In Descent Proposal

Autopilots have many uses. Congrats to both!

APOD: 2012 September 26 - A Space Shuttle Over Los Angeles

I just think this is one of the coolest pictures ever. More explanation from NASA and the original, larger picture at the link below:
APOD: 2012 September 26 - A Space Shuttle Over Los Angeles:

Above, Beneath & Between

My wife took this amazing photo of the cloud layers on our recent flight back to Pittsburgh from Dulles Intl., with her iPhone! The reflection of the sunset off of the nose of the airplane makes it. It's scenes like this that make flying flying. 

At 6,000 feet returning from Dulles to Pittsburgh.
(click for larger version)

Flock of "birds"

I love this picture - data visualization of airplanes taking off, super imposed on one another.

http://exhibitionmigrations.com/images/Ho-Yeol%20Ryu.jpg

How to fly into the FRZ, by Dave Wartofsky

I have flown into Potomac Airfield which is located in the "death zone", AKA the Flight Restricted Zone. I had the chance to meet and talk with Dave during my trip, he's great. I can vouch that this video pretty much explains what you need to know about flying to D.C. :-)

Minnesota Supreme Court exonerates Cirrus Aircraft and UND

This is huge news for the General Aviation community, manufacturers and advocates of personal responsibility. Common sense wins out in a case involving a VFR pilot who clearly attempted flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequently crashed his Cirrus with a passenger on board. The pilot took off in marginal VFR conditions that were marked by strong wind gusts and low visibility due to darkness and a cloud ceiling of 14 feet above ground. The pilot's family sued the University of North Dakota who provided pilot training and Cirrus Aircraft, the manufacturer of the aircraft. It is heartening to see that the family was not able to profit from an accident that resulted from a pilot specifically violating Federal regulations.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blamed the accident on the pilot and stated that the accident was a direct result of "the pilot's improper decision". NTSB also said that "Contributing factors were the pilot's improper decision to attempt flight into marginal VFR conditions, his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, the low lighting condition (night) and the trees," the official report said. The NTSB also found that the aircraft was perfectly functional prior to the accident stating, "A post accident examination of the aircraft and engine did not reveal any anomalies".

More from the article here:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/supreme_court_ruling_prokop_cirrus_training_precedent_207004-1.html

Airline Pilots Pick Some Favorite Scenic Routes - WSJ.com

Great article from the journal highlighting some classic airliner "flybys".

Airline Pilots Pick Some Favorite Scenic Routes - WSJ.com: