In day two of the federal government shutdown, airlines continue to run on schedule with fully staffed control towers, and general aviation pilots have seen few impacts -- but the longer it goes on, the more effects will be felt, according to GA advocacy groups. Although air traffic controllers remain on the job, 3,000 support workers in the ATC system have been furloughed, says Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The furloughs will delay the opening of a new runway at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and will delay the approval of safety-related equipment modifications to aircraft. "It is unacceptable that thousands of our aviation safety professionals have been forced to stay home due to partisan posturing in Congress," Rinaldi said. The NTSB also was immediately affected, as the go-team assigned to investigate the fatal Citation crash in Santa Monica was sent home on Tuesday. Read More

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Before control of an aircraft shifts from the autopilot to the pilot, the system should require the receiving pilot to acknowledge that he or she has assumed control, according to a recent study of ergonomics and flight safety. Eric Geiselman, lead author of a two-part study published in Ergonomics in Design, emphasized that the warning should occur before the autopilot is disengaged, not after, as is currently required. "The sudden disengagement of autopilot is analogous to a pilot suddenly throwing up his or her hands and blurting to the copilot, 'Your plane!'" said Geiselman. The study, which focused on two high-profile 2009 crashes -- Colgan Air in Buffalo and Air France off the coast of Brazil -- concluded that current autopilot design is flawed, and "creates unnecessary emergencies by surprising pilots during critical, high-workload episodes." Read More

American Airlines said this week it will begin hiring again for the first time in over a decade, seeking to acquire 1,500 pilots over the next five years. The carrier is not yet out of bankruptcy, and has been involved in restructuring for nearly two years, now, but began recalling pilots late last year. It now says it is hiring to address attrition rates (it currently employes almost 500 pilots who are over the age of 60 who must retire within the next five years) and new federal regulations that may require more pilots on the line at any given time. American expects the pace of its hiring to run at close to 50 pilots per month for the next year. Many may come from one source. Read More

Flying for fun isn't restricted to Alaskan mountain valleys or Idaho rivers. The Recreational Aviation Foundation is working to preserve pilot access to unique backcountry runways all around the country. RAF President John McKenna spoke with AVweb's Mary Grady about the group's mission, their achievements, and their plans for the future. If you want to learn more, they'll have an exhibit at AOPA Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, coming up in just a few weeks, October 10-12. Read More

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Opponents of the Santa Monica airport are calling again for its closure following Sunday evening's fatal jet crash. "It is time to shut this airport down," Los Angeles city councilman Mike Bonin said in a Twitter post. "There have been more than 80 crashes related to this airport since 1982. Meanwhile, nearby residents are suffering from harmful jet fuel emissions." Residential neighborhoods have grown around the airport since it was built in 1917, and surround the runway on all sides. On Tuesday morning, the local coroner said four bodies had been found in the wreckage of the Cessna Citation CJ2, which crashed into a hangar while attempting to land at the airport. The airport remained closed on Tuesday as investigators examined the site. Read More

First there were charts and then moving maps and a plethora of other weather and navigation-related items for the iPad and now pilot operating handbook apps have been developed for some of Piper's products. The company said it will unveil electronic POHs for its M-Class and twin-engine aircraft at AOPA Summit. Read More

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