May 24, 2013

By The AVweb Editorial Staff

New Terrain: Terrain and Obstacle Hazard Awareness for iPad ForeFlight's new Hazard Advisor swiftly and elegantly highlights hazardous terrain and obstacles, making you more aware of the granite clouds and threatening obstacles in your path. A worldwide terrain database keeps you informed wherever you fly, from Aspen to Auckland. Obstacle data covers North America, the Caribbean, and U.S. territories. Upgrade to ForeFlight Pro today and keep hazards at bay. Today's Exclusive AVweb Feature back to top  Big Blows Flying safely in high wind conditions is a matter of adopting the proper technique for your aircraft's weight and configuration. One complication with which we pilots must always contend is wind. It can complicate a takeoff or landing, force heading changes while en route, mandate a fuel stop when stronger than forecast and make an otherwise smooth ride uncomfortable when blowing over uneven terrain. Learning to deal with the wind is one of the major lessons of primary training, yet the accident record demonstrates many of us still haven't mastered the challenge. Call it what you will—Chinook, Santa Ana, Foehn or Borea—pilots who live in the lands of seasonal high winds know they must either learn to fly in them or sit grounded and watch the world blow by. What is their secret for flying safely in windy conditions? Click here to read the full article. iPads in the Cockpit — ForPilotsOnly Find the most versatile kneeboards and mounts for your iPad and iPad mini at ForPilotsOnly.com. These patented designs are manufactured in the USA and solve the issues that face iPad pilots. The iPro Series kneeboards are the only iPad kneeboards that include a clipboard that can be opened and closed in flight without bumping the yoke. And the iPro Navigator mount protects your mini from direct sunlight. Find your ideal iPad solution now. From the Pages of Aviation Safety Magazine back to top  The Pilot Shortage Crisis Is Nigh! … Or Not People in the aviation industry have been talking about a looming U.S. pilot shortage for decades, but you may be hard pressed to find anyone in the U.S. who's actually experienced one during the past 20 years. Actually, 20 years ago, I remember receiving materials form an outfit that explained just how strong the demand would soon be. Now, the warnings are back (if they ever went away). So, should you believe them this time? If you think the hype is overblown, you're not alone. "Shortage" is relative, and if history is any indicator, any future shortage may depend more on real world market conditions than projections developed years earlier (a.k.a., today). For example, if there were any projections for a shortage this past decade, market forces turned that shortage into massive furloughs that took place around 2003 and slashed benefits for many pilots lucky enough to keep their jobs through that decade. Back then, Northwest Airlines was on pace for 1,068 total furloughs. United and Delta had actually each hired furloughed pilots … to serve as furlough administrators. Not long after that, in 2008, the world's economy fell off a cliff. Click here to read the full article. Safelog Is the World's Most Trusted Electronic Pilot Logbook System! Suitable for student pilots through senior captains, Safelog features legendary flexibility and ease of use. Available for PC, iPhone, iPad, Android, web, Mac (through emulation), and more. Stuck with some underperforming other logbook? Join thousands of others by taking advantage of our complimentary transition service and step up to the power, value, stability, and professionalism of Safelog. Try a demo or learn more at Checkride.com. You Refurbish It, We Show It Off back to top  Refurb of the Month: Steve Wathen's P-210 click for larger image Although considered somewhat high maintenance, Cessna's P210 offered -- and continues to offer -- unique performance at an affordable purchase price. A careful search will find older airframes worth refurbishing, and that's exactly what Steve Wathen of Columbus, Ohio did with his P-210. Have you refurbed an airplane recently? If so, send us some pictures and tell us about it. AVweb continues to seek refurb projects to report on. Survey: Have You Had Engine Shop Surgery? The engine shop and overhaul market has changed dramatically in the past few years. Aviation Consumer magazine wants to know about your engine overhaul experience and the experience you had dealing with the shop. We'd appreciate you taking a couple of minutes to answer these questions. Click here to take the survey. We've tried to keep it brief. Many of these questions are quick to answer. But feel free to expand your responses beyond the simple questions we're asking. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with other aircraft owners. The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here. Fantasy or Reality? IFR magazine helps you sort the facts from the fiction. Realistic, practical tools for the IFR pilot. Subscribe now and get a bonus gift! Opinion & Commentary back to top  AVweb Insider Blog: In Search Of Airborne Connection It's been clear for a long time that the pilot population is in decline, but the reasons why and the ways to change the trajectory are less clear. In her latest post to the AVweb Insider blog, Mary Grady points to the recent wave of efforts focused on community-building -- but is this the solution everyone's been waiting for? Read more and join the conversation. 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. If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device), there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.