Opinion

Doing aviation things differently has real consequences to those who profit from the status quo. Here’s how to recognize smart conservatism versus the other kind. There are certain questions we need to ask ourselves when we look at how aviation things are done and whether mixing things up might carry some benefits for those of […]

My Going Direct column recently outlined my big misgivings about the new BasicMed medical certification regulations. I promise I’ll get to the part where I admit I was wrong, but before I do, let me briefly sum up what I said and get into some of the real-world issues we’re facing now that BasicMed is […]

They’re not saying it out loud, but here’s why GA organizations are calling the new ATC plan a non-starter. GA is in a tough spot now that a new privatization plan has been crafted that in theory answers most of its objections. There are the reasons that the industry remains united in its opposition. Here’s […]

One company is working with smart partners to start test flights of kinder and gentler supersonic planes as early as next year. So what does it mean that Boom Supersonic has “sold” 76 supersonic commercial jets to date, the number 76 being, I suppose, a milestone of sorts, with “76” being the year of America’s […]

As some of you might know, one of my other passions besides flying is running. I run quite a bit and I’ve got a number of great friends who are runners, too. It’s a community that shares some basic understandings about what we love, much as pilots understand other pilots. There’s a joy we have […]

Think privatization is the way to go for more efficient operation? Consider this case from just 20 years ago. One of the major arguments for President Trump’s proposed ATC Modernization plan is that private companies are inherently more efficient than governmental agencies. The example for this case is the FAA’s slow moving Nex-Gen airspace modernization […]

GA pilots, industry players, member organizations respond with outrage over the Trump ATC privatization budget proposal, the administration’s proposed adoption of ATC giveaway to the airlines. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but the aviation world responded in shock and outrage when President Trump, as the first step in his major infrastructure upgrade plan, […]

For the past few months, I’ve been looking for a good used plane, and I finally found the one I wanted, a 1964 Cessna 182G in good condition, with low total time, an engine and prop with lots of life, and a nice paint job. It needs avionics in the worst way, so my next […]

If it’s for real, the advance would revolutionize electric flight. For the past many years, I’ve been the pro side in arguments with colleagues about the future of light aviation. Unlike many of my friends, I believe, to paraphrase William Faulkner, that light GA will not only survive but endure. I do accept that something […]

As has been widely reported today, Star Wars actor Harrison Ford is not being punished by the FAA for mistakenly landing on a taxiway at John Wayne International Airport in Santa Ana, California, in February. So apparently, this rich, good-looking, famous movie star gets to screw up and get away with it? Actually, that’s how […]