Aviation Resources: Air Data Research

December 3, 2010

For almost any type of information on aircraft, aircraft issues, and a comprehensive look at almost any aviation issue, we recommend John Eakin and his company, Air Data Research.  John has been flying or fixing aircraft for over 40 years, and holds  Airline Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certificates.  He has […]

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Helicopter & GA Pilots: Plan the flight…fly the plan

November 29, 2010

I’ve come to believe that most accidents occur when the pilot decides to do something, anything, that was not in the original plan for that flight. When I think back on the times that I’ve tried hardest to kill myself, it was generally because of that fact.

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Helicopter-EMS (HEMS) Safety Concerns

November 23, 2010

Medical helicopter crashes make headline news, receiving a lot of attention from the media and from viewers.  Perhaps because we can all feel the depth of the tragedy knowing this helicopter was on a mission of mercy to save lives – yet crew members and patients lose their lives. According to the NTSB, there were […]

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Latest Windshield Issue For Delta

November 19, 2010

At 34,000 feet in the air, the pilot came on over the public address system and calmly advised his passengers they had to make an emergency landing because the Boeing 737 had a  cracked windshield.  Delta Flight 1795 was headed for Southern California from Atlanta and diverted to the Dallas-Ft. Worth.  The plane landed in […]

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Concern Grows About Commercial Airline Travel Safety As My Travel Nears

November 15, 2010

In the aftermath of the commercial airline incidents in the last few weeks, my concern grows about these “mishaps”/ “incidents”/ “accidents” happening in commercial airline travel when lives are at stake.   Qantas Airline grounded all six of its A380 after an engine exploded shortly after takeoff from Singapore on its way to Sidney.  The chief […]

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General Aviation Plane Crashes

November 1, 2010

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, general aviation flights account for most of the crashes, injuries, and deaths in U.S. aviation.  In fact, the risk is 82 times greater than for major airlines.  General aviation flights include small private planes and business jets including use for recreation, emergency medical services, fire-fighting, sight-seeing, traffic reporting […]

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Thunderstorms Threat to Aviation

November 1, 2010

Two of the main dangers posed by thunderstorms to aircraft are being hit by lightening and windsheer. Windsheer, caused by the change in vertical or horizontal drafts around the plane, is a big concern for pilots because it can cause loss of “lift” (which keeps the plane in the air). One famous crash – depicted […]

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Here I Go Again – Me And My Butterflies

October 29, 2010

Next month I will be joining my family for Thanksgiving.  This is my favorite holiday and being with those I love is so exciting and very important to me… so, why am I beginning to feel the familiar butterflies forming in my stomach?  Why am I focusing more on the journey than the happy times […]

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FAA’s Proposed New Helicopter Safety Rules

October 20, 2010

I applaud the FAA for these proposed changes which should help helicopter safety and should save lives.  Despite the efforts of manufacturers, operators and government agencies, the helicopter accident rate has not seen a major improvement. For years, although the technology is readily available, the FAA has not mandated flight data recorders and cockpit voice […]

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