Read more…(minimum viable)
“One school owner, who manages 35 CFI-employees, boils this advice down to some simple guidance,” St George told attendees, which included flight school owners, chief pilots, CFIs, and government and industry officials gathered at Migration, held this year in Frederick MD. “Initially, CFIs can be pretty weak, but with a good ‘learning attitude’ and careful mentorship, they improve faster than you can believe.” That is exactly what SAFE is here for; we help CFIs bridge the gap to become excellent educators. We need to cooperate on this to fix the 80% drop out rate and make stronger, safer pilots.” See the complete blog article here
Read more…(RCO decommisioning)
In addition to the RCO decommissioning project, the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) project will affect the number of remote outlets available to pilots in future years as VORs are decommissioned in favor of GPS as the primary navigation method. “Flight Service has a number of transmitters and receivers that are tied to VORs,” she said. “As VORs are decommissioned, the voice capability, if available, will also be decommissioned.” She said that the FAA will look at individual locations as VORs are decommissioned and determine whether to retain voice capability. If so, a separate RCO will be installed to replace the VOR voice function.
Read More…(Safety Briefing)
The current issue of the free FAA publication includes an overview of some “different” ways to expand a pilot’s horizons. Articles include:
The Experimental Experience, Blazing a New Trail in a “Special” Place
Ride the Lightning, Aviation’s Electric Future?
Teaching the Unknown, A Balloon Instructor’s Guide to Flight Training Preparation.
Flying Light! Managing Expectations with Light-Sport Aircraft.
Read more…(ADS-B)
Other segments of aviation are doing better in equipage, with 52.5 percent of business jets and 29.6 percent of turboprops already equipped. Helicopters are at the bottom of the equipage list, with only 14.2 percent of such aircraft already equipped.
One bright note, St George said, is that the FAA has reopened its ADS-B rebate program, offering $500 to owners of qualifying single-engine piston airplanes who reserve a rebate, equip with technical standard order (TSO)-approved ADS-B Out hardware, and successfully complete a performance validation flight. Rebates can be reserved until October 11, 2019, or when all available rebates have been claimed, whichever comes first.
Read more…(Schedule Changes)
Pilots at American Airlines had about a 33 percent chance of being switched to a new or longer flight schedule during the summer’s peak travel season, the highest rate ever, according to Allied Pilots Association calculations based on company data. Aviators at Delta Air Lines, represented by ALPA, say their rate is about the same, although the Delta management disputed that.
The ability to change crew schedules, which is part of existing labor agreements, gives airlines an extra tool to shorten delays and keep more planes in the air. That reliability can help win customers and boost fares, though it comes with a price. Unexpected changes can squash morale and force pilots to turn down some flying because of fatigue. Read more in the Chicago Tribune report.