Lake Amphibians have their roots in the grand tradition of flying boats maintained by the Grumman Corporation through the first half of the 20th century. The Lake's basic design was created by former Grumman designers shortly after the end of World War II, and refined through the years. You can learn more about Lakes at www.lakeflyers.com.
- [Female Student Pilots – Barriers to Completing Flight Training](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/10/female-student-pilots-barriers-to-completing-flight-training/) - Men and women are different. But knowing how they are different when it comes to flight training is not well known. A review of FAA Airman statistics showed that over the prior ten years, women consistently comprised 6% of total pilots and 6% of CFIs, yet were 11% of student pilots. That suggested to me that women may drop out of flight training at a higher rate than men. Also, as an active flight instructor, I realized that I have had relatively few women clients, but that female CFIs seem to have a relatively large number of female clients. Thus I wondered, are women student pilots more likely to complete flight training and earn a certificate if they have a female CFI versus a male CFI? My mail survey was design to test that hypothesis and identify barriers to completing flight training.
- [BrightLine – Flight Bags for Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/09/brightline-flight-bags-for-pilots/) - The BrightLine flight bag for pilots is clearly the most well thought out design for a flight bag. It absolutely reeks with creativity and innovation. The bag has seemingly dozens of zipper pockets, all of them with color-coded zipper pulls so you can instantly open the right pocket, assuming of course that you remember the colors. It has room for two headsets, but if you only want to carry one, half of the bag can be unzipped and left at home. So you could conceivable divide up the two half bags into one for IFR and one for VFR, or one for the stuff you need when flying at night versus in the day. There are separate pockets for your sunglasses, a cell phone, a VFR radio, flashlights, a Leatherman tool, charts and more. Coincidentally, the charts pocket is the perfect size for my Apple iPad, which I generally carry instead of paper charts.
- [Rod Machado Video - New Books, eBooks and Audio CDs](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/09/rod-machado-video-new-books-ebooks-and-audio-cds/) - Rod Machado is well known to most pilots as an entertaining speaker and a prolific producer of aviation training books, ebooks and audio CDs. In this video interview, I asked Rod about what new products he was working on and he went into great detail on his future books and projects. Of course he couldn’t talk without injecting plenty of his trademark which made our time together even more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy my interview with author and National Aviation Safety Counselor Rod Machado.
- [Enflight Flight Planning Software Customizes Weather Briefing with Your Personal Minimums](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/08/my-entry/) - Enflight is a weather briefing product that provides a front end user interface to DUATs so that you get a legal FAA briefing. It’s unique in that it lets you enter your personal minimums and then analyzes your briefing according to those minimums. Color codes are used that let you quickly spot conditions that approach or exceed your minimums.
- [John and Martha King in Cuffs--Second Time Police Make Same Mistake!](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/08/john-and-martha-king-in-cuffs-second-time-police-make-same-mistake/) - PHOTO: Used with permission of Jim Pitman. Jim after being detained in Wichita. N50545 in background. 9/7/10 Story has now gone mainstream in Jeff Stein's Washington Post blog SpyTalk. 8/31/10 See UPDATE at bottom. You may have heard that John and Martha King were detained over the weekend at gunpoint after they landed in Santa
- [Facebook Places Adds Geo-location Service](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/08/facebook-places-adds-geolocation-service/) - Facebook Places is a major new geo-location product from Facebook that, starting tomorrow, lets U.S. iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users “check in” to a business location so that friends can see where they are. Further, users can tag friends with them when they check in, which cross posts the location to the friend’s Facebook account. Users can also see a list of people who’ve checked into the same location, even if they’re not a friend.
- [EAA AirVenture Videos - Day #5 New Products](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/08/eaa-airventure-videos-day-5-new-products/) - Here’s a list of the Day #5 new product videos shot at EAA AirVenture 2010. Bose A20 headset, Sennheiser HMEC 461 headset, Aspen Avionics, ElectroAir Electronic Ignition, Jeppesen iPad app, ASA iphone applications.
- [EAA AirVenture Videos - Day #3 New Products](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/08/eaa-airventure-videos-day-3-new-products/) - Here's a link to the videos we shot on Day #3. If you’re on the Facebook and the “Like” button appears below the video, click on those videos you enjoy. More videos coming your way tomorrow. New products include SkyRadar for the ipad, ACR's SARLink View Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), SpiderTracks, Dynon SkyView glass cockpit, and Avidyne DFC90 autopilot.
- [EAA AirVenture Videos - Day #2 New Products](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/07/eaa-airventure-videos-day-2-new-products/) - New product Videos from Day #2 or AirVenture 2010
- [EAA AirVenture Videos - Day #1 New Products](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/07/eaa-airventure-videos-day-1-new-products/) - Disneyland claims to be the Happiest Place on Earth, but as a pilot, I feel the title transferrs EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for one week a year. If you’ve never been, then you need to commit to coming here next year. Everyone I talk with agrees, words and photos cannot convey how wonderful the AirVenture
- [California Pilot Alert: Call or Write Your Legislators on July 1 or 2](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/07/california-pilot-alert-call-or-write-your-legislators-on-july-1-or-2/) - I’ve often said that pilots will need to become even more active in the future in protecting their flying privileges from the increasing number of threats. Here’s an opportunity for you to help do that. If you live in California, your help is urgently needed to contact your legislators on July 1 and July 2 before their recess. Please ask them to vote for AB 1140(amended). California AB 48 levied large state fees, increasing costs to flight schools and flight instructors and goes into effect in August 2010. This will raise the cost for pilots to get flight instruction, and effectively put many instructors and flight schools out of business. In early June, I emailed you asking you to contact legislators and/or attend a public hearing in Sacramento on June 7. AOPA and dozens of flight schools and flight instructors showed up and testified. However the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) said that they would still be implementing the regulations. Since new bills cannot be introduced until January 2011, efforts by AOPA, NATA and flight schools turned to finding an existing bill that could be amended with provisions delaying the new fees for a year, pending further legislative hearings.
- [TSA Confirmation Hearing: GA Pilots’ Phone Calls to Congress are Effective](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/06/tsa-confirmation-hearing-ga-pilots-phone-calls-to-congress-are-effective/) - Last week, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of John Pistole to be the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administrator. The most interesting revelation from a General Aviation point of view was one Senator’s acknowledgment of the effectiveness of pilots in lobbying Congress.
- [Update: New Regulations To Raise Cost of  Flight Instruction](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/06/update-new-regulations-to-raise-cost-of-flight-instruction/) - I'd like to thank everyone who either wrote to Sacramento or attended the meeting on Monday to provide the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education with comments regarding new regulations and fees for the flight instruction industry. Clearly there was an impact, as the Bureau seemed surprised by the flurry of comments generated over the past
- [California Pilot Alert: New Regulations To Raise Cost of Flight Instruction--Write Your Representatives Today!](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/06/california-pilot-alert-new-regulations-to-raise-cost-of-flight-instructionwrite-your-representatives/) - California A.B. 48 was signed into law giving the BPE, part of the California Consumer Protection Agency, authority to levy new fees on flight schools. The bureau appears to be taking the broadest possible interpretation of the law and proposes to include all independent flight instructors and flight schools, including Part 141 and Part 61 schools. To quote a story by EAA, “Each instructor would be charged an initial application fee of $5000 and a $3500 renewal fee every three years. If the instructor has a second location an additional fee of $1000 would be assessed. Finally, they would be required to pay an operation fee of three-quarters of a percent of the CFI’s income (not to exceed $25000 annually).” Compliance includes providing the Bureau with audited financial statements each year.
- [New Garmin 430 iPhone App and a Contest That Could Pay You Cash!](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/04/new-garmin-430-iphone-app-and-a-contest-that-could-pay-you-cash/) - We’ve just released a new product, a Garmin 430 GPS Guide for the iPhone and we’re running a contest in which you can win a free app or $50. It will take you just a minute or two to enter and it has an intriguing twist, since it’s actually a contest within a contest. Please help me
- [Photo - Skies of Europe Darkened as Airline Flights Resume](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/04/photo-skies-of-europe-darkened-as-airline-flights-resume/) - Now that airlines have been given the green light to fly again in Europe, there’s been a mad dash by passengers and the airlines to get back into the air again. Today, I was fortunate to be at Dublin International again and take a photo as the green flag was waved and airliners took to the skies again.
