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Falling Out of the Sky - The Mystery of the de Havilland Comet
Square windows were the problemThis week's inflight breakup and crash of a Metrojet Airbus A-321 reminded me of the story of the first jet powered airliner of the postwar era, the de Havilland Comet....
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If Our Satellites Saw Metrojet Explode, Why Didn't They See Malaysia Flight 17?
While I normally steer clear of geopolitics, I came across a blog post by Ron Unz asking this question. Unz, if you remember, is an entrepreneur who once ran for governor of California.Writing in the...
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Air Asia 8501: The Automation Failed First Followed by the Pilots
The final report on the crash of Air Asia 8501 was released on December 1st and serves to highlight a number of problems with highly automated aircraft and the pilots who fly them. If you'll recall,...
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For anyone interested in going deeper down the rabbit hole of the problems of automation and the concurrent (and inevitable) deterioration of piloting skills, William Langewiesche wrote a great...
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Shifting Currents: Will Regional Airlines Survive?
It would  appear to observers of the domestic US airline industry that things are finally settling down. After years of turmoil, bankruptcy and consolidation, the remaining big four US major airlines...
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How is it Possible to Land an Airliner on a Taxiway?
An Alaska Airlines 737 landed on a taxiway at Seattle's SeaTac airport on December 19th at about 8:30 in the morning. While it is not unknown for this sort of thing to happen, it is thankfully rare but...
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Do Pilot Unions Have a PR Problem?
Southwest pilots walk the picket lineLast week, the pilots of Southwest Airlines took to the streets outside of the airline's headquarters in Dallas to protest the lack of progress in their current...
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The Pilot Shortage in a Nutshell
A recent article (paywall) in the Wall Street Journal details the efforts of gas and oil pipeline companies to enlist drones in the inspection of their lines.U.S. utilities see great potential in the...
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Electronic Flight Bags are Here
iPad EFB suction mounted in a 737Have you noticed lately that when you see pilots walking through an airport terminal they rarely seem to be carrying flight bags anymore? You remember, those large...
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If a Drone Hits a Plane, Who Pays?
Drone ordering a drink at a cafeYou're probably thinking (to the extent that you think about this at all) that the owner of the drone probably pays. Or perhaps the drone pilot if negligence can be...
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How Does an Airline Go Bankrupt with Fuel This Cheap?
Republic operated E175 jet in American Eagle LiveryEarlier this week Republic Airlines declared bankruptcy stating that a lack of pilots resulted in lost revenue due to grounded flights. Anyone in the...
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Gulf State Airlines Behave like Flying Sweatshops but Elite Flyers Love Them
Gulf State airline cabin crew hail from many nationsUnless you are an international jet-setter or perhaps an airline industry enthusiast, you may not have heard of three relatively new airlines that...
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So You Want to Fly an Airliner? Career Advice for Pilots (Pt 1)
Charting a path to a successful aviation career can be daunting.I often get asked for career advice by aspiring and younger pilots and thought it might be helpful to condense some thoughts in a post on...
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So You're Getting Out of the Service? Career Advice for Pilots (Pt 2)
Leaving the military for the airlines requires careful planning.So you've decided it's time to hang up the spurs. Perhaps you're tired of being deployed, are fed up with the service or simply feel that...
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So You Want to Be a Pilot? Career Advice for Beginning Pilots (Pt 3)
An aviation career is rewarding but not without risk.So let's say that you've graduated from high school or college and want to pursue a career in aviation. You want to "slip the surly bonds of earth"...
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FlyDubai 737 Crash - No Survivors
No survivors from Airdubai crashA FlyDubai 737-800 enroute from Dubai to Rostov on Don in Russia crashed on approach to the runway. There were no survivors among the 55 passengers and seven crew.The...
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What Makes a Go-Around So Dangerous?
A FlyDubai 737-800Even though the investigation into the crash of FlyDubai 981 is still in its preliminary stages, one of the more plausible accident scenarios being discussed is that the aircraft...
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Another Drunk Pilot?
All airline pilots are randomly tested for both drugs and alcohol.Last week another pilot was pulled out of his cockpit and arrested for being under the influence. So what's up with these guys? It...
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Big Airlines buy Smaller Jets: Should Regional Airlines Worry?
Bombardier C-Series Regional AircraftThe airline business model for the past decade or so has depended on the big six (now three) network carriers flying larger narrow and widebody aircraft to and from...
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Boeing 737-200 Pilot Report
Boeing has now delivered nearly 9000 737sThe Boeing Model 737 is considered one of the most successful airliners ever built. Boeing has built nearly 9000 of these aircraft since its introduction in...
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