FAA Considers Loosening Restrictions on Portable Electronic Devices

Current Federal Aviation Regulations prohibit the use of all portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet. In other words, if it has an on/off switch, you are supposed to turn it off until the captain tells you it is safe to use it. There are reports, …

Bankrupt American Airlines Now Requiring The Rest Of Us To Tighten Our Belts As Well.

We all know that flying commercial – at least in coach – is SO comfortable. I particularly love it when the passenger in front of me slams the seat back into the recline mode, crushing my kneecaps when I least expect it. Really, it’s not the passenger’ …

FAA Issues Safety Alert For Defective Wiring on Boeing 737 Aircraft

The FAA has issued a Safety Alert regarding defectively installed wiring on certain 737 aircraft. The alert, issued on May 8, 2013, states that at least three aircraft have experienced serious chafing, arcing and smoking due to an improperly installed …

Continental Motors Increases TBO For Certain Aircraft Engines

Continental Motors has decided to increase the time between engine overhauls (“TBO”) by 200 or 400 hours on certain newer engine models. In a revision to Service Information Letter SIL98-9B, dated April 8, 2013, the company set forth its specific guide …

Australian Crash Prompts Decisive Action Against Operators of Robinson Helicopters

In February 2012, I wrote about an Australian crash that killed two film makers sparking a debate about the safety of Robinson helicopters. Now, another crash in March of this year has added fuel to the fire (so to speak) and is prompting the Australia …

Airport Control Towers on the Chopping Block

The FAA has stated that it will publish its final list of control tower closures on Friday, March 22, 2013. The forced government spending cuts that began earlier this year has among its casualties 189 of the nation’s 251 contract control towers. The t …

Is The Dreamliner a Nightmare?

It appears that the Boeing 787 “Dreamliners” may not be so dreamy. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded U.S. registered 787’s for precautionary inspection, and authorities in other countries quickly followed suit. Why were the planed pulled out …

Southwest Airlines Flight Experiences Sudden Loss of Cabin Pressure

A recent Southwest Airlines flight en route from Kansas City to Dallas lost cabin pressure at 35,000 feet, with about 135 people on board. The oxygen masks were deployed and the plane rapidly descended. According to news reports, a passenger stated tha …

FAA Releases New Airworthiness Directive Regarding Airbus A300 Rudder System

Eleven years ago today, November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587 crashed shortly after taking off from JFK International Airport in Queens, New York, killing all 260 people on board and 5 others on the ground. The aircraft involved was an Airbus …

What’s Going On At American Airlines?

Just when the flying public thinks it can’t get any worse, it does. American Airlines has recently seen an uptick – a large one – in flight delays and cancellations. This is reportedly attributable to an unusually high number of maintenance requests an …