- [Volcanic Ash Clouds Present Unprecedented Opportunity for General Aviation Pilots and Runway Repairs](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/04/volcanic-ash-clouds-present-unprecedented-opportunity-for-general-aviation-pilots-and-runway-repairs/) - The volcanic ash clouds creating havoc for the airlines in Europe are also creating unprecedented opportunities. With air traffic interrupted, workers are patching runways and as one blogger proposed, general aviation pilots are making low passes at airports they rarely get to fly over. On Tuesday, Irish airspace was closed to all IFR traffic, effectively banning all flights above 7,500 feet, the base of Class A airspace in most of Ireland, and all airline flights. But VFR flights continued with no restrictions. It’s resulted in a few odd things, like the Citation I heard pass twice through Dublin’s airspace. The first time...
- [iPad and iPhone Aviation Apps for Pilots and Airline Passengers](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/04/ipad-and-iphone-aviation-apps-for-pilots-and-airline-passengers/) - After the weekend iPad frenzy, people seem evenly split: 50% of online comments are positive while the other half question the need to carry around yet another electronic device. Yet posts by pilots are all positive if not exuberant. The beauty for pilots is that about 350 aviation iPhone applications already exist. Most of the existing apps will run either in their native iPhone 320 x 480 pixel size, or can be doubled to display larger on the iPad. App developers can rework their applications so that they are optimized to display on the iPad’s larger display. About a half dozen aviation applications have been optimized for the iPad and others are in process.
- [New NTSB 830 Rules May Increase Reports of Near Mid-Air Collisions](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/04/new-ntsb-830-rules-may-increase-reports-of-near-midair-collisions/) - The pilots of United Flight 889 initiated the report of their near mid-air collision with a Cessna 182 near San Francisco last week. New NTSB rules may make those reports more common, so don’t be surprised if the number of reported near mid-air collisions rises in the coming year. All pilots are required to receive ground instruction on regulations found in NTSB 830. As of March 8, new rules add to the list of reportable events that require immediate notification of the NTSB. This may ultimately lead to more stories in the press about these events and eventually to theories that the number of near mid-air collisions is increasing.
- [NTSB investigating Near Miss Between United Jet and small airplane near SFO - ATC Audio](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/ntsb-investigating-near-miss-between-united-jet-and-small-airplane-near-sfo-atc-audio/) - The NTSB emailed a press release about 1 PM PDT today stating “NTSB has launched an investigation to determine why a commercial jetliner and a small light airplane came within an estimated 300 feet of colliding over San Francisco on Saturday.” While much of this event has been made by news media, a review of the San Francisco tower tape shows that both aircraft were in contact with the tower and followed their instructions. Transcripts of the ATC audio suggests that neither aircraft was in danger, though the aircraft may have been a little closer to each other—a loss of separation in FAA parlance—than permitted.
- [Cessna’s First Lady Rose Pelton Talks about Learning to Fly in Her SkyCatcher](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/cessnas-first-lady-rose-pelton-talks-about-learning-to-fly-in-her-skycatcher/) - Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Aircraft CEO Jack Pelton is effervescent when she talks about getting a pilot certificate in her new Cessna 162 SkyCatcher. As she stood next to what was literally “her” aircraft on display at the Sebring LSA Expo, she explained to me the N450RP registration number on the aircraft. The RP portion was obviously her initials. The “450” she explained was “for my 50th birthday.” Whether intended or not, Cessna has found the perfect spokeswoman in Rose. I can’t wait to hear more about her progress and I hope she motivates tens of thousands of people to start learning to fly. If you’re interested in learning to fly, download my free Learn to Fly ebook—which has a picture or Rose’s SkyCatcher on the cover—and then call a flight school to schedule your first lesson.
- [Review of PiperSport and Cessna SkyCatcher Avionics and Photos](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/review-of-pipersport-and-cessna-skycatcher-avionics-and-photos/) - Attention web readers: This is a companion piece to my Trends Aloft column in the April issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine. Magazine readers looking for more photos from the article will find links to them near the bottom of this article. Last year, my friend Jim Campbell who runs the Aero-News Network news service made
- [NTSB Glass Cockpit Safety Study Concludes Pilots Need More Training](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/ntsb-glass-cockpit-safety-study-concludes-pilots-need-more-training/) - On Tuesday March 9, the NTSB held a public Board meeting to consider a study on whether glass cockpit-equipped general aviation aircraft are safer than aircraft with traditional round gauges. The NTSB wanted to identify any difference in operational characteristics of glass and non-glass aircraft and determine how glass has affected safety. To do this, they decided to compare accident information and activity between matched groups of aircraft, specifically glass and non-glass aircraft manufactured between 2002 and 2006. The Board reached the same conclusion as other similar studies. Glass Cockpits have the potential to increase safety. However pilots need additional training, both initially and on a recurrent basis, to reap the benefits of these technologies. Five of the six study recommendations were related to training. Recommendations on developing your own plan for getting the best glass cockpit training.
- [Aviation Professionalism? Control Tower Unstaffed and Cop Shoots Out Airliner Window](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/aviation-professionalism-control-tower-unstaffed-and-cop-shoots-out-airliner-window/) - Last week, the big aviation gaffe was the revelation that a JFK controller allowed his children to speak over the radio. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is right to focus on professionalism. While the FAA controller story got worldwide attention, here are two stories this week that have flown under the radar, but which were far more serious. Cops Shoot Out Airliner Window. ATC Tower Left Unstaffed – Plane Diverted.
- [2010 National CFI of the Year and other GA Awards Recipients Named](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/2010-national-cfi-of-the-year-and-other-ga-awards-recipients-named/) - In each of the past 47 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety. I’m proud to count two of the 2010 recipients as friends that I’ve known well for a number of years. Both richly deserve the recognition as I’m sure do all of the recipients. As the 2008 National CFI of the Year, I'm always interested in new GA Awards recipients. Recipients of this year's national awards are Neil John Nederfield of Lafayette, New Jersey, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) of the Year; Kirk Harold Peterson of Larimore, North Dakota, Avionics Technician of the Year; MCFI Jeffery Robert "Jeff" Moss of Los Angeles, California, Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year; and MCFI Thomas Paul "Tom" Turner of Rose Hill, Kansas, FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year.
- [Product Review: Garmin Aera 560 Portable GPS](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/03/product-review-garmin-aera-560-portable-gps/) - The entry-level unit, the Aera 500 lists for $799, giving Garmin a product with a price point close to the Bendix/King AV8OR, which also features a touch screen. Users can also switch between aviation and automotive functions with a single touch screen key, a major improvement over older units. The primary differences among the other units are whether they offer XM Weather or include the AOPA Directory and SafeTaxi diagrams. For pilots interested in receiving XM Satellite weather—a service any serious pilot should have in the cockpit—the new Aera line lowers the cost of getting an XM-capable GPS.
- [New Videos: Great Views of China from a Ramphos Trike Light Sport Aircraft](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/02/new-videos-great-views-of-china-from-a-ramphos-trike-light-sport-aircraft/) - Photographer Kjartan Pétur Sigurðsson of Iceland just uploaded two new videos of flying a Light Sport Aircraft in China. The first video shows the assembly of a Ramphos Trike aircraft and the initial test flight. I can only imagine the surprise of the locals as it took off from a road and began flying overhead.
- [Product Review: SPOT 2 Satellite GPS Messenger](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/02/product-review-spot-2-gps-based-personal-location-device/) - SPOT is an innovative, satellite-based system popular with hikers, boaters and pilots that lets others track your position via the Internet. A SPOT user can send two or three (depending upon the model) different pre-programmed messages via a commercial satellite that triggers emails or text messages to up to ten friends’ cell phones. For people who travel in remote areas out of cell phone coverage, SPOT provides a low-cost lifeline to reassure loved ones or to get help in an emergency.
