Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News

ATC Privatization On June 22, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives released H.R. 2997, the AIRR Act, calling for the privatization of Air Traffic Control in the U.S. Later, both EAA, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and NBAA, the National Business Aviation Association, issued an urgent call for members to contact their representatives in Congress to oppose ATC privatization. AOPA, the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association, also sent a call for their members to contact their representations just before we published this show, which is why we weren't able to mention them in the podcast. Please take action by going to govt.eaa.org to generate a letter to your representatives in Congress. Please support my show by checking out my new Patreon Page. You will ultimately find lots of free posts on the page. To kick things off, I just posted a pdf of the Delta Airlines study on privatization, which you can download and read for free now. I've also posted results of an ATC Privatization survey of US pilots conducted of Airplane Geeks podcast listeners in February 2017. Please consider supporting my show with contributions of as little as $2 per month, also at my Patreon page. Today, I'm devoting this entire episode to privatization. I'll be playing audio clips from the President, members of Congress, Airline CEOs, EAA CEO Jack Pelton, and from pilots in other countries that have privatized their air traffic control system. I'll also share results of a survey of pilot podcast listeners on privatizing ATC. And to help me, I'm joined by Senior Editor of Flying Magazine, Rob Mark. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I'll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. Audio Clip sources

• Review of Air Traffic Control Reform Proposals - Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives. February 10, 2016. Video Hearing Transcript
• Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Federal Aviation Administration Authorization - Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives June 8, 2017. Video
• Full Committee Markup - Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives. June 27, 2017. Video

ATC Privatization On June 22, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives released H.R. 2997, the AIRR Act, calling for the privatization of Air Traffic Control in the U.S. Later, both EAA, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and NBAA, the National Business Aviation Association, issued an urgent call for members to contact their representatives in Congress to oppose ATC privatization. AOPA, the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association, also sent a call for their members to contact their representations just before we published this show, which is why we weren't able to mention them in the podcast. Please take action by going to govt.eaa.org to generate a letter to your representatives in Congress. Please support my show by checking out my new Patreon Page. You will ultimately find lots of free posts on the page. To kick things off, I just posted a pdf of the Delta Airlines study on privatization, which you can download and read for free now. I've also posted results of an ATC Privatization survey of US pilots conducted of Airplane Geeks podcast listeners in February 2017. Please consider supporting my show with contributions of as little as $2 per month, also at my Patreon page. Today, I’m devoting this entire episode to privatization. I’ll be playing audio clips from the President, members of Congress, Airline CEOs, EAA CEO Jack Pelton, and from pilots in other countries that have privatized their air traffic control system. I’ll also share results of a survey of pilot podcast listeners on privatizing ATC. And to help me, I'm joined by Senior Editor of Flying Magazine, Rob Mark. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I’ll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. Audio Clip sources

• Review of Air Traffic Control Reform Proposals - Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives. February 10, 2016. Video   Hearing Transcript
• Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Federal Aviation Administration Authorization - Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives June 8, 2017. Video
• Full Committee Markup -  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives. June 27, 2017. Video

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, I explain the effects of hot weather on the general aviation airplanes and pilots. We talk about how to calculated density altitude, which is altitude compensated for non-standard pressure and temperature. We also talk about how humidity can also affect density altitude by as much as 32%, especially at lower altitudes. We also discuss the effects on human physiology and give tips for what pilots can do to minimize the effects of heat on themselves while preflighting and flying general aviation aircraft. Plus listener email: we also discuss the new rules under which you can use an IFR-certified GPS when flying a VOR instrument approach, and how fuel pumps meters are certified by local counties to assure that you get the exact amount of fuel that you pay for. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I'll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. News Stories

• Heat Wave Sweeping the Southwest Affects the Airlines
• Flight 3407 families may face off against top Air Force general on ATP Requirements
• FAA Privatization Debate Presents Problem for Smaller Airports
• AOPA Working on PIREP Procedures
• French Pilot Bruno Vezzoli Crosses English Channel in a Flying Car
• AeroMobil Unveils Flying Car
• E-Volo Announces Test Flights of Autonomous Air Taxis in Dubai
• SureFly electric helicopter at Paris Air Show
• FlyHonda Program Allows Owners to Fly Their Fractional Jets
• AOPA offers ADS-B selector tool
• Cirrus Aircraft will outfit Lufthansa training fleet with 25 planes

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, I explain the effects of hot weather on the general aviation airplanes and pilots. We talk about how to calculated density altitude, which is altitude compensated for non-standard pressure and temperature. We also talk about how humidity can also affect density altitude by as much as 32%, especially at lower altitudes. We also discuss the effects on human physiology and give tips for what pilots can do to minimize the effects of heat on themselves while preflighting and flying general aviation aircraft. Plus listener email: we also discuss the new rules under which you can use an IFR-certified GPS when flying a VOR instrument approach, and how fuel pumps meters are certified by local counties to assure that you get the exact amount of fuel that you pay for. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I’ll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. News Stories

• Heat Wave Sweeping the Southwest Affects the Airlines
• Flight 3407 families may face off against top Air Force general on ATP Requirements
• FAA Privatization Debate Presents Problem for Smaller Airports
• AOPA Working on PIREP Procedures
• French Pilot Bruno Vezzoli Crosses English Channel in a Flying Car
• AeroMobil Unveils Flying Car
• E-Volo Announces Test Flights of Autonomous Air Taxis in Dubai
• SureFly electric helicopter at Paris Air Show
• FlyHonda Program Allows Owners to Fly Their Fractional Jets
• AOPA offers ADS-B selector tool
• Cirrus Aircraft will outfit Lufthansa training fleet with 25 planes

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, I explain how to properly do a magneto ground check before engine shutdown, to assure you won't have a hot prop if you move the propeller by hand. This is a followup to a much longer discussion on magneto and hot props in episode 13. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I'll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. News Stories

• Diesel Cessna Skyhawk JT-A Awarded FAA Certification
• Saturday's Beechjet Flameout Marks Fifth in Type
• Alternative bill to ATC Privatization introduced
• NTSB Pilot shuts off one engine before fatal plane crash near Haines
• New cataract-correcting replacement lens approved
• Paris Airshow Preview
• Lancair Brings Back Mako
• Merlin PSA Quick-Build Kit Earns FAA 51% Approval
• Navajo Strikes Gator In Orlando Plus listener email: We explain static electricity and how static wicks work to dissipate it from an aircraft, a listener asks why flying in IMC seems so different from flying under a hood, two pilots asks about which ADS-B alternative to install in their aircraft, a pilot asks how to stay current flying in four different airplanes, and a listener from Belgium ask why in the U.S. the FAA refers to pilot certificates instead of pilot licenses and flyers are called airmen and not pilots. In Flight Problems If an engine becomes rough during flight, it could be because one magneto has developed a timing problem. In that case, switch to the L and R positions to see if the engine runs better in one of those positions. If it does, leave the magneto switches or key in that position for the rest of the flight and report the problem to your mechanic. Shutdown Mag Check Some checklists say to switch the mag switches or key very briefly to the Off position, so you can hear if the engine is stopping. If it is, that verifies that both mags are properly grounded. Then before the engine quits, switch back to the Both position and shut down the engine properly by pulling the mixture to idle. If there's a mag key, it's important that you do this check by turning all the way to the Off position, and not just turn to the L and R positions, as some CFIs insist. Turning to the L and R positions checks part of the grounding system, but it doesn't check whether the switch itself works in the Off position! It's not unusual for an older switch to become corroded and fail to work in one position, so definitely do the shutdown mag check by switching briefly to the Off position. Do the mag checks and engine shutdown procedures properly, and you will greatly enhance your safety when you move a prop.

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, I explain how to properly do a magneto ground check before engine shutdown, to assure you won’t have a hot prop if you move the propeller by hand. This is a followup to a much longer discussion on magneto and hot props in episode 13. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I’ll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email.

