Aviation Training

California Pilot Alert: New Regulations To Raise Cost of Flight Instruction–Write Your Representatives Today!

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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.

Cessna’s First Lady Rose Pelton Talks about Learning to Fly in Her SkyCatcher

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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.

NTSB Glass Cockpit Safety Study Concludes Pilots Need More Training

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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

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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.

Cirrus SR22 crash lawsuit Video

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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?

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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.