- [General Aviation Making a Difference in Haiti Disaster Relief Effort: How You Can Help](https://maxtrescott.com/2010/01/general-aviation-making-a-difference-in-haiti-disaster-relief-effort-how-you-can-help/) - Three million Haitians were affected by last week's earthquake, but in the aftermath successes are measured one life at a time. This evening I was present when Missionary Flights International (MFI) President Dick Snook took a call by satellite phone notifying him that 27 orphans had just boarded an MFI plane in Port-au-Prince and would
- [Product Review: Husky A-1C and Garmin G500 and G600](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/g500/) - Extensive Photos. The Husky is a good-looking airplane that can turn heads on any ramp. The Garmin G500 was announced in July at AirVenture as a slimmed down version of the Garmin G600. If you’re flying a single or twin-engine piston aircraft weighing less than 6,000 pounds, you can save a bundle by choosing the G500; aircraft over 6,000 pounds require the more expensive G600.
- [Amazon Kindle Survey of Pilot Aviation Uses for this E-book Reader](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/amazon-kindle-survey-of-pilot-aviation-uses-for-this-ebook-reader/) - JP Morgan estimates that some 10 million Americans either own one of these Amazon e-book readers or plan to get one soon. I've read about a few aviation uses of the Amazon Kindle for pilots but wondered which were being used the most. Therefore, I put together a short survey that's intended for all pilots, whether they currently own an Amazon Kindle or not.
- [American Airlines Flight 331 Crashes after Long Landing at Kingston, Jamaica Airport; Downwind Landing May Have Been a Factor](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/american-airlines-flight-331-crashes-after-long-landing-at-kingston-jamaica-airport-downwind-landing/) - At shortly before 10:30 PM last night, a landing American Airlines Boeing 737-800, that originated at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, overan the runway at Kingston, Jamaica's Norman Manley International Airport. Flight 331 reportedly crossed a road and may have ended up on a beach just short of the Caribbean. The Jamaica Observer reported 40 injured passengers and Jamaica TV reported in a CNN video that 4 of the injuries were serious. There were conflicting reports about whether the aircraft broke up into as many as three pieces after the accident.
- [New Jersey Pilot Kills Himself and Son in Predictable Plane Crash](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/new-jersey-pilot-kills-himself-and-son-in-predictable-plane-crash/) - The pilot was 53 years old, had a total of 395 hours and was not instrument rated. According to witnesses, the pilot had originally planned to depart KOBI, the Woodbine Municipal airport in Woodbine, NJ, for a family hunting trip to Indiana two days before the accident, but weather postponed his trip. The day of the accident, IMC prevailed, but the forecast called for conditions to improve as the day progressed. The recorded weather conditions at the airport reported an overcast ceiling at 300 feet above ground level (agl) for the period from 10 AM to noon. This is considered low IFR and in fact the ceiling was below the minimums for the published instrument approach procedures at the airport. Witnesses universally reported a solid overcast ceiling was present at 200 to 300 feet agl, that "there were no holes" in the ceiling, and that "there was no sun" shining anywhere that they could see.
- [Video Interview: Iraqi Militants Intercepting Drone Video Feeds with $26 Software](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/video-interview-iraqi-militants-intercepting-drone-video-feeds-with-26-software/) - Video Interview. Militants in Iraq and Afghanistan have been intercepting live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones according to the online version of the Wall Street Journal. Using $26 software intended to intercept and decrypt movies transmitted over satellites, the insurgents have been able to monitor and potentially evade U.S. military operations.
- [Boeing 787 First Flight Video](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/boeing-787-first-flight-video/) - Earlier today, on a cold and rainy morning, thousands of Boeing employees lined the runway to watch the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The takeoff was broadcast via a webcast, but if you missed it live, you can watch the takeoff here on YouTube. Several minutes into the video, take a look at the rearview of the airplane and note the upward curvature of the aircraft's wings.
- [American Airlines Jet Scrapes Wingtip Landing at Charlotte: Pilots May Have Violated Procedures](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/american-airlines-jet-scrapes-wingtip-landing-at-charlotte-pilots-may-have-violated-procedures/) - On Sunday night, an American Airlines jet scraped a wingtip while landing in poor visibility at the Charlotte, N.C. Airport, according to an article in the online version of the Wall Street Journal. It state that the NTSB is “expected to look at whether fatigue may have played a role in the performance of the pilots. They had been on duty for some 14 hours before the botched landing, according to preliminary internal airline data.”
- [Fun Time Lapse Video: Reassembling a Cessna 182RG](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/fun-time-lapse-video-reassembling-a-cessna-182rg/) - Here is a really fun time-lapse video of a Cessna 182RG aircraft being reassembled after its landing gear was damaged in an accident. It's composed of several thousand photos taken over several weeks and assembled into a short two minute video. Although there is no sound on this video, I think you'll find that it is really fun to watch.
- [Instrument Flying with GPS—What Your Flight Instructor Didn’t Teach You](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/instrument-flying-with-gpswhat-your-flight-instructor-didnt-teach-you/) - Here’s a sample from my new Max Trescott’s GPS & WAAS Instrument Flying Handbook. Three Ways to Fly an Approach “Most instrument approaches can be flown in either of two ways: via own navigation, also called pilot navigation, which often involves a procedure turn and via radar vectors from ATC. In addition, many GPS approaches can be flown a third way, which involves being cleared directly to the intermediate fix of the approach. We’ll discuss that third option in detail in Chapter 10. “Own navigation is used in the real world when aircraft are below radar coverage and ATC can neither see nor vector the aircraft. In that case, aircraft can safely fly the approach on their own, provided they fly the instrument approach exactly as published. This is usually more work than flying an approach via vectors and often includes flying away from the airport before turning around using a procedure turn to fly inbound to the airport. Own navigation is also used heavily in training, so that pilots become familiar with its intricacies.
- [Book Review: Lane Wallace’s Unforgettable: My Best 10 Flights](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/book-review-lane-wallaces-unforgettable-my-best-10-flights/) - Review of Unforgettable: My 10 Best Flights by Flying magazine's Lane Wallace. Many of Lane’s unforgettable best flights are in her beloved Grumman Cheetah. She shares with readers the joy of fish tacos in Baja Mexico, her serendipitous encounters while hop scotching between small airports in Texas, and the contrast in a Florida flight that started in bad weather and ended in joy. In other non-Cheetah flights, she takes readers through the Alps in a blimp, on two trips years apart to small villages in war-torn Sudan and to the stratosphere in the back seat of a U-2 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
- [Twelve Days of Christmas – FlyAbout DVD movie for Aviation Lovers](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/12/twelve-days-of-christmas-flyabout-dvd-movie-for-aviation-lovers/) - I wish that everyone who loves aviation will buy a copy of the movie FlyAbout and watch it with their family. Better yet, buy it as a gift for a young person to help inspire them to get their Private certificate. Words are inadequate to describe the beauty of this 74-minute film. FlyAbout chronicles a young woman’s four-week trip with her father flying a Cessna 172 around the continent of Australia. Against the backdrop of the trip, you’ll see beautiful scenery and exotic animals. But best of all, you’ll see the introspection of a young woman in her twenties working through conflicts that emerge as a result of her being a more experienced pilot than her strong, German father.
- [Northwest Airlines Flight 188 Pilot Explains How Plane Overshot Minneapolis](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/northwest-airlines-flight-188-pilot-explains-how-plane-overshot-minneapolis/) - Ever since the pilots of NWA 188 overflew their Minneapolis destination, speculation has been rampant about what actually happened in the cockpit. It was widely assumed that the pilots had fallen asleep. Their subsequent explanation that they’d been out of radio communication for 78 minutes because they became distracted while using their laptops seemed strange enough that it might indeed be true. Still, most pilots wondered how both pilots could have totally lost situational awareness for so long.
