Author Archives: Mac

Acting under orders from Congress the FAA is speeding up its process to allow unmanned aircraft to fly in the national air space system. So, at least some of us will be sharing the air with unpiloted aircraft sooner than … Continue reading →

  I really hate the way the word “tarmac” is being used to describe pavement on an airport. It’s one thing when NBC’s Brian Williams, for example, uses tarmac to describe the ramp. After all, Brian is not a pilot, … Continue reading →

 A never ending debate among pilots is the role of automation, particularly in IFR flying. On one side is a group who thinks you should hand fly in the clouds a lot and fly complicated procedures when possible because some … Continue reading →

Not long ago I was behind a Piper Saratoga at the same altitude—6,000 feet– and flying the same course. The controller asked each of us for our airspeed. The Saratoga pilot reported 170 knots which is what was showing on … Continue reading →

Every year during simulator training I know a balked landing is on the list of tasks to accomplish. And if I’m training in a jet, the maneuver will almost certainly come at the end of a low weather instrument approach … Continue reading →

My other passion is sailing. Stancie and I love to sail, but we’re not cruisers. We’re racers. Our objective is to use the natural action of the wind and water on the hull and sails to beat sailors in other … Continue reading →

There is a great deal of discussion of basic flight training failure, but the airline safety record says we have never done better. The GA accident picture remains little changed and not good, but for U.S. based airlines, we are … Continue reading →

The ferry leaving Hope Town harbor on Elbow Cay. Stancie and I just flew back from our annual trip to Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Great fun, as always, and a trip that makes me happier than ever to fly … Continue reading →

The FAA routinely issues a ruling of equivalent level of safety (ELOS) when certifying airplanes, equipment and various flight operations. An ELOS is the FAA’s finding that an aircraft or aviation operation delivers the same level of safety that the … Continue reading →

The environmental activist group Friends of the Earth has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demanding that the EPA make a finding of endangerment caused by the lead in avgas. The situation sounds ominous, but really wouldn’t change the … Continue reading →