App Review: Notify NTSB for NTSB Part 830

April 15, 2011

NTSB Part 830 regulations cover reporting requirements for aircraft accidents and incidents. Every pilot has had to answer a few questions on a FAA written test about the various requirements and time frames. Studying these regulations can cause the same glassing over of the eyes as ADF relative bearings or calculating time to station by [...]

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Let’s fly like the Professionals

March 18, 2011

It is no secret that the airlines, corporate and military aviation have a much better safety record than general aviation. And it is also no secret how they do that. They fly by the book, use standard procedures, do gobs of training and have flight dispatchers to provide planning and enroute support. That’s great you [...]

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Bring Back FAM Trips 2

March 11, 2011

Last time, I talked about the FAA program that allowed Controllers to ride in cockpit jumpseats for Familiarization Flights – FAM Flights. Each airline had its own procedures and customs for access to the jump seat.  Generally, all one had to do was present yourself in dispatch with an FAA ID and a form signed [...]

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FAM trips – Bring them back!

February 18, 2011

Many years ago when I first started with the FAA, one of the benefits that I had heard from the older Controllers was the legendary FAM Trip. For those of you not familiar with the term, this FAA program allowed Controllers to ride in the cockpit jump seat on airliners. The program was conceived as [...]

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Photo Pilot Certificate Proposal

February 8, 2011

A lot of pilots I talked to recently seem excited to hear that they will soon get a pilot certificate that has their picture on it. I am sorry to hear this as getting a new pilot certificate with my picture on it is somewhere around the last thing I need. My certificate already has [...]

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