- [Cirrus SR22 crash lawsuit Video](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/cirrus-sr22-crash-lawsuit-video/) - 11-minute video interview with the attorneys for plaintiffs awarded $16.4 million in damages for a January 2003 fatal crash of a Cirrus SR22. It’s noteworthy that the NTSB probable cause puts full blame on the pilot. Nonetheless, the plaintiffs who successfully sued were the families of the pilot Gary Prokop and his passenger James Kosak. Cirrus and University of North Dakota were each found 37.5 percent negligent and Prokop was found 25 percent negligent. The jury awarded $19.4 million. The Prokop family’s portion of the award was reduced by 25 percent for his negligence, which brings the total recovery for the plaintiffs to $16.4 million. Pilots and instructors should look closely at this case for the lessons they can learn from this video.
- [Get the Instrument Rating in a Glass Cockpit or Round Gauge Airplane?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/get-the-instrument-rating-ifr-in-a-glass-cockpit-or-round-gauge-airplane/) - If you’re studying for the instrument rating, you may be wondering whether to do your IFR training in a round gauge (sometimes called steam gauge) airplane or in a modern glass cockpit aircraft such as the Garmin G1000 (Cessna, Diamond, Mooney, etc), Avidyne Entegra (Cirrus SR20, SR22, etc) or Garmin Perspective (Cirrus SR22, etc). Like many of life’s questions, the definitive answer is: “It depends.” Beware of people telling you that you should definitely do it one way or the other. While well intentioned, their opinions might not be based upon solid data.
- [Pattern Entry Procedures and Operation for Non-Towered Airports](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/pattern-entry-procedures-and-operation-for-nontowered-airports/) - Knowledge of the proper procedure for entering a traffic pattern at a non-towered airport continues to evade some pilots. Arriving aircraft should be at the appropriate traffic pattern altitude before entering the traffic pattern. Entry to the downwind leg should be at a 45-degree angle abeam the midpoint of the runway.
- [Drunk Airline Pilot Video – United Pilot Arrested in London](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/drunk-airline-pilot-video-united-pilot-arrested-in-london/) - On Monday, British police arrested a United Airlines pilot after he failed a breathalyzer test. The pilot, who apparently had already boarded a Boeing 767, was preparing the fly the aircraft from London’s Heathrow airport to Chicago. Scotland Yard reports that they charged the 51-year old pilot, Erwin Washington of Lakewood, CO, with having too much alcohol in his system while working as a member of aviation staff. The flight was cancelled and the plane’s 124 passengers were rebooked on other flights. This incident comes on top of a series of recent pilot lapses that...
- [Video on Strategies for Learning to Fly Glass Cockpit Aircraft](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/video-on-strategies-for-learning-to-fly-glass-cockpit-aircraft/) - I’ve been in Tampa, Florida this week for AOPA Aviation Summit 2009. One of the great innovations this year is AOPA Live, a live streaming of selected portions of the event over the internet. In the past, about 10,000 people attended AOPA Expo each year. Yesterday, 20,000 people viewed AOPA Live, effectively tripling AOPA’s audience.
- [New Garmin aera Portable GPS Comparison](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/11/new-garmin-aera-portable-gps-comparison/) - Garmin’s announcement today of four new portable GPS products—the aera 500, 510, 550 and 560—essentially refreshes all but the high end of their portable aviation GPS product line. To help pilots understand these products, I’ve put together a comparison chart that compares the aera GPS with the Garmin... 296, 396, 495 and 496 units that
- [Max’s Guide to AOPA Aviation Summit 2009](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/maxs-guide-to-aopa-aviation-summit-2009/) - I’ll be at AOPA Aviation Summit next week and put together a calendar of items that interest me. I’ve also listed my seminars and book signings—please come to one and say hello! Note that sessions labeled “AOPA Live” will be also be broadcast over the internet; see the AOPA.org web site for details on how to view these sessions.
- [Graphic Video Highlights Dangers of Inadvertent VFR into IMC](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/graphic-video-highlights-dangers-of-inadvertent-vfr-into-imc/) - In this video, the pilot shows a callous disregard for the dangers of flying in the clouds without an IFR clearance. He can be seen calmly flying in IMC until suddenly bushes appear at the aircraft’s level ahead and to the right. Just how close the pilot came to killing all aboard is later demonstrated by a close-up view of the damage to the right wing.
- [Video Shows a How a Laptop Blocks Instruments on Airbus](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/video-shows-a-how-a-laptop-blocks-instruments-on-airbus/) - The strange case of Northwest Flight 188 that we reported last week got even stranger Monday after the NTSB released details of their interviews with the pilots. Jon Ostrower of FlightBlogger has released a YouTube video that shows the pull out tray available for pilots to use while working in an Airbus A320 cockpit. As he points out in the video, placing a laptop on the pull out tray would block a pilot’s view of the cockpit instruments.
- [Northwest Airlines Flight 188 Pilots Asleep at Controls?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/northwest-airlines-flight-188-pilots-asleep-at-controls-minneapolis/) - The professionalism of two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles is seriously in question. While all the facts are not known, it’s quite possible that the pilots fell asleep at the controls. Anyone can make a mistake. But pilots in particular need to be accountable for their mistakes.
- [Book Review: Highest Duty – Captain Sully Sullenberger, American Hero](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/book-review-highest-duty-captain-sully-sullenberger-american-hero/) - Not surprisingly, the Sully I met in person is identical to the man that America has seen interviewed on radio and television. He’s a tall, distinguished looking gentleman who appears confident and professional. Initially a quiet man by nature, he’s gotten used to being the public face for aviation and interacting with the public. When we met, I thanked him for becoming the co-chairman, along with his first officer Jeff Skiles, for the EAA’s Young Eagles program.
- [New Air Safety Bill--Good for Passengers, Bad for Future Airline Pilots?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/new-house-air-safety-bill-good-for-passengers-bad-for-future-airline-pilots/) - The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reported the passage today of H.R. 3371, The Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. One of the biggest changes is that it requires all airline pilots, including first officers, to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, which requires pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours. It's unclear if this will improve airline safety or simply raise the cost of becoming an airline pilot.
- [FTC Sets Endorsement Rules for Blogs—Trescott Apology Tour Begins](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/10/ftc-sets-endorsement-rules-for-blogs-trescott-apology-tour-begins/) - While surfing the internet, I read an update on the David Letterman blackmail sex scandal. The key takeaway for me was that Steve Martin and Martin Short are on the show, so I’ll be watching tonight when I otherwise wouldn’t have—so that’s good for Letterman’s ratings. Is the next step for him to start an
- [Flying Safety Tip - Identify Local Hotspots](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/09/flying-safety-tip-identify-local-hotspots/) - Accidents occur more frequently in localized hotspots. As pilots, we should identify these areas and increase our vigilance when operating near them. Some of these hotspots are generic and are found everywhere while others are specific to a local area. Generic hotspots include airports and VORs. For example, mid-air collisions are... more likely to occur
- [Silly Video – Max Trescott for PilotMall.com](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/09/silly-video-max-trescott-for-pilotmallcom/) - I enjoy the literary license I have in writing articles for my blog. Most articles relate to general aviation news, safety and advocacy. On rare occasions like today, I go off topic when I see something that amuses me.Today's posting is about a fun video that PilotMall.com just released that includes some nice shots of
- [What’s Your Advice for a Felon who Wants a Flying Job?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/09/whats-your-advice-for-a-felon-who-wants-a-flying-job/) - I receive a lot of email from readers of my blog and my books and I try to respond to all of them, though candidly I don’t get to all of them, so I apologize if you’ve written and never heard back from me. Last week I received an interesting one from a 29-year old
- [Results of GPS Survey and new Max Trescott GPS Guides for iPhone](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/08/results-of-gps-survey-and-new-max-trescott-gps-guides-for-iphone/) - Over a hundred pilots took our online GPS survey posted in June. Here are the results plus information on new GPS Guides for the iPhone. Please forward this information to all of your pilot friends with iPhones.Key GPS Survey Findings 80% of respondents have a portable GPS Garmin units were most prevalent and the 496 was
- [Medevac Helicopters—Helping People But Killing Crews](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/08/medevac-helicoptershelping-people-but-killing-crews/) - There's a dirty little secret in the helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) industry: management pressure to fly in bad conditions is raking in profits while killing crews. Medicare reimbursement rules and lax regulation that fueled the industry’s growth over the last two decades also provide an incentive to fly substandard helicopters in poor weather conditions.
- [Flying Drunk—A True Story of Redemption](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/08/flying-drunka-true-story-of-redemption/) - Watching Michael Vick on a 60 Minutes video yesterday reminded me of how few stories of redemption exist about felons who’ve spent time in Federal prison. Generally they are the pariahs of society who can never get more than a minimum wage job and eventually end up back in prison. Once convicted, society puts felons
- [FAA Announces New York Hudson River Airspace Working Group](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/08/faa-announces-new-york-hudson-river-airspace-working-group/) - The FAA announced this afternoon that they are forming a New York Airspace Working Group to review procedures and recommend safety improvements for flights operating over the Hudson and East Rivers. This comes in the wake of a mid air collision that resulted in the crash of an airplane and helicopter over the Hudson River
- [New York Hudson River Plane Crash Video Shows Mid Air Collision](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/08/new-york-hudson-river-plane-crash-video-shows-mid-air-collision/) - For better or worse, modern technology assures there’s a video camera trained on virtually every event that occurs. Not surprising, NBC has released video shot by a tourist of the actual moment of a mid air collision over the Hudson River between a Piper Saratoga airplane and a Eurocopter 350 helicopter. While the video will
- [New! Max Trescott’s GPS and WAAS Instrument Flying Handbook](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/07/new-max-trescotts-gps-and-waas-instrument-flying-handbook/) - Ever find yourself in the cockpit punching GPS buttons multiple times to get it to do what you want? Our recent GPS survey found that more than half of readers have difficulty some of the time getting a GPS to do what they want. I spend hundreds of hours each year teaching only in aircraft
- [Max’s Guide to AirVenture 2009 in Oshkosh](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/07/maxs-guide-to-airventure-2009-in-oshkosh/) - The first airplane to pitch a tent arrived at Oshkosh yesterday, more than a week before the start of the show, according to a Twitter message I received. Now that’s planning ahead! But don’t despair. If you haven’t already made plans to go to Oshkosh, let me emphatically say IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO
- [Review: Aspen Avionics EFD1000 Pro—Elegant Upgrade](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/07/product-review-aspen-avionics-efd1000-pro-elegant-upgrade/) - It's not often that a new piece of avionics comes out that changes a paradigm. The introduction of GPS certainly did that in the 1990s as did the Avidyne Entegra and G1000 in 2003 and 2004 respectively. I just flew behind the Aspen Avionics EFD1000 Pro and frankly I think it is in the same
- [Innovation at the Airlines: Cheaper Tickets in the Standing section?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/07/ryanair-airlines-cheaper-tickets-in-the-standing-seats/) - Would you be willing to pay less for your next airline ticket in exchange for flying in the “Standing Section” of the aircraft? Note that today in not April Fools Day and this is not part of a funny MAD TV skit. It’s a real proposal and, if Ryanair has their way, you’ll get to
- [Auto-Landing Capability Demonstrated on GA Aircraft](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/06/autolanding-capability-demonstrated-on-ga-aircraft/) - Today, Aurora Flight Services announced that they have successfully demonstrated fully autonomous takeoffs and landings in their Cessna 337 aircraft. The flights were conducted with a safety pilot and test engineer on board near the company’s Manassas, Virginia headquarters. The company manufactures state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems and components for the scientific research, defense and homeland
- [Airport Security Clear Lanes Closed; Back to the TSA Lanes](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/06/airport-security-clear-lanes-closed-back-to-the-tsa-lanes/) - Like many ideas, the Clear lane at airport security checkpoints was born of necessity—the long security lines after 9/11—and seemed brilliant at the time. Why not provide a private sector alternative, fast passage through security lines, to the TSA? But last week Clear, owned by Verified Identity Pass Inc, became one more wreck along the
- [Frustrated with Your GPS? Take our GPS Survey.](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/06/frustrated-with-your-gps-take-our-gps-survey/) - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So begins Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. But it’s just as true today if you fly with a GPS receiver. When you know which buttons to push and it does what you want, times are indeed good. But when you
- [Buffalo FL 3407 Pilot's Original Employer Fined $1.3 Million by FAA](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/buffalo-fl-3407-pilots-original-employer-fined-13-million-by-faa/) - It's probably just a coincidence, but the timing couldn’t be more ironic. Aviation news was dominated last week by 3 days of NTSB hearings that sought the cause of the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash that destroyed a home while en route to Buffalo, NY. Throughout the hearings, pictures emerged of pilots who were fatigued
- [Risk Management—How the word “Probably” Influences your Decision Making](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/aviation-risk-management-how-the-word-probably-influences-your-decision-making/) - [Update: Take our new GPS Survey here] Last year, the FAA asked me to write a series of safety tips they could email to airmen registered at www.faasafety.gov. If you’re unfamiliar with the Web site, go there now to register to receive email notification of safety seminars in your area. You’ll also find useful online
- [Free Pilot Study Courses Available for Young Eagles](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/free-pilot-study-courses-available-for-young-eagles/) - Inside a General Aviation Institution: Sporty's When you think of organizations that are working hard to preserve General Aviation, AOPA and EAA immediately come to mind. But Sporty’s, best known for its catalog mailed monthly to virtually every pilot in the U.S., is also working to nurture a vibrant GA pilot population. As founder Hal
- [Flight 3407 Crash Info: Latest Details Suggest Loss of Airspeed was Cause](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/colgan-air-flight-3407-crash-info-latest-details-suggest-loss-of-airspeed-was-cause/) - [UPDATE: See Comments for reference to NTSB report for similar crash of Atlantic Coast Airlines in 1994]Last week’s aviation news was dominated by the NTSB hearings that sought the cause of the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash that destroyed a home while en route to Buffalo, NY. Info on crash details was released on the
- [Engine Failure after Takeoff: What to Do & How to Train—Part II](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/engine-failure-after-takeoff-what-to-do-how-to-trainpart-ii/) - Yesterday, in Part I of this article, I talked about the “Impossible Turn,” the risky maneuver of attempting to turn back to the runway after a takeoff engine failure. The article must have struck a nerve, as I think it generated more reader comments, which you can read here, than any previous article. A couple
- [Engine Failure after Takeoff: Turn Back to the Runway or Land Straight Ahead?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/05/engine-failure-after-takeoff-turn-back-to-the-runway-or-land-straight-ahead/) - An email exchange I'll share reminded me of this quote from Rod Machado: "The most important decisions you’ll ever make in an airplane should be made before you enter the airplane." If you haven’t previously thought through and decided what you’ll do if the engine quits on takeoff, I encourage you to take a few
- [Video Virals and Viral Marketing: How the Hudson River Video went Viral](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/video-virals-and-viral-marketing-how-the-hudson-river-video-went-viral/) - Video virals are the rage. It’s easy to find a viral video definition; it’s much harder to figure out how to get onto the list of viral videos of the year. But a blog posting today tells how one company made the now famous reconstruction of the “Miracle on the Hudson” water landing join the
- [Flying Car, Flying Motorcycle, or Flying Boat Survey—Which Airplane would you Buy?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/flying-car-flying-motorcycle-or-flying-boat-surveywhich-airplane-would-you-buy/) - Last year, my imagination was captured by the ICON A5 trailerable seaplane. Last week I talked with Carl Deitrich and wrote about his Terrafugia Transition roadable airplane (think flying car). Just before I published the article on the Terrafugia, I found in my pile of press releases one from Samson Motorworks with an update on
- [New Light Sport Terrafugia—Flying Car or Roadable Airplane?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/new-light-sport-terrafugiaflying-car-or-roadable-airplane/) - I'm in New York City for a few days for a funeral, but was fortunate to be included in the quarterly tri-state area Master CFI teleconference organized by my friend David Dempsey. Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia, was on the call and he gave us a great rundown on the Transition, a new Light Sport
- [ATC audio of Pilot Passenger that Lands King Air B200 in Florida after Pilot Dies](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/atc-audio-of-pilot-passenger-that-lands-king-air-b200-in-florida-after-pilot-dies/) - The pilot dies at the controls and the passenger lands the airplane. It’s every passenger’s nightmare, the subject of countless movie, but almost never really happens. But it happened for real on Easter Sunday over the skies of Florida. You can hear the 20 minute ATC conversation with the passenger/pilot that led to a successful
- [Cessna Citation Crash--Downed by Pushing the Wrong Autopilot Button?](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/cessna-citation-crashdowned-by-pushing-the-wrong-autopilot-button/) - The 2007 crash of a Cessna Citation flying a University of Michigan medical team may have resulted from the wrong push of a button by the copilot. So says an article in yesterday’s Detroit Free Press. While the final NTSB report has not been issued, preliminary data points in several directions including the possibility that
