Frank Schmidt Dies in Airplane Crash

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Schmidt was an expert instructor with over forty years experience and over 18,000 flight hours.

For the full story click here.

Volvo with 3 Million Miles

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

It just keeps going, and going, and going. No, it’s not a battery. It’s Irvin Gordon’s 1966 Volvo P1800S.

July 2012 U.S. Airways Plane Sinks into Asphalt

Monday, July 9th, 2012

It was so hot in DC on July 8 2012 that a U.S. Airways plane sinks into the asphalt at DCA.

Austrian Gyrocopter Makes First Flight

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Trixy Zero, a motorcycle-style gyrocopter, made its first flight at the airfield of Sachsen-Anhalt’s provincial capital Magdeburg, Germany, on June 30, piloted by Trixy Aviation CEO and engineer Rainer Farrag.

Click here for full story

Yates Bringing Electric Long-EZ to Innovation Hangar Alpha

Friday, July 6th, 2012

Click here for story

Tortoise Lunch

Friday, June 29th, 2012

Human Powered Flight – Gossamer Albatross

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

The Gossamer Albatross was a human-powered aircraft built by American aeronautical engineer Dr. Paul B. MacCready’s AeroVironment. On June 12, 1979 it completed a successful crossing of the English Channel to win the second Kremer prize.

Click here for more info

Great Circle Mapper

Friday, April 13th, 2012

Here is a useful website for calculating distances for long flights. Click here for site.

Harry’s Lomax

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Changes in ATP Training

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

The FAA is proposing to make sweeping changes that you should plan for in case they go through.  Please read the FAA document available at the link below.  Bottom line is if you do not yet have your ATP rating, you best hurry and if you teach ATP students under Part 61, the FAA may not permit it under Part 61 in the future.

All of this is preliminary and still in flux, but this is a heads up of what direction they are looking at.

 Here is the link

New ATP Rating Requirements and Instructional Requirements – In brief, this may mean the “recreational ATP rating” will be going away.  Here is a summary:

They want to require passing an “Approved Course”.  Note “Approved” implies not Part 61. In fact it specifically prevents Part 61 ATP instruction.

1. The FAA proposes to require first officers to hold an ATP certificate or “ATP certificate with restricted privileges” and a type rating. No longer just a Commercial MEL.

2. It appears the FAA envisioned this course to be taught by the airlines employing the pilot or by a flight training organization such as “those big sim schools”.  

a. The proposed course would contain a minimum of eight hours in at least a Level 4 Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) and eight hours in a Level C, or higher, device.

b. Flight instructors in this training course must have at least two years of experience in any combination of Part 121, 91.1053(a)(2)(i), and 135.243(a)(1) operations.   

On page 94 of the above mentioned document, it specifically states:

 “……. The FAA is proposing a structured ATP certification training program that includes training in FSTDs under parts 121, 135, 141, or 142 rather than permitting instruction to be accomplished by certified flight instructors (CFIs) under Part 61. Typically CFIs do not have air carrier experience and are not required under current regulations to have the knowledge that teaching the required concepts demands. As such, the FAA would have to modify the requirements for CFIs in addition to modifying the ATP certificate requirements to enable CFIs to teach the proposed course. The decision to propose the structured ATP Certification Training Program rather than permitting instruction to take place in actual aircraft under part 61 was also based on the fact that the areas identified in the public law are complex and involve difficult operational conditions including icing and high altitude operations. These complex environments are most safely trained through flight simulation. ……”