December 7, 2012

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

Useful Tips for Managing an IFR Emergency Watch this fast-paced program by PilotWorkshops, where you will experience a real-world IFR emergency. Learn how to manage this frightening situation to a safe outcome and review a life-saving procedure that can get you out of a jam. Click here for the IFR emergency video. Our friends at Sennehiser are giving away an $1,100 S1 Digital Headset to one lucky viewer of the video, so be sure to enter after you watch! Today's Exclusive Feature back to top  Frasca: The Benefits And Pitfalls Of Simulator Training Simulators can affect the time and cost of flight training, and the pace of technology makes it easier than ever to access them, but if you listen to Frasca -- which has more than 50 years of experience in the simulator business -- access shouldn't be the only concern. Frasca has been in business since the mid-1950s. And, today, the company's approach focuses on two key factors: The ability of students to transfer learned skills into the cockpit; and the ability of both the school and student to maintain an acceptable financial condition throughout the process. In short, Frasca believes that when it comes to getting the most from simulator training, one size does not fit all. Moreover, says Frasca, the wrong fit can be more than inconvenient, it can introduce complications that cost both the student and school time and money. In Frasca's view, effective flight simulation should maximize the efficient transfer of skills from the simulator to the aircraft, what the company calls "transfer of training." In practice, Frasca sees the best transfer of training achieved through simulators that provide the most accurate replication of the flight environment -- the best aerodynamic simulation, the most accurate flight deck replication, and, wherever possible, integration of qualified aircraft-specific motion and visuals. In today's environment replication of the cockpit environment is even more important as more and more manufacturers are developing aircraft-specific EFIS, GPS, and FMS functions on all sorts of PFDs and MFDs. Frasca's aim is to create the environment that allows each student to most accurately and efficiently replicate the actions they will perform in the cockpit. And realism costs money. Click here to read the full article. From the Pages of Aviation Consumer Magazine back to top  Seatbelt Upgrades: No Excuse for Bad Belts If your seat belts are frayed or inadequate -- such as a lap belt up front -- you can fix it for a reasonable cost. Airbags cost more, but are a real aftermarket option. The FAA didn't get serious about seatbelts until 1978, and even then it was only requiring shoulder restraints for the front seats. Ten years later, they added the rear. Given how long aircraft stay in service, that means there are thousands of craft flying every day with inadequate protection for the most valuable item on board. If you're flying with only a lap belt -- shame on you. As much as some pilots don't like having belts over their shoulders, the study data has been clear for decades: 88 percent of injuries and 20 percent of fatalities can be eliminated by adding shoulder or additional restraints over lap belts alone, according to the the FAA. Click here to read the full article. Today's Exclusive AVweb Podcast back to top  Podcast: GA Accident Numbers on the Rise File Size 7.1 MB / Running Time 7:46 Podcast Index | How to Listen | Subscribe Via RSS Just a few weeks after the NTSB named the general aviation safety rate as one of its top 10 safety concerns, the FAA told the GA advocacy groups that its records for October and November show a rise in GA accidents compared to last year. AVweb's Mary Grady talked to EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski to find out more. This podcast is brought to you by Bose Corporation. Click here to listen. (7.1 MB, 7:46) Names Behind the News back to top  Meet the AVwebFlash Team AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource. The AVwebFlash team is: Publisher Tom Bliss Editorial Director, Aviation Publications Paul Bertorelli Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles Webmaster Scott Simmons Contributing Editors Mary Grady Glenn Pew Contributors Kevin Lane-Cummings Ad Coordinator Karen Lund Avionics Editor Larry Anglisano Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling, click here or contact Tom Bliss, via e-mail or via telephone [(480) 525-7481]. Click here to send a letter to the editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.) Comments or questions about the news should be sent here. 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