- [General Aviation Heroes Part V – Readers’ Top 16 Choices](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/general-aviation-heroes-part-v-readers-top-16-choices/) - Thanks to everyone who sent a suggestion via email, Twitter, Facebook or added a comment to the blog. Here are your General Aviation Hero choices, presented in no particular order.#1 The 16-year old Kid. Ian Twombly of AOPA submitted my favorite suggestion “It's under the category of ‘general hero’ but I've always admired... the 16-year-old
- [General Aviation Heroes Part IV– Dale and Alan Klapmeier of Cirrus Design](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/general-aviation-heroes-part-iv-dale-and-alan-klapmeier-of-cirrus-design/) - Part I of this series honored Clyde Cessna, Part II featured a group of people: Flight Instructors and Part III covered EAA founder Paul Poberezny. Tomorrow’s final article in the series will be based on reader suggestions. Tell us who you feel is a General Aviation hero by clicking on Comments at the bottom of this
- [General Aviation Heroes Part III– Paul Poberezny](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/04/general-aviation-heroes-part-iii-paul-poberezny/) - Part II of this series featured a group of people: Flight Instructors. In Part III, we honor an individual—Paul Poberezny, the founder of EAA. Ryan Keough, who writes a blog, contacted me through twitter.com and suggested Paul. If you’d like to make a suggestion for this series, click on Comments at the bottom of this
- [General Aviation Heroes Part II – Flight Instructors](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/general-aviation-heroes-part-ii-flight-instructors/) - Part I of this series featured an actual person—Clyde Cessna. In Part II, we honor a group of people: Flight Instructors. Except for the early aviation pioneers who had to teach themselves how to fly, nearly every pilot flying is indebted to one or more of their flight instructors. If you have a true passion
- [General Aviation Heroes Part I – Clyde Cessna](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/general-aviation-heroes-part-i-clyde-cessna/) - Every day this week, I’ll be posting a story on General Aviation Heroes. When you think of aviation heroes, Sully Sullenberger, who successfully ditched US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River following multiple bird strikes, comes immediately to mind. Yet our focus this week is on General Aviation, not Commercial Aviation. The articles are
- [FAA Proposing To Keep Bird Strike Data Secret](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/faa-proposing-to-keep-bird-strike-data-secret/) - Ever since Sully Sullenberger successfully ditched US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River following bird strikes that killed both engines, public awareness and interest in bird strikes has been on the rise. The FAA has a database of 100,000 bird strikes reported since 1990 and it presumably sheds some light on a problem which,
- [More Passengers Than Seat Belts in Montana Crash—What That Tells Us](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/more-passengers-than-seat-belts-in-montana-crashwhat-that-tells-us/) - As the facts emerge over the crash of a Pilatus PC 12 with 14 people aboard in Butte, Montana, one thing is clear: there were more passengers aboard than there were seats or seat belts. What is not clear, and won’t be for many months, is exactly what caused the crash. However, the simple fact
- [Federal Express MD-11 Crash at Tokyo's Narita Airport](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/federal-express-md11-crash-at-tokyos-narita-airport/) - Dramatic video shows the landing that led to the fiery crash of a Fed Ex MD-11 cargo jet a few hours ago at Tokyo's Narita Airport. The video shows what appears to be a hard, bounced landing. Shortly after the bounce, the nose of the aircraft appears lower than the tail as the aircraft contacts
- [Be True to Your School—Keep General Aviation Growing](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/be-true-to-your-schoolkeep-general-aviation-growing/) - [Coming up in 1 week: Our series on General Aviation Heros. Enter your email address to receive the series]A famous Beach Boys song says to “Be true to your school now/ And let your colors fly.” One pilot friend is doing that—and he’s helping to keep General Aviation alive at the same time. If you’ve
- [Engine Failure Over the Mountains and Lessons Learned](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/engine-failure-over-the-mountains-and-lessons-learned/) - When I wrote Max Trescott’s G1000 Glass Cockpit Handbook, I couldn’t have imagined that it would connect me with pilots around the world, some of whom have come to California to fly with me and others for whom I’ve traveled to fly with them at their home airport. For example, this week I’m flying with
- [The State of General Aviation](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/the-state-of-general-aviation/) - Over the last 2 days, I’ve been in touch with a number of flight school owners and other people in GA related businesses. The overall picture is mixed. Here are some snippets of what I’m hearing. Some flight schools are down as much as 40% over the last 2 years and a few have gone
- [“A Pilots Story” Film Captures the Passion of Flying](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/a-pilots-story-film-captures-the-passion-of-flying/) - Great films are rare. Great flying movies that evoke the passion of flying are even rarer. I’m happy to say that A Pilot’s Story looks like it will be one of those rare films that move us as pilots and reconnect us with the passion that permanently bonds us to aviation. Best of all, it
- [Navy Jet Crash Has Important Lessons for All Pilots](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/navy-jet-crash-has-important-lessons-for-all-pilots/) - Audio tapes of the conversation with the pilot of the Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet that crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in December killing 4 people were released today. At the same time, it was announced that 13 Marine Corps personnel were being disciplined for errors in the incident. While typically general aviation pilots
- [General Aviation’s Woes Public: USA Today articles on TSA and Business Use of Corporate Jets](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/03/general-aviations-woes-public-usa-today-articles-on-tsa-and-business-use-of-corporate-jets/) - While the general public has a fascination with aviation, their exposure to it is usually limited to the airlines. General Aviation generally flies under the radar of both the media and our elected officials. But when USA Today thinks it’s important enough to write not one, but two articles on the issues facing GA, it’s
- [1000 New Comments on LASP & The Doobie Brothers](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/02/1000-new-comments-on-lasp-the-doobie-brothers/) - Thanks to everyone who submitted a comment on the TSA’s LASP program. More than 1,000 comments were submitted in the last 5 days, bringing the total to about 4,000, which may be a record for an aviation related NPRM. Having read dozens of the comments, I can tell you that they were respectful, well thought
- [Phase II--Contact Your Senator regarding LASP](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/02/phase-iicontact-your-senator-regarding-lasp/) - Since my original blog post, I’ve been in contact with some of the top leaders in the GA industry. They too are concerned about LASP and agree that your help is needed. You may have noticed that other popular blogs, including www.jetwhine.com, www.plasticpilot.net, www.aviationchatter.com, www.myflightblog.com, www.askacfi.com, www.av8rdan.com and mileofrunway have all echoed the need for pilots
- [TSA’s LASP: A Solution in Search of a Problem](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/02/tsas-lsap-a-solution-in-search-of-a-problem/) - General Aviation is facing a huge threat and it's not User Fees. In fact, I would gladly accept a program of user fees over the TSA’s proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP). Why are user fees better? Because they would be less expensive ($25 per flight versus $44 per flight), provide the same increase in security
- [Join My Electronic World](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/02/join-my-electronic-world/) - The world is becoming ever more tightly connected each day. The reverberations between Wall Street and my version of Main Street—the general aviation world—are becoming more intense. Just in the last 24 hours, I’ve come across a couple of surprises which I’ll share in a moment. First, if you haven’t already downloaded my Free “Learn
- [Clever Marketing 101—From Air Force to Zeppelins](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/02/clever-marketing-101from-air-force-to-zeppelins/) - I've always been a fan of clever marketing. You can instantly recognize great marketing when you see it since it is always creative, effective at generating attention and often fun in the process. Sadly, it’s far from a daily occurrence, but it’s fun to sit back and grin when you see it. I worked for
- [FIKI—One more reason to consider a Cirrus SR22T](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/01/fikione-more-reason-to-consider-a-cirrus-sr22t/) - If you didn’t already have enough reasons to consider buying a SR22T, Cirrus has given you one more with their announcement that they can now equip your new SR22T Perspective with FIKI—Flight into Known Icing. Perspective is the G1000-type glass cockpit that Cirrus announced in May 2008. I help people around the world who are
- [Zeppelins, US Air 1549, TV News & WAAS--what a day!](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/01/zeppelins-us-air-1549-tv-news-waaswhat-a-day/) - Wow, yesterday was quite a day. In the morning, I spent several hours with the owners and crew that manage the only Zeppelin in the U.S. If you enter your email in the upper left corner, you’ll be notified when I post a story and photos from that visit. Over the noon hour, I was
- [2008 General Aviation Gammy Awards](https://maxtrescott.com/2009/01/2008-general-aviation-gammy-awards/) - The quiet time over the New Years holiday is a wonderful time to reflect on the good and bad of the past year and to look forward to the New Year. While most people are familiar with the Emmy, Tony and Grammy awards, few pilots are familiar with the General Aviation Milestone or Gammy awards.
