When was the last time you let perfectly good runway slip by as you searched for that sweet touchdown? Did it occur to you that if you are still flying, then you are not stopping? Consider the certification parameters. The test pilot, in order to produce the data in...

When Raytheon first published wet and contaminated runway performance data for the Beechjet, it was included in an AFM supplement with the subtitle “non-FAA approved.” The data was added to the AFM for operators in other countries that required wet and contaminated to be published for the equivalent of a...

  At the moment the new site is in test mode, so if you are a user (heh heh), the existing www.raimprediction.net is still where you need to go for the prediction service. While you are there, you can also read all about the migration to the new site and...

Would you apply wet runway landing performance numbers in that instance? That is one of the key challenges in determining accurate landing distance data. At 200 knots 10 miles from the airport, how can you accurately assess runway condition at an uncontrolled airport? Sure you could always be conservative and...

  One of my own epiphany moments in the world of instrument procedures occurred when I first understood that individual procedures, as published on the chart I was staring at, have to be devised so that they can be safely flown by everything from a Cessna 150 to a G...

The NTSB’s probable cause of the accident points the responsibility squarely on the pilots. “The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed, which resulted in the airplane touching down too fast on the wet runway with inadequate runway remaining to stop and a subsequent runway overrun. Contributing to the landing overrun...

Are you used to flying mostly within US airspace? Watch out for the meaning of ATC instructions outside of the US. They may not be the same. EuroControl recently issued a safety briefing aimed at US pilots concerning the use of ‘AT PILOTS DISCRETION’ and ‘WHEN READY’ climb and descent clearances....

  What does that mean for the rest of us? Learn from the mistakes of others. Know if your employees are actually in safety sensitive positions. Ensure ALL of your safety-sensitive employees are in the random drug testing pool. Receive verified negative test results for all employees hired or transferred...

What we too often do not know these days is that Climb Via was rolled out on April 3 and what it’s procedures are, that the Houston Metroplex converted over to an all new airspace management plan on May 29 and all the old STARs and SIDs went bye-bye, that...

Early estimates show about a 7 - 15% increase in traffic flow, and that will probably get better as controllers and pilots become more comfortable with the new separation. It takes a little getting used to seeing another airplane clear the runway when you’re on short final, but when the...

Have you ever heard of KCM? If you’re not a Part 121 pilot you probably haven’t. Known Crewmember (KCM) is a risk-based initiative used by Part 121 airlines and the TSA that allows vetted crewmembers to bypass security screening at certain airports. If your company frequently moves you around on...

New Oceanic Entry Points With the removal of the Fish Points and other long-known waypoints, Gander has created a completely new list of Oceanic Entry Points (OEPs). They start at AVPUT in the far north and run down to SUPRY. The image below shows some the OEPs highlighted in yellow....

Consistent with the April rollout of Climb Via Procedures, you should be prepared to get these when departing a Houston area airport, including especially IAH and HOU; most likely in the form of an initial clearance to an intermediate altitude. Traffic conditions will determine this. If you are not yet...

Battery Life A new section has been added to the AC on useful battery life. Useful battery life must be established and documented for your battery-powered EFBs. You must have either (1) an established procedure to recharge the battery from aircraft power during flight operations, (2) useful battery life for...

Advanced Aircrew Academy offers a full complement of OSHA courses, including Hazardous Materials and the new Hazard Communication Standard, CFR 29 1910.1200, which now provides workers with the right to understand information they are provided in the workplace. The next New Hazard Communication Standard mandatory compliance date is June 1,...

For those of you capable of receiving a Predeparture Clearance (PDC), have you noticed a change since the first week of April? The FAA changed the way it issues PDCs. Gone are the days of trying to decide if you got a reroute in the PDC. The FAA recognized there...

When Center controllers serve as Approach controllers, they usually have much less capability to see other traffic down low because their antenna site is just too far away from the airport they are controlling. I was the pilot flying and my partner had been making all the required calls on...

  Instrument Departure Procedures -– Paragraphs 5-2-8. The revisions start on page 5-2-9 and these are important. They include the AIM version of the new Climb Via procedures plus some much needed clarification of what’s going on when ATC vectors us off of a published DP/SID. Based on reviews of...

So be on the lookout. Canned oxygen comes in a variety of brands and sizes, ranging from four to 22 ounces and can easily be slipped in a carry-on bag. Although the HMR contain exceptions allowing airline passengers and crew to carry a limited amount of hazardous materials that are...

Get ahead of the process and make sure that all of your aircraft have the latest and greatest PED authorization. For further information, refer to InFo13010 and InFo13010SUP.

You may have asked yourself, “Why the FAA has established ADS-B technology?” and “Why is it important to me as a pilot?” Here are Advanced Aircrew Academy’s Top Nine reasons why ADS-B is important to flightcrews: 1. ADS-B is an environmentally friendly technology that enhances safety and efficiency while benefiting...

As an auditor, your humble blog writer here can easily imagine the many practical reasons that operators might cite in explaining why they were not quite meeting the Standard for SMS training – demand (Just too busy!), changes in the organization (Fred retired and it fell through the cracks), and...

For our online training module on Wake Turbulence at Advanced Aircrew Academy, we have added additional training pages as well as updated about half of the existing training pages with new information from this AC. This highlights our nimble capability to keep training updated and relevant for flight crews. Within...

Notice that we reported above that ADS B-Out is the part mandated by 2020. That’s because that is the core technological piece that replaces radar in the NextGen. How the “In” component will evolve for airplane operators remains to be seen, as in will it trump other currently available sources...

Summary of the Summary: When issued a “Climb Via” or “Descend Via” clearance, comply with all published procedure restrictions unless specifically told otherwise by ATC. You can access InFO 12014 directly at this web address: http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USAFAA/2014/01/29/file_attachments/266243/InFO12014.pdf There is also an FAA training video available at: http://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=507 There you have it....