Weekly Update

It seems the City of London has a problem with all of those lovely swans - they tend to cause aircraft taking off and landing problems. You can read more here:

Swans moved on from City Airport amid safety fears

I mean, these are just birds, right? And they were there first, right? So - who has the right of way here?

In the meantime, aviation history keeps being updated at the All Things Aviation blog where today the post was about the Lockheed Vega aircraft.  You can read more here:

The Lockheed Vega Story

And, while you are there, take a few moments to look into their pilot accessories shop where you can find some really great deals!

With summer almost here its time to think about getting some new sunglasses, so hop on over to this interesting article at Hubpages:

Pilot Sunglasses

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

How To Land An Aircraft In Zero Visibility

Ever wonder what it would be like to land an airplane in zero/zero ceiling/visibility conditions? Well, here is your chance:

This is a Boeing 737 landing in Zurich, Switzerland - enjoy!

Here is an interesting question to consider:

Are You a Great Airline Pilot…or Just Average?

The article provides a few quick tips to successfully revitalize yourself in your present career and start creating a new one.

This is a great read!

With summer coming it is time to dust off the old sunglasses and perhaps grab some new ones, and here is a great resource for them:

Randolph Aviator Sunglasses

These are the best pilot sunglasses on the market today, so be sure and take a look at them, and get the 10% discount too!

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JetAviator7

All Things Aviation Blog

RE Aviator Sunglasses

Pilot Accessories

Controllers Falling Asleep? What About Pilots Falling Asleep?

Worries continue to grow over the problem of long haul flights where increasingly finding themselves subject to fatigue, even falling asleep at the wheel.  Here is an interesting article that appeared recently in "The Independent":

Pilots 'fell asleep during flight'


The article says that "One of the pilots told the BBC he fell asleep for about 10 minutes while his over-tired co-pilot took a nap during a scheduled break.

The disclosure came after a study commissioned by pilots' union Balpa showed that 45% of 492 pilots questioned had suffered from "significant fatigue""

Proper crew rest and duty time regulations haven't been updated in years, and the problems continue to grow.

What do we do when a sleeping crew arrives at an airport where the controller is also asleep?

And, once again, the solution seems to be litigation, as the French government files suit against Airbus and Air France for manslaughter concerning the deaths of passengers on Air France Flight 447 which crashed after reaching cruising altitude on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris nearly two years ago.

Read more here:

Air France Flight 447 Mystery and Aviation History

Follow more about aviation at All Things Aviation where you can read interesting articles and peruse the All Things Aviation Pilot Shop.

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JetAviator7

All Things Aviation Blog

Randolph Aviator Sunglasses

Pilot Accessories

The FAA Launches A Plan To Reduce Aircraft Accidents For General Aviation by 10% By 2018

In an effort to increase interest and safety in General Aviation the FAA has announced plans to reduce accidents by 10% by the year 2018.  You can read more details of this announcement here:

FAA targets private, corporate aircraft accidents

Foreign airlines have been fingered as the major culprits of accidents in Africa as most of them do not comply with stipulated criteria laid down  by International aviation bodies and organizations. You can read more here:

NCAA DG blames aviation accidents on foreign airlines


As if all of this isn't bad enough, it turns out that some government employees in India have been illegally issuing pilot licenses. Read more here:

Aviation official arrested in India license scam


Here is a video of a Civil Air Patrol aircraft accident that resulted in 2 deaths:

Hummingbird Spy

March 2, 2011 - AeroVironment, Inc. announced it has accomplished a technical milestone never before achieved, controlled precision hovering and fast-forward flight of a two-wing, flapping wing aircraft that carries its own energy source, and uses only the flapping wings for propulsion and control.
Pretty cool... Wonder if it needs aviator sunglasses?

Sent from my iPhone

Innovation In Aviation

Aviation has long been a contributor to the good things in life, and to technological advances that have benefited people far outside of aviation.

One of those innovators was Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, who ran the "Skunk Works" and developed the U-2 and SR-71 aircraft.

Here is an very interesting post regarding Kelly Johnson:

A look at the design process of aviation innovator Clarence "Kelly" Johnson

Far more than a pioneer, Kelly Johnson designed aircraft that exceeded all expectations. It was a thrill for any pilot lucky enough to fly one of his creations.

Here is an interesting video about Kelly Johnson titled "A letter to Kelly Johnson":

If you love aviation, you will love this video.