Profile on New Technologies: CTT's Cabin Humidification System  David Gelles, Staff Writer

   I'm writing this article at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet, and while my skin is drying up, it's "raining" on the woman in front of me.

These atmospheric nuisances - dry cabin air and excess condensation "raining" on passengers - are commonplace in commercial airliners and large business jets alike, and besides being an unnecessary discomfort, represent a serious safety hazard. continue

  NBAA 2002 Moves on with Business After a Difficult Year  David Gelles, Staff Writer

   Orlando - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) held its 55th annual convention here in Orlando for the three days surrounding and including September 11.

A record 27,785 attendees packed the Orange County Convention Center to trade ideas, view new products, and secure deals for the coming business year. 1,011 exhibitors, including industry standards like Cessna and Air BP, were spread out over 900,000 square feet of exhibit space. Nearby, at the Orlando Executive Airport, 151 aircraft composed the Static Display, including six models never before seen at an air-show. continue

  NASA's SATS Seeks to Alleviate Congestion, Connect Smaller Communities  David Gelles, Staff Writer

   NASA is currently engaged in research that it hopes will eventually relieve congestion in major hub-and-spoke airports and allow for speedier, more efficient short-distance travel. Currently in the third of five years of planned development, the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS), envisions a greater utilization of the nation's 5,400 public-use landings facilities. It also hopes to integrate a larger numbers of small aircraft into the National Airspace System. continue

  National Airlines Denied Loan  Paul Reed

   "Don't count us out," stated Michael J. Conway, president and CEO of Las Vegas-based National Airlines. "We are working diligently on an alternative plan and will issue a statement in that regard shortly." Conway's comments followed the denial of the carrier's loan guarantee application by the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB). The CEO also noted that National would exhaust all viable alternatives and continue to operate its normal flight schedule while doing so. [continue]

  Oshkosh 2002  David Gelles, Staff Writer

   July 30 - America's largest fly-in took over Oshkosh, Wisconsin this week, as nearly 750,000 people descended upon the Experimental Aircraft Association's headquarters for the 50th anniversary of the seven-day event. continue

  "Chinatown" Revisited
   Borrego Valley's Aerobatic Box   David R. Aldridge

We preface this article by acknowledging that a certain amount of conjecture may be begged in some instances. However, we believe the implications of a lone San Diego County Supervisor's attempts to generally abolish aerobatic activity at Borrego Valley Airport are suspect enough to attract the attention of even the most politically jaded pilot. [continue]

  Curing The $100 Hamburger Syndrome  Paul Reed

Here it is, Saturday morning, and you are trying to decide what to do with yourself and your airplane. You and the plane need the exercise and the greasy spoon at your airport has lost its appeal. Well, one way to avoid this problem is to get involved in an organization that is charitable and allows you to fly. [continue]

  Light Aircraft and Airliners No Longer Birds of a Feather  Jefferson T. Packer

There once was a time when airline flying was simply an extension of light plane flying. Until the 1960's, the cockpit of an airliner was really just a larger version of the cockpit of a light plane; despite the intimidating number of gauges and switches, any IFR pilot in General Aviation could sit down in the left seat of an older airliner, and in a very short time, be able to recognize and comprehend almost everything that was in front of her. After all, from a technology standpoint, early airliners were really just light airplanes, built bigger, and with the redundancy of several engines and a more complete instrument/navigation package. [continue]

  Aircraft Ownership for mid-level income pilots  Paul B. Bartlett

I would like to present a new concept that could get thousands of "everyday" pilots into shiny, new aircraft. First of all, let me get past the discussions about outdated technology, "price per pound", and other premises on the value/price of a brand-new aircraft. Price and perceived value can very much be a function of the marketplace, not the physical "cost" of the item for sale. Does a Rolls-Royce automobile contain TEN TIMES the content and skilled labor of a Honda? No. Are there people willing to PAY ten times more for the Rolls? Yes. Therefore the new aircraft market at present is fixed to a small group of buyers who either need or desire the functionality of a new product regardless of price. [continue]

  Fatigue and Go, No-Go Decisions  Stephen W. Roberts, MD, AME

... Fatigue, a normal physiological response of the human body to sleep loss and circadian rhythm disruption, is characterized by decreased physical and mental efficiency.

Common signs and symptoms of fatigue include sleeplessness, overall discomfort, irritability, depression, apathy, physical an emotional isolation from others, loss of appetite, slurred speech, visual fixation and impaired visual perception, decreased alertness, difficulty concentrating, slowed reaction time, need for increased sensory stimulation to react, impaired short-term memory, poor judgment, loss of accuracy and control smoothness, unawareness of errors, and responses to become increasingly more dependent on previously acquired habits (good or bad). [continue]

  Swissair Flight 111 - The Accident that redefined CRM  John Sampson

The media seemed to be initially off on a tangent with the EVAS (plastic bag) system for maintaining internal pilot vision in the event of dense smoke in the cockpit. In light of events it may well have been a factor but only that. It's more likely to be eventually shown that there was a much greater deficiency at work in the Swissair accident... [continue]

  Colour Vision Standard in Aviation, is it needed?  Dr. Arthur M. Pape

Many thousands of pilots and would-be pilots world wide find their career aspirations frustrated by the discovery that they have abnormal colour vision and fail to meet the colour perception standard. The author, Dr. Arthur M. Pape was one such pilot in the late seventies and set about to challenge the scientific validity of the colour perception standard... [continue]

 GA ON THE UP SIDE  by Craig Peyton

It's nice to know that parts of GA are booming. The National Business Aircraft Association just finished celebrating it's 50th year with a convention in Dallas. Business aviation is in a stage of rapid growth and clearly leading the future trends in GA. With grassroots aviation just off the ropes, I hope the business side can start kicking some life blood further down the aviation chain. [continue]

 Oshkosh '97: Avbuzz and Engines  by Craig Peyton

To achieve the proper level of mind numbing Oshkosh av-buzz it's important to fly in and camp out. From the Ripon checkpoint, to final, shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other aircraft, you definitely know you're not doing touch and goes at your local strip. Your brave webmaster Yonatan and I thought we were going to be blown back to New York during Sat. night's thunder storm. Waking up during the 15 min., 5AM mag check on the plane 10 feet from your head, more sleep is out of the question. [continue]

  "Fighting Back"  by Craig Peyton

Man has been dreaming of controlled flight since the cave days. This century we achieved this vision. While never getting anywhere near the popularity of cars or boats, general aviation was growing from a post war slump until the early 80's. From producing close to 20,000 aircraft per year in 1979 to less than 2,000 per year by 1992, we have crashed big time. [continue]

  Pulling In New Pilots  by Craig Peyton

   "If we re-build it, they will come"

As the new century is a mere 3 years off, many of us in the pilot community have been asking ourselves, "what is flying going to be like in the year 2000"? Without major changes, the quick answer might be; about the same as now, just more expensive. With the good news of congress getting the trial lawyers off our backs, we now look forward to a new generation of flying machines that can ignite some new energy into GA. [continue]