Aerobility launches fundraising campaign after turning 30!
Aerobility is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer, and three decades of introducing 10,000 disabled people to flight. The charity began life in 1993 as the Delta Foxtrot Club (Disabled Flying Club) and later the British Disabled Flying Association. In 2008 it became Aerobility and has bases at Blackbushe and Tatenhill. With support from charitable donations and grants from businesses, trusts and individuals, Aerobility...
Time to go
When I look back now at my time flying aircraft for a living, I see a patchwork quilt of a career. No regrets though, I enjoyed every minute of it and hope that has come through in the writing of this column. It has been 17 years since the editor/publisher of FTN asked me to write regularly about what we do for a living. The title ‘From the Flightdeck’ was his idea and it is still a good one. I hope they keep it after I have gone....
Dealing with Tail Rotor Problems
When I was learning to fly helicopters, I practised all sorts of emergencies with my instructor. We performed simulated engine failures numerous times – into wind, downwind, and in the hover. We talked about what you would do if you had an engine fire, if the governor failed, or if a warning light came on. We simulated vortex ring, sometimes known as ‘the helicopter stall’. And we also discussed tail rotor problems… but...
Mermaids frying bacon
When they designed the Airbus, the head of the company was quoted as saying that they were building an aeroplane so simple “even my concierge” at his apartment building would be able to operate it. As we know, commercial aviation is not quite as simple as that, but many of us appreciated Airbus’s attempts to relieve the pilot workload. In doing so however they introduced other potential errors which need to be trapped. I am talking...
From the Flightdeck – James McBride
Stable Approach From my position, sitting behind the two pilots making their approach to land, I could see that things were not going well. The B737 was well above the glideslope, not yet configured for the final descent and with way too much energy. The airspeed was eye-wateringly high and they were only just inside the limit speeds to deploy the flaps. Needless to say, as their instructor I was more than a little curious about how...
Notes from a small airfield, by Tad Higher
Sinking-in-the-Marsh Flying Club will be closed until further notice. But we are still here. So, how are you? Walter stood in his boxer shorts and greying T-shirt cleaning his teeth. He had four days of grey stumble on his chin. It was half-past twelve, and he and Quentin were both contemplating their first meal of the day. Having moved to the club, they had adapted well to Lockdown in Sinking-in- the-Marsh. Though smelling a little...
