mtrescott

Product Review: SPOT 2 Satellite GPS Messenger

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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

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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 … Read more

Product Review: Husky A-1C and Garmin G500 and G600

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.