mtrescott 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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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%.
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.
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.