Archive for March, 2009

So You Have an Emergency. Relax

By | March 28, 2009 | Advanced Flying | 4 Comments

The first priority of any pilot is to fly the airplane. Even during the most time critical emergency, aircraft control must be maintained. Nevermind the flashing red lights, the best way to overcome adversity in the cockpit is to remain calm. In the disco-esque words of Michael Penniman: “relax, take it easy!” Read more…

Fed Ex MD11 Crashes at Narita Intl in Tokyo [video]

By | March 22, 2009 | Aviation News | 8 Comments

An MD-11 operated by Fed Ex Express crashed and burst into flames during landing at Narita International in Tokyo, Japan. The pilot and copilot of Fed Ex Flight 80 were killed in the accident according to a CNN report. The video shows the airplane bouncing twice and rolling left before landing inverted next to the runway. Read more…

Cleared to Land, Maintain Best Forward Airspeed

By | March 22, 2009 | Flight Training | 2 Comments

When operating into controlled airports, tower will occasionally ask you to maintain “best forward airpseed” with your landing clearance. This is especially common for pilots of slower piston-engine airplanes. As common as this request is, it is not required (and rarely covered) by the flight training curriculum. Read more…

Runway Hazards: Arresting Cables

By | March 19, 2009 | Advanced Flying | 1 Comment

On take off roll from Charleston, SC, the pilot of a Long EZ experienced a rough bump before taking into the air. Upon landing at the destination airport, the pilot discovered that the nose wheel was flat and that the left brake had lost all hydraulic fluid.  The NTSB determined that the nosewheel had struck a military arresting cable on take off and blamed the pilot for inadequate preflight planning in the probable cause analysis. Read more…

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