Staying Alive is Best
Uncommon is a magazine editor who doesn’t occasionally struggle to come up with a topic for the monthly editorial. For me, it’s become one...
It’s Good to See Traffic
General Aviation is quite safe, still largely due to the see-and-be-seen principle. Recent technology advances aid that mandate, but we still should see traffic...
BRIEFING JUNE 2023
Space Traffic Jam Addressed
The FAA says it will try to ease disruptions to air traffic caused by increasing numbers of space launches. Airlines complain...
See the Big Picture
Earlier this year, there were a number of near misses during airport operations. These included one aircraft nearly landing on top of another that...
Help Your Mechanic
Recently, my mechanic showed me the list of squawks I’d told him about in recent texts, phone calls, and even e-mails. At the top...
Approach Considerations
Garmin GPS navigators can use either of two databases for en-route and terminal navigation. Both are available through Garmin; one is a Garmin product...
Persistent? Or Foolhardy?
Yesterday, I had what’s probably my most “interesting” GA experience. It’s mid-December 2022 as I write this. Recall a nasty storm hit the middle...
Upgrading to a new Airplane?
Recently I helped a friend purchase a Cessna 340A similar to what I fly. He’s pleased with his purchase. In fact, when word got...
Sim Inadequacy
Often I’ve railed against the inability of approved aviation training devices (sims) to mimic the aircraft we fly. If your panel has had any...
VFR Pilot, Instrument Rated
Recently I realized that there are VFR pilots, VFR pilots with an instrument rating, and instrument pilots. Which are you? Reading this, you are...
See and Avoid
Watsonville, California, is where my Cessna 340 and I used to be based. It’s also where, as I write this, just a few days...
Go? Or No-Go?
Although my Twin-Cessna 340 has been amazingly reliable, it is still a complex aircraft with two turbocharged engines, pressurization, and known-ice certification, among other...