Boeing 787 In Flight
After grounding its fleet of Boeing 787 airliners it appears Boeing is ready to restore passenger confidence in the new aircraft which, by all accounts, is a truly amazing advancement in commercial airline travel. [Read more...]
Is The Updated Boeing 787 Safe?
Amelia Earhart Lands In Ireland
Amelia Earhart with her Kinner K1 Airster
Ms. Earhart departed Newfoundland flying to Europe some 2,000 miles away and landed in a field in Ireland in slightly less than 15 hours.
4 years earlier Amelia Earhart was part of a 3 member crew that made her the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe in an airplane, but her burning desire was to accomplish that feat solo. However, this first flight brought Amelia Earhart a lot of notoriety and she became a famous public figure as a result of this accomplishment. [Read more...]
Who Else Wants To Fly Upside Down?
One Way To Fly Upside Down
For the uninitiated Air & Space Magazine published an article titled “How Things Work: Flying Upside Down” which is pretty interesting.
It gives a great explanation of what needs to happen to the airplane if you want to fly upside down. [Read more...]
The First Trans-Atlantic Flight
A 1919 Photograph Of John Alcock
Ask most anyone these days who made the first trans-atlantic flight and you will probably be told Lindbergh.
The problem is that Lindbergh did NOT accomplish the first trans-atlantic flight – John Alcock and Arthur Brown accomplished the first trans-atlantic flight back in 1919 in a modified Vickers Vimy bomber.
The Daily Mail newspaper in Great Britain had offered a prize of £10,000 for anyone who could accomplish a trans-atlantic flight in under 72 hours. Considering that the first manned powered aircraft flight took place in November 1903, accomplishing this goal just 16 years later was pretty amazing. [Read more...]
Coast To Coast In Under An Hour
X51A Scramjet Aircraft
Tired of those cramped airline seats for that long trip from New York to Los Angeles that never seems to end? Check in two hours before your scheduled departure time in order to get your baggage checked in and through security lines with enough time for a cup of coffee and a trip to the bathroom. Been there, done that.
Then there is the 4+ hour flight followed by the better part of another hour to get your bags and head to your destination. Another 8 hour day down the drain! [Read more...]
Why I Almost Made It Isn’t Good Enough
Aircraft Fuel Starvation – Airplane Runs Out Of Fuel
While not hard to do, relying upon fuel gauges can be very costly. Notoriously unreliable, fuel gauges have led many a good pilot to a not so soft landing as a direct result of fuel starvation!
More Common Than You Think
In February Avweb’s Mary Grady interviewed Bruce Landsberg, President of AOPA Foundation and the Air Safety Institute, to discuss the issue of fuel starvation. Landsberg said that these types of incidents and accidents are far more common than one would imagine.
For example, on average aircraft accidents as a result of fuel starvation occur about twice per week. Imagine that – twice per week! Does nobody check their fuel anymore?
An Interactive Map
Interactive Map Showing The Location Of 47 Fuel Starvation Accidents
Mismanagement Or Stupidity?
Landsberg posits that fuel starvation accidents have decreased in recent years due to new technology, but one wonders if the reduction in flight hours might not be a more reasonable reason for the reduction.
He believes that inaccurate fuel gauges are the culprit because fuel gauges are only required to be accurate for two conditions: Full and Empty!
Not much help there!
Isn’t Good Enough!
I have been working with my godson who just got his first vehicle – an old beater Chevy S10 truck. First thing I did was have him fill the tank, record the mileage, drive for a few days, fill her up, check the mileage and calculate how many miles per gallon (on average) he is getting.
When I taught student pilots to fly one of the first things I did was teach them to NOT rely on the fuel gauges, and to calculate their average fuel usage for each flight. Because we could always start with full fuel we knew how long we could fly with adequate reserves.
So Why Do Pilots Run Out Of Fuel?
Landsberg believes that fuel starvation is the result of pilot’s risk tolerance. Years ago he suggested to Cessna that they add low fuel warning lights for when fuel gets low.
The problem with this is where you are when the lights come on.
In the end the pilot in command is responsible for the safety of the both the aircraft and its occupants, so as pilots we need to reduce our risk tolerance and learn how to make sure we have adequate fuel on board to avoid a fuel starvation accident.
What About You?
How do you make sure you have adequate fuel for your flight? Leave a comment below.
In the meantime keep your wings straight and level Hersch!
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Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!
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Learn The Art Of Flying Before You Crash!
Any pilot worth his license knows full well about the art of flying. If you are a pilot you know what I am talking about… that feeling of being one with the sky, of being free, of feeling complete control over your airplane.
The art of flying, however, is not present in everyone – some are heavy handed and don’t know about the art of flying… here’s one:
There is an art to flying…
Any comments?
In the meantime keep your wings straight and level Hersch!
Please share “The Art of Flying” with your friends using the buttons below. Thanks!
Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!
ps: Don’t forget to sign up for updates via email for “All Things Aviation” here!
