Jim Fallows' Aviation blogs

Clash of the Titans: Holy Father vs TSA

2010-02-25T21:58:11Z

Maybe this is widely known, but I hadn't heard until recently that Benedict XVI had joined the ranks of critics of the TSA: Details here . Now perhaps I can dare hope for an Encyclical about the inanity of the repetitive "current threat level is Orange" robo-broadcasts, or even a Papal Bull addressing the deeper illogic of today's airport-screening exercise in security-theater. "Your pallium and zucchetto must be off and in the bin. I'm talking to you, sir! All velvet or...(read more)

Bad week in small-plane news

2010-02-20T03:34:17Z

A crash in East Palo Alto two days ago after an early morning take-off apparently in fog, killing three employees of the Tesla electric-car company; the notorious suicide/murder/terror crash in Austin yesterday; a landing in the wee hours this morning at LAX by a 23-year old student pilot who stole a Cirrus SR-22 airplane and flew it erratically all over the place. The stolen plane , Cirrus N443CP*, in happier times: These are completely different situations -- weather-related accident; psychopathic...(read more)

Buzzard Strike (updated)

2010-02-15T04:30:36Z

This is the most bizarre aviation video I have seen in a long time. It was shot in Miami just before the Superbowl, and it shows the results of a bird strike in a helicopter. Bird strikes are unpleasant for all involved, starting with the bird. Small-seeming birds can do an amazingly large amount of damage to an aircraft (cf: " Miracle on the Hudson "). This involves a big bird, and the results are much different from normal for all involved. Thanks to John Tierney of Sense & Nonsense...(read more)

More on frolics and other language points

2009-12-15T04:34:20Z

I mentioned recently the odd use of the term "frolic" in the FAA's complaint about the pilots who "forgot" to land in Minneapolis, and also my friend Cullen Murphy's exercise in writing an entire article in "E-Prime," a form of English that excludes "is," "are," or any other form of the verb "to be." Illuminating comments from readers on both points below: one in derogation of the skills of the FAA letter-writers, the other in praise...(read more)

If you've been wondering about NW flight 188

2009-12-11T22:52:42Z

That's the one that "missed" Minneapolis, overshot by 150 miles or so, then did a U-turn over Wisconsin before returning for a safe landing. Afterwards the two pilots said they had been "distracted" by a discussion about new scheduling software on their computers and therefore just didn't notice that they were out of touch with air traffic controllers for 90 minutes. The FAA, in no-nonsense fashion, soon revoked the pilot certificates for both men. The always-informative...(read more)

Another gift possibility

2009-12-06T20:49:39Z

In the Atlantic's special on-line "Editors' Choice" gift guide , I aim very high with my own wish-list item, on the principle of "if you don't ask, you'll never know." But in case you're not quite motivated to get me that item (a flying boat), a nice second choice would be the completely solar-powered airplane that took its first flight in Switzerland this past week . Note: the opening scenes in the video below, which show the plane soaring over the Alps, are...(read more)

Gift thoughts for the holidays

2009-12-01T10:38:23Z

I am a fan of nearly every kind of small aircraft, but I might draw the line here: It's a personal helicopter, really two rotors on a hat. Action video here , from Makezine (thanks to Dave Proffer). As it happens, one of my upcoming New Year's resolutions is to get back into aviation actively. But avoiding this hat-helo would be consistent with two of my rules for a happy flying career: Don't fly anything that's not factory-built (sorry, home-crafters ); and fly only airplanes, not...(read more)

Airspace over the Hudson

2009-11-26T04:03:16Z

One more thing to be thankful for: a sensible response to the tragic airplane-helicopter crash over the Hudson River in August. As of this week the FAA has applied new traffic-separation rules for small airplanes, airliners, and helicopters flying above the Hudson that should reduce the risk of such a collision ever happening again. The rules codify what had been informal procedures for keeping aircraft out of each other's way. But they don't over-prescribe, regulate, or restrict. Here is...(read more)

More on the undercover TSA officers

2009-11-12T18:26:35Z

Two days ago I mentioned the delightful story about the TSA's plan to place "behavior detection officers," or BDOs, in airports and to disguise them in ... TSA uniforms. Herewith several relevant responses. 1) About the plan's underlying genius: "There are so many security officers at the airport that one no longer notices them. It's like policemen at the US capitol building, or people wearing orange clothes at a Clemson football game. Clothing that would be conspicuous...(read more)

What has happened to the F-35?

2009-11-09T22:32:46Z

Seven years ago I wrote in the magazine about the genesis of the F-35 fighter plane, known back then as the Joint Strike Fighter or JSF. (" Uncle Sam Builds an Airplane ," June, 2002.) At the time, the JSF was supposed to be the solution to one of the modern military's worst problems. The problem is relentless and "unexpected" cost growth. Year after year, ships, missiles, tanks, etc go up "surprisingly" much in unit cost, so year after year the numbers in the inventory...(read more)

In defense of the TSA

2009-11-07T19:25:54Z

On the "man bites dog" front, and in the spirit of fairness, here are two items on behalf of the TSA. Or at least in opposition to some lines of criticism (like this recent one from me). First: I can't believe that I've learned only now that the TSA has its own chatty blog , which takes up various criticisms, especially from web sites, and gives the TSA's answer. For instance, if you want to know their response to this famed cartoon from XKCD.com , check here . The wonderful...(read more)

Unemployment and airplane crashes

2009-11-07T17:05:00Z

A man in Florida sends what may be the ideal example of reader mail, combining as it does aerodynamic theory, politics, economics, and presidential rhetoric. If only there were a China- or beer-related angle... Seriously, his critique of how the Obama team has explained the continuing collapse of the U.S. employment base is insightful. Although it is obviously too late to adjust the rhetoric with which the Administration launched its economic recovery plans, arguments like this reader's could...(read more)

Ongoing TSA / Security Theater watch

2009-11-06T17:38:42Z

The monthly "Airport Policy News" reports by Robert Poole, of the Reason Foundation, are a steady source of nuggets about economic, technological, and political developments in the aviation world. I would send a link to the latest report I'm about to cite, except that what's online, here , is routinely a few weeks behind what's come out in the newsletters. I am not a full adherent to the Reason Magazine /Ayn Rