Future Flying Forecast

The future flying forecast may have seemed bleak one year ago, but fluctuations and furloughs are not forever. Bloomberg News, September 2001: “Thousands of workers losing their jobs at American Airlines. United Airlines reports the gravest times in its history. Eight of the largest airlines in the United States have implemented over 78,000 furloughs since the terrorist attacks. Prior to these massive furloughs, the airlines were reporting record employment.” Furloughs in aviation are nothing new. One of the earliest sequences of layoffs occurred during World War I (1914–1918). At the beginning and during the war, the demand for pilots far exceeded the training capabilities. Production of pilots and aircraft could not happen fast enough. After the war, air mail and … Read more

Nov 28

Recipe for Success: How to Study to Become a Pilot

Coordinating my hands and feet while manipulating the flight controls, rudder pedals, and at the same time focusing on flying the airplane was a big challenge. Forty years of life experiences had not prepared me for the intense focus and dexterity required while learning to fly. My first training airplane was a tired Cessna 150 with basic analog instruments. In fact, we navigated with a magnetic compass and heading indicator. The communication radio was an old tube-style with a hand-held microphone. Headsets were not an option. The instructor had to yell guidance over the loud engine noise. Math was not my strength. Cross-country flying was a nightmare. I was alway lost as check points, headings, altitudes eluded me. I was … Read more

Oct 25

Foggy Facts: What Pilots Need to Know About Flying in Fog

“Caution, Sea Smoke approaching Ormond Beach.” Lifting my view limiting device while on a practice instrument approach at Dayton Beach (KDAB), a solid wall of white clouds rolled over the ocean toward my home airport at KOMN. I immediately canceled my practice instrument approach with KDAB approach requesting direct to KOMN. Fog is the most frequent cause of reduced surface visibility and is a persistent weather hazard. The speed with which fog can form makes it especially hazardous. In a matter of minutes, visibility can drop from Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to less than a mile. Fog can also reduce visibilities below Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) minimum approach requirements. Fog is composed of either water vapor or ice crystals. A small temperature-dew … Read more

Sep 21

Understanding Aviation Approaches: Expert Tips for Pilots

Captain Judy’s Corner: Technological Historical Approach Looking from the Citation jet cockpit, Charles de Gaulle international airport (CDG) was off our right wingtip. The city of Paris was off our left wing. Le Bourget airport (LFPB) was directly ahead. The stunning view took our breath away. We anticipated stepping back in time as we approached this famous airport. Le Bourget conjured up images of 1927 with a lanky, tousle-haired Charles Lindbergh climbing down from his gray monoplane having just completed his historic nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. We were about to make a technological historic approach. Coming into Paris: A Memorable Instrument Approach As we approached LFPB, we could have been on any instrument landing system (ILS) in the world … Read more