News Stories

• Diesel Cessna Skyhawk JT-A Awarded FAA Certification
• Saturday's Beechjet Flameout Marks Fifth in Type
• Alternative bill to ATC Privatization introduced
• NTSB Pilot shuts off one engine before fatal plane crash near Haines
• New cataract-correcting replacement lens approved
• Paris Airshow Preview
• Lancair Brings Back Mako
• Merlin PSA Quick-Build Kit Earns FAA 51% Approval
• Navajo Strikes Gator In Orlando
  
  Plus listener email: We explain static electricity and how static wicks work to dissipate it from an aircraft, a listener asks why flying in IMC seems so different from flying under a hood, two pilots asks about which ADS-B alternative to install in their aircraft, a pilot asks how to stay current flying in four different airplanes, and a listener from Belgium ask why in the U.S. the FAA refers to pilot certificates instead of pilot licenses and flyers are called airmen and not pilots.
  
  In Flight Problems
  If an engine becomes rough during flight, it could be because one magneto has developed a timing problem. In that case, switch to the L and R positions to see if the engine runs better in one of those positions. If it does, leave the magneto switches or key in that position for the rest of the flight and report the problem to your mechanic.
  
  Shutdown Mag Check
  Some checklists say to switch the mag switches or key very briefly to the Off position, so you can hear if the engine is stopping. If it is, that verifies that both mags are properly grounded. Then before the engine quits, switch back to the Both position and shut down the engine properly by pulling the mixture to idle. If there’s a mag key, it’s important that you do this check by turning all the way to the Off position, and not just turn to the L and R positions, as some CFIs insist. Turning to the L and R positions checks part of the grounding system, but it doesn’t check whether the switch itself works in the Off position! It's not unusual for an older switch to become corroded and fail to work in one position, so definitely do the shutdown mag check by switching briefly to the Off position. Do the mag checks and engine shutdown procedures properly, and you will greatly enhance your safety when you move a prop.

Garmin recently announced that their low-cost, G5 Electronic Flight Instrument will now be available for use in certificated aircraft. It fits directly into a standard 3 1/8 inch hole used for instruments in most aircraft, which reduces installation time and cost. In this Newsmakers episode of the Aviation News Talk podcast, we interview Garmin software engineer Joe Gepner, who helped design the G5. The Garmin G5 is a direct replacement for a round-gauge attitude indicator, and it was originally introduced for experimental and LSA aircraft in July 2016. Pricing of that version starts at $1199. Later, Garmin introduced a second page in the G5 that displays a HSI, so that it can also be used as a direct replacement for a DG, heading indicator, or HSI. If a pilot has two of these instruments in an aircraft and the one displaying the attitude indicator fails, the G5 displaying an HSI can be switched in flight to display the attitude indicator. In May 2017, Garmin announced a version of the G5 Electronic Flight Instrument that can be used to retrofit attitude indicators and DG/heading indicators in over 600 models of the most common certificated aircraft. That makes it easy for Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft and other aircraft owners to easily retrofit their aircraft with a low cost glass panel display. A single Garmin G5 for certificated aircraft sells for about $2500, and includes an installation kit, magnetometer and 4-hour backup battery. When configured as a attitude indicator replacement, the Garmin G5 looks like a miniature version of a Garmin G1000 PFD (primary flight display). Like the G1000, it displays the six primary flight instruments: airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, an attitude indicator, HSI, and turn coordinator with slip/skid indicator. It also displays ground speed and ground track from a built-in GPS. The experimental/LSA version of the Garmin G5 also has a built-in autopilot. To use it, two optional servo motors need to be installed. Listen to episode 14 of the Aviation News Talk podcast now to learn more about how owners can retrofit older aircraft with the Garmin G5 to add glass cockpit features and reliability to these planes. Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I'll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email.

