On Feb. 6, the U.S. Senate passed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill that will expedite moving the nation’s air-traffic control system from radar to global positioning system (GPS)-based technology. The House passed the bill the previous week, and now it moves to the White House for signing. Among other things, the bill sets aside [...]

There are numerous ways to compare commercial versus private air travel. When mealtime rolls around, there’s really no question about which option is going to taste better. Thanks to the rise in demand for private air travel, the availability of on-board catering options has exploded. Expanded menu selections and higher quality food provide dining experiences [...]

As usual, many things are happening in the aviation world. Take a minute to catch up on some of the biggest stories of the week. Super Bowl XLVI Flying to Indianapolis on Sunday will be challenging indeed. The FAA expects a record number of private flights in the area that day, and three temporary towers [...]

Imagine you’re visiting a foreign locale where the culture and currency are very different from your native country. You hire a local guide for the day and ask him to help you navigate a large open-air market. As you wind through the crowd, merchants call out to you in an unfamiliar language, urging you to [...]

Stories of air rage continue to pop up in the media, including the recent and well-publicized battle between Alec Baldwin and American Airlines. Managers of commercial airports recognize that air travel is often unpleasant and stressful for consumers. In response, airports are scrambling to find new ways to provide better customer service, reduce frustrations and [...]

Much has been made of the Obama administration’s plan to reorganize funding for air traffic control. General aviation has always paid for air traffic control through a fuel tax. Now, Obama plans to change that to a flat fee — $100 per flight. This proposed fee, projected to raise $11 billion before 2022, was unveiled [...]

The media and general public may not understand the value of private aircraft, but successful businesses do. Private jets are not for show and comfort. Rather, they are an important — often indispensable — tool in the battle for business, especially as many companies are fighting their way out of recession. Frequent business travelers say [...]

Most people don’t think twice about taking a breath — but breathing is nothing to take for granted on an aircraft. Too close for breathing comfort The close quarters of a private jet — with limited breathing room — can increase the risk of catching an infection. In addition, pollutants such as engine fumes leaking [...]

That’s right. As of Dec. 15, 2011, the FAA approved pilots to use iPads to replace the paper-based flight bag on American Airlines. While some joke about the possibility of pilots playing Angry Birds or updating Facebook, nearly three weeks later, we haven’t heard of any dire consequences. The iPad is replacing paper navigational charts [...]

Although some mechanics are qualified to work on only certain aircraft components, airframe and powerplant mechanics (A&Ps) are certified by the FAA to work on every part of a plane, except instrumentation. An A&P performs regular and routine inspection of the aircraft and keeps accurate records and documentation, ensuring compliance with FAA regulations. A&Ps are [...]