In Flight USA Article Categories
In Flight USA Articles
Editorial: The “Flying Season” and Safety
By Ed Downs
Okay, not an exciting title, but give it chance. There really is a “Flying Season.” Logically, it takes place between May and October, obviously due to improved weather vacation travel. Generally, up to 70 percent of the flying hours flown during a year occur during these months, and the same percentage applies to revenues earned by aviation- related businesses. Regrettably, the NTSB and FAA also have to gear up, as accident rates increase with activity. No magic to those stats, more planes, more pilots, more accidents. So let’s see if there are any lessons from the past or new programs that might reduce this predictable trend.
The FAA came to an interesting conclusion early in this century. New technology airplanes were hitting the market, advanced GPS-based navigation systems came into play, and auto-flight control systems became increasingly sophisticated. This trend has accelerated. Many students learning to fly today begin their experience in planes like the Cirrus and new Cessna, which are fully decked out with advanced, integrated auto-flight and navigation systems.
Flying With Faber December
New Website
Bird in a Biplane
Planes of Fame
Tuskegee Airman Reflects on Diversity
By Airman Jenna K. Caldwell, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)
Retired Maj. George BoydIt was 1944, and the U.S. was in the midst of two battles – a war on two sides of the world and the onslaught of cultural changes on the home front.
Meanwhile, a young African-American Soldier picked up trash on the white sandy beaches at Keesler Field, Miss. He had been briefed that although he was in the service and evidently may fight and die for his country, he could neither walk on this beach unless he was working nor could he swim here because it was for whites only.
Now retired Maj. George Boyd, a 28-year combat veteran and Tuskegee Airman, will never forget the hypocrisy of that order. Boyd, now a resident of Wichita, Kan., was part of the service during the transition from the Army Air Corps to the Air Force.
Boyd served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He witnessed the roots of social equality shift within his country and his service – from the integration of the armed forces by President Harry S. Truman in 1948, to the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s.
Air Show Season Makes for a Great Opportunity to Dine in the Sunshine State
For aviation enthusiasts, Florida is the place to be this spring. Between Sun ‘n Fun and the AEA workshops, it makes for the perfect vacation. Florida is also the perfect destination for family and friends, so why not try some world-class cuisine after a long
Contrails: Hanging Out with Dwayne
By Steve Weaver
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” – Leonardo da Vinci.
This was a surprising statement to be made in the 15th century, when most of the world’s population was too busy trying to stay alive to think many profound thoughts. But given da Vinci’s genius, it isn’t surprising that he said this, for flight has always fascinated man. I would imagine that down through time many humans have had such feelings but not the ability to put them into such eloquent words.
Socrates came close, almost 500 years before Christ, when he said, “Man must rise above the earth—to the top of the atmosphere and beyond — for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.”