Garmin recently announced that their low-cost, G5 Electronic Flight Instrument will now be available for use in certificated aircraft. It fits directly into a standard 3 1/8 inch hole used for instruments in most aircraft, which reduces installation time and cost. In this Newsmakers episode of the Aviation News Talk podcast, we interview Garmin software engineer Joe Gepner, who helped design the G5. The Garmin G5 is a direct replacement for a round-gauge attitude indicator, and it was originally introduced for experimental and LSA aircraft in July 2016. Pricing of that version starts at $1199. Later, Garmin introduced a second page in the G5 that displays a HSI, so that it can also be used as a direct replacement for a DG, heading indicator, or HSI. If a pilot has two of these instruments in an aircraft and the one displaying the attitude indicator fails, the G5 displaying an HSI can be switched in flight to display the attitude indicator. In May 2017, Garmin announced a version of the G5 Electronic Flight Instrument that can be used to retrofit attitude indicators and DG/heading indicators in over 600 models of the most common certificated aircraft. That makes it easy for Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft and other aircraft owners to easily retrofit their aircraft with a low cost glass panel display. A single Garmin G5 for certificated aircraft sells for about $2500, and includes an installation kit, magnetometer and 4-hour backup battery. When configured as a attitude indicator replacement, the Garmin G5 looks like a miniature version of a Garmin G1000 PFD (primary flight display). Like the G1000, it displays the six primary flight instruments: airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, an attitude indicator, HSI, and turn coordinator with slip/skid indicator. It also displays ground speed and ground track from a built-in GPS. The experimental/LSA version of the Garmin G5 also has a built-in autopilot. To use it, two optional servo motors need to be installed. Listen to episode 14 of the Aviation News Talk podcast now to learn more about how owners can retrofit older aircraft with the Garmin G5 to add glass cockpit features and reliability to these planes. Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I’ll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email.

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, we talk about hot props, magnetos, and how moving a propeller can result in your death. I had never seen a video of a propeller starting accidentally, but while researching this episode I found one, and I've included a link to it here. You'll see that pilot was shocked when the engine started and that he barely escaped serious injury. We also talk about magnetos, which are the culprits that can lead to a hot prop. We'll discuss the mag check that most pilots do during their runup before takeoff, and how to use it to make sure you don't have a hot prop. I wanted to talk about this because I run into many experienced pilots who are not aware of how to determine whether they have a hot prop, or of safe ways to move a propeller by hand. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I'll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. News Stories

• NTSB: Jet made late approach maneuver before deadly crash
• High-tech airship is under construction in a Silicon Valley hangar
• Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Parts From Marine One Squadron
• Travolta Gives 707 To Museum
• Jet owned by Elvis auctioned after sitting 35 years
• Top Gun Sequel Coming 'Soon' To A Theater Near You Plus listener email: A Private pilot asks how much flight instruction he can legally and safely give to his wife who is a student pilot.

Please take the Aviation News Talk podcast 2017 Listener survey! Click here for the survey. In this podcast, we talk about hot props, magnetos, and how moving a propeller can result in your death. I had never seen a video of a propeller starting accidentally, but while researching this episode I found one, and I’ve included a link to it here. You’ll see that pilot was shocked when the engine started and that he barely escaped serious injury. We also talk about magnetos, which are the culprits that can lead to a hot prop. We’ll discuss the mag check that most pilots do during their runup before takeoff, and how to use it to make sure you don’t have a hot prop. I wanted to talk about this because I run into many experienced pilots who are not aware of how to determine whether they have a hot prop, or of safe ways to move a propeller by hand. You can Dictate a listener question from your phone and I’ll try to answer it on a future show, or send an email. News Stories

• NTSB: Jet made late approach maneuver before deadly crash
• High-tech airship is under construction in a Silicon Valley hangar
• Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Parts From Marine One Squadron
• Travolta Gives 707 To Museum
• Jet owned by Elvis auctioned after sitting 35 years
• Top Gun Sequel Coming 'Soon' To A Theater Near You Plus listener email: A Private pilot asks how much flight instruction he can legally and safely give to his wife who is a student pilot.