- [Free New Learn to Fly ebook](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/12/free-new-learn-to-fly-ebook/) - As pilots know, learning to fly is non-trivial. Many express the desire to learn to fly, yet few actually accomplish the goal. One reason is that it’s not easy for a neophyte to figure out what to do to earn a pilot certificate. To help with the problem, I’ve created a free new Learn to
- [Cessna 208B Caravan Training: Fun Work!](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/11/cessna-208b-caravan-training-work-but-fun/) - Just as clothing makes the man, training makes the pilot. If so, then my past week at Flight Safety International, learning to fly and teach in the Cessna Caravan, was like ditching “off the rack” menswear for a custom suit. It fit perfectly and the experience was rewarding! If you’re unfamiliar with the Cessna Caravan,
- [Sun Sets on DayJet—More wreckage along the VLJ highway](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/09/sun-sets-on-dayjetmore-wreckage-along-the-vlj-highway/) - What started as a bad week for Wall Street has ended as an even worse week for DayJet and possibly for VLJ manufacturers counting upon a robust per-seat, on-demand air taxi business. DayJet’s website says that it “has discontinued its jet services and cancelled all future flights as a result of the company’s inability to arrange
- [The Private PTS – Your Chance to Provide Inputs](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/09/the-private-pts-your-chance-to-provide-inputs/) - Anyone who's studied at all seriously for a pilot certificate knows that the final hurdle is to take a checkride which is governed by an FAA PTS or Practical Test Standard. The purpose of these booklets is to standardize the process, so that checkrides given in Peoria and Poughkeepsie are the same. It also attempts to
- [Becoming a Master Pilot: Zen and the Art of Instrument Flying](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/09/becoming-a-master-pilot-zen-and-the-art-of-instrument-flying/) - Fellow blogger and friend Dan Pimentel emailed recently and asked for advice on his upcoming instrument checkride. I was flattered to be asked and sent some suggestions. One, that I tell all my clients when they’re under the hood, is to take a few deep breaths, relax and get into the “Zen of airplane.” It’s
- [Another Airport Saved! Reid-Hillview off the Chopping Block--for Now](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/08/another-airport-saved-reid-hillview-off-the-chopping-block/) - Like the TSA, we should assign a colored threat level for every airport in the country, based upon the current level of threat posed to the airport. If we did, San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport would have been operating all year at a Level 4, Orange, High Threat of Airport Closure. As we reported earlier, that's
- [Oshkosh Finale: the Photos](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/08/oshkosh-finale-the-photos/) - The Oshkosh photos, all 56 of them, are now loaded. You can find them by clicking here or going to the lower right of the blog page. There are a number of great aerial views from a Bell 47 helicopter and a Ford Trimotor that give a good feel for the enormity of AirVenture. There are also some great
- [Oshkosh Update--Flying a 1929 Ford Trimotor](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/08/oshkosh-update-flying-a-1929-ford-trimotor/) - Saturday was a completely unscheduled day and it was fun to just wander around and take in the random wonders of AirVenture. The day started by meeting up with Paul Plack of www.aero-news.net. If you’re not familiar with Paul’s work, then you’re missing out on an informative and fun part of general aviation. Paul spent
- [Oshkosh Update Day 4 – Owning the Night](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/08/oshkosh-update-day-4-max-owns-the-night/) - Another fabulous day and night at Oshkosh. But is there any other kind? The day started out with official pictures in the EAA Museum with the four General Aviation Award winners in front of the new plaque that lists all of the past and current winners. Then there were the unofficial pictures. I’ve chosen to
- [Oshkosh Update—The View from the Top](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/08/oshkosh-updatethe-view-from-the-top/) - It's going to be hard to top today--Oshkosh just keeps getting better and better. The day started out with the Master CFI breakfast, which usually draws around 50 of the approximately 550 Master CFIs. It’s a leisurely affair that affords lots of time to renew acquaintances with other CFI’s and friends in the media who
- [Oshkosh Update—CFI of the Year](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/07/oshkosh-updatecfi-of-the-year/) - Day 2 was another great day in Oshkosh. But you’ve probably figured out that for me every day in Oshkosh is a great day. Actually there was the night in Photo: Acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell 2005 when a storm swept through about 9PM. I came back to my campsite and everything was gone. No
- [Oshkosh Update--It doesn't Get Much Better than This!](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/07/oshkosh-update-it-doesnt-get-much-better-than-this/) - Just as children eagerly await Christmas, I can’t wait each year to wake up and find that I’m in Oshkosh. If you’ve never been to Oshkosh, and you wonder how busy people manage to squeeze it into their schedule each year, let me explain how simple it is. Just start planning for it immediately. Mark
- [New Cessna YouTube Video Scores a Homerun](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/07/new-cessna-youtube-video-scores-a-homerun/) - Nothing makes me smile more than seeing good advertising. For example, the other night on television I saw a great commercial for JG Wentworth, a company of which I’d never heard. Yet their use of opera singers and subtitles to communicate about their product was engaging and left me with a clear impression of their
- [Wish list for AOPA’s new President Craig Fuller](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/06/wish-list-for-aopas-new-president/) - Apparently it will be official tomorrow. Phil Boyer is retiring and Craig L. Fuller will be the next President of AOPA. A hearty congratulations to them both. Before I get to my wish list for Craig and AOPA, let me talk a little about this important change and the great industry in which many of
- [Cirrus SR22 Perspective and Ladies Watches](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/06/cirrus-sr22-perspective-and-ladies-watches/) - On Saturday, I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time in a Cirrus SR22 Perspective aircraft. I enjoyed checking out all of the features and noting the differences between this glass cockpit (which is similar to the Garmin G1000) and comparable aircraft, such as the Cessna 400. We talked previously about some of the
- [Blue Skies for GA and the ICON A5 Light Sport Aircraft](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/06/blue-skies-for-ga-and-the-icon-a5-light-sport-aircraft/) - Humans are notoriously bad in forecasting the future. We tend to simply extend recent trend lines in whatever direction they’re currently headed, whether that be up or down. So it’s not surprising that there’s been some doom and gloom associated with the recent spike in gas prices and the twenty-five year decline in the pilot
- [Commencement Address: Green Aviation](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/05/commencement-address-green-aviation/) - The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind--and very satisfying. Two weeks ago, I watched my oldest daughter graduate from college. Then, a week later, I was the commencement speaker at San Jose State University. The students in their Aviation Division requested me and I was only too happy to speak. I've uploaded ten
- [Cirrus SR22: Coffee, Tea or SmartDeck](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/05/cirrus-sr22-coffee-tea-or-smartdeck/) - Last week, I wrote about the announcement of the Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit for the SR22, and how I had thought they’d be announcing the L-3 SmartDeck instead. My comments were prescient, as just two days later L-3 announced the availability of SmartDeck for the Cirrus SR22, though as a retrofit, rather than a factory
