Short Final: ATC Diplomacy
Air Traffic Controllers can be very diplomatic in nudging us
toward use of proper phraseology. I overheard this recently transiting NorCal
airspace:
Short Final: Shortcuts
I recently heard this exchange between ATC and a Southwest flight.
SWA: “Any shortcuts today would be appreciated.”
Short Final: Stop Where You Are
This past June we were returning from Canada to Colorado in mid‑afternoon IFR in our PA 32. The typical afternoon thunderstorms were...
Short Final: Port Tank
I am both a pilot and a sailor. Not so long ago at an FBO, when signing in, they asked for instructions....
Short Final: Souls On Board
Thankfully, I have never had to respond to those foreboding words from ATC: “… say souls on board.” However, I do remember...
Short Final: The Day The Earth Stood Still
We need to be looking at Pennsylvania's Quakertown Airport (KUKT), not Area 51 (KXTA), for extraterrestrials. For end‑of‑the‑world and save‑the‑world science‑fiction buffs,...
Short Final: Medical Transport
I was heading to Palm Springs from San Diego on an IFR
flight plan. I heard another pilot call in for an IFR...
Short Final: Just Married
My son and daughter‑in‑law had just married. I set in motion a plan to surprise them during their flight back home.
Short Final: Three’s A Crowd
We were returning from a trip to Milwaukee Timmerman after visiting the EAA AirVenture and were on VFR flight following from Chicago...
Short Final: Michelin Man
In upstate South Carolina, Michelin has a number of plants that manufacture tires and one recently completed a 40‑year anniversary. Maybe the...
Featured Video
Kobe Bryant Crash: Risk By The Numbers
Basketball star Kobe Bryant was killed in the crash of a chartered Sikorsky S-76B helicopter on Jan. 26, 2020. This high-profile crash, which killed his daughter Gianna and seven others, is causing a re-examination of how Part 135 helicopters are operated. In this video, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli examines the risks.