Category Archives: Technology

Keeping Your Head Up—HUD Avionics Help

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Mac

With each new advance in avionics technology traditionalist among us worry that we are all flying around with our heads down and locked—inside the cockpit. They do have a point. The most crucial information on your actual flight trajectory is found … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Industry & Government, Safety, Technology | 3 Comments

iPad Takes Aviation by Storm

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Mac

Pilots have been users of all sorts of personal electronic devices (PED) but I have never seen a new piece of electronics catch fire with pilots like the Apple iPad. The bright, colorful tablet is showing up in flight decks … Continue reading →

Posted in Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Technology | 27 Comments

Maintenance Regulations—There Aren’t Many

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Mac

I had a chance to meet Mike Busch, the Savvy Aviator, a couple of weeks ago when people who write for Sport Aviation magazine got together to chat in Oshkosh. I really loved talking to Mike because he and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Industry & Government, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Safety, Technology | 13 Comments

Your Not-So-Secret ID Number

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Mac

Did you know that your airplane has a distinctive identification number that is not your N number? And depending on what type of transponder you have, that special number may be broadcast automatically without you even knowing it. The special … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Industry & Government, Technology | 36 Comments

Nexrad Radar Can Lie

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Mac

I was headed south from my home airport in Muskegon, Michigan, on what was a typical summer day in what has been a very untypical spring and early summer. It was very warm, haze cut the visibility to around 7 … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, Safety, Technology | 6 Comments

ADS-B has a Missing Link

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Mac

The FAA’s ADS-B requirement moves the bulk of air traffic control hardware and technology from the ground and puts it into the airplane. Instead of using a radar network on the ground to locate the position of aircraft, ADS-B relies … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry & Government, Technology | 37 Comments

Settling With Power on Top of Osama

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Mac

The cause of the crash of the U.S. military helicopter during the assault on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan was reportedly a unique helicopter aerodynamic phenomenon that pilots call “settling with power.” The more the pilot pulled up on … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Airmanship, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Technology | 23 Comments

Aspen and Honeywell Working Together

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Mac

In aviation small companies can get things done that big ones sometimes can’t. In all of my years in aviation I can’t remember a partnership between two established companies to jointly develop, certify, produce, and support a single product. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry & Government, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Technology | 1 Comment

Don’t Let eAPIS Scare You

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Mac

Stancie and I have been visiting Hope Town in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas for years and have gotten to know many people who also visit here at the same time. As you can imagine, many of the people … Continue reading →

Posted in Airmanship, Flying for Fun, Mac Clellan's Left Seat Blog, Technology | 7 Comments

Why Helicopters Are So Slow

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Mac

The most powerful helicopters in the world max out around at 170 or maybe 180 knots of airspeed. These can be multi-million dollar machines with two, or even three, of the most powerful turbine engines available. Why are the fastest … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, Technology | 38 Comments