- [New Cirrus Perspective for the SR22](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/05/new-cirrus-perspective-for-the-sr22/) - Today, Cirrus Design announced that the Cirrus Perspective glass cockpit--think Garmin G1000 Plus--is available as an option to their SR22 aircraft. This is big news for several reasons, and future SR22 buyers will want to consider whether to choose it or the current Avidyne Entegra glass cockpit. They will also want to think about buying Max
- [JetWhine article - CFI, Entrepreneur](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/05/jetwhine-articl/) - "Knowing Max for just a short time has opened my eyes to the fact that I truly miss teaching people how to fly myself." So says Rob Mark in the article he posted yesterday on his www.jetwhine.com blog. JetWhine has always been one of my favorite blogs, so when Mark contacted me a few months
- [Aviation Podcasts](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/05/aviation-podcas/) - "The world is constantly changing and in the process is creating new ways to enjoy learning about and staying in touch with aviation.” That’s the beginning of an article I wrote on podcasts, the latest way to download and listen to audio on virtually any topic, in the Fall/Winter issue of my free online Pilot
- [User Fees Off the Table for 2008!](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/04/user-fees-off-t/) - So says an AOPA website story from Friday, April 24. That is welcome news that’s been a long time in coming. It means that the stalemate in the Senate, over what method to use to fund the FAA for the next four years, appears to be over. There are still many steps needed before an
- [Keeping Flying Affordable](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/04/keeping-flying/) - I was at Sun 'n Fun last week, and several of the conversations revolved around keeping flying affordable. If you haven’t been to Sun ‘n Fun, put it on your calendar for next year. It’s the second largest air show after Oshkosh, and it’s always held in April at the Lakeland, FL airport. That’s a
- [Sun 'n Fun live over the internet!](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/04/sun-n-fun-live/) - Yes, those are the Thunderbirds! They've been roaring overhead all week, and if you can't be in Lakeland, FL for Sun 'n Fun, then you might be able to catch them live over the internet on Saturday. The FAA's TV production studios are located right in the middle of the Sun 'n Fun show, and
- [G1000 Pilots Getting Synthetic Vision](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/04/g1000-pilots-ge/) - If you're a pilot, Christmas comes twice a year in April and July. That’s when manufacturers trot out announcements of their new products at Sun ‘n Fun and AirVenture. Based on press releases by Garmin, Cessna and Diamond, Sun ‘n Fun—where I’ll be later this week—is off to a roaring start. First, Garmin announced their
- [Reid-Hillview airport in the Crosshairs--Again. Pilots Need to Act Now.](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/03/reid-hillview-a/) - The Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, CA is the target again of a potential closure action by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. In March, the board voted for studies of the potential net financial benefits of developing the airport and the potential legal issues with closing the airport. At their June 3, 2008
- [2008 National CFI of the Year](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/03/2008-national-c/) - I was flattered recently to receive a shirt in the mail, which is pictured here. You'll notice that it says 2008 National CFI of the Year. Oddly, it also has my name on it. Wow. There's not much I can say, which most people know is unusual for me. Except perhaps thank you. For more
- [ADS-B Rulemaking Comments](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/03/ads-b-rulemakin/) - The Comments period on the FAA's ADS-B NPRM closes in a couple of hours, so hopefully you've submitted any comments. Mine are in, though I don't see them posted yet. Here's in part what I had to say: ADS-B holds great promise as a key element of a NextGen solution. However, the current proposal could
- [The ADS-B NextGen Mandate: Time is Running Out for Your Comments](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/02/the-ads-b-nextg/) - There's always a marriage of sorts between pilots and Air Traffic Control, and final vows are about to be exchanged for the FAA’s NextGen Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The proposal mandates ADS-B equipment in all aircraft by 2020, but the deadline for comments is just two weeks away, so now is the time for
- [VLJ Training--What Will be Required](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/02/vlj-training-w/) - If there's a VLJ jet in your future, then you probably have some interest in what it will take to be properly trained in one so that you can fly it safely. I'll show you the preliminary results of one survey, but first I have to mention that while I was attending an FAA meeting
- [Clancy Prevost, CFI, American Hero](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/01/clancy-prevost/) - There's hardly a person in America that doesn't know that on 9/11, Flight 93 didn't achieve its target of crashing into the White House or the Capitol. Instead, a group of brave passengers seized the moment and took destiny into their own hands. These brave people altered the course of history and kept a national
- [User Fees: Dormant not Dead](https://maxtrescott.com/2008/01/user-fees-dorma/) - Senator Bill Nelson's recent comment that "User fees are dead" was surely well received by the 400 constituents who heard him speak recently in Ft. Lauderdale. Coming from such a credible source--the Senator sits on the aviation subcommittee of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Technology Committee--this undoubtedly cheered the crowd as well it should. Phil
- [General Aviation Needs an Aggressive Safety Goal](https://maxtrescott.com/2007/12/general-aviatio/) - It's time for the FAA to set an aggressive goal, comparable to the ones they set for airliners, for reducing the general aviation fatal accident rate. Without one, senseless accidents will continue, needless lives will be lost, and potential new pilots will be scared away. While the general aviation accident picture is hazy, commercial aviation results are clear with unlimited visibility. Ten years ago, when the FAA set a goal to reduce the rate of commercial aviation fatalities by 80% by the year 2007, few thought it was possible. In fact, the goal wasn’t reached, but to the surprise of many however, they did reduce the commercial aviation fatality rate by more than 60%.
- [Radio Interview](https://maxtrescott.com/2007/12/radio-interview/) - On October 21, I was a guest on Steve Finnie's aviation radio show broadcast on KNTS, 1220 AM. My primary purpose in going on the show was to highlight some of the issues currently facing general aviation. In particular, I wanted to talk about the user fees being proposed in Senate bill 1300 and what listeners can do about it. I also wanted to highlight the need to grow the pilot population in the U.S.
- [Cessna’s Columbia Purchase—a good deal for everyone](https://maxtrescott.com/2007/12/cessnas-columbi/) - The outcome of the Columbia bankruptcy is a far happier story for everyone, with the possible exception of some unsecured creditors...What wasn’t immediately clear to me was how the two planes would fit into Cessna’s product line, given the development efforts underway for Cessna’s NGP or Next Generation Piston line of aircraft. Conceivably, these aircraft could be as fast as the Columbias and result in a significant product overlap. Ironically though, the purchase clarifies the design center of the NGP.
- [Starting AOPA in China?](https://maxtrescott.com/2007/12/starting-aopa-i/) - Currently, there's very little general aviation in China. While I was there, I didn't see a single small plane or helicopter during the entire trip. I did see two small business jets on the ramp at the Beijing airport. Imagine,
- [AirVenture 2007 Oshkosh](https://maxtrescott.com/2007/12/airventure-2007/) - AirVenture is Mecca for pilots, and all pilots should make a pilgrimage to Oshkosh at least once during their lifetime. You can find my Oshkosh pictures by clicking here, or on the Oshkosh Photo Album located on the main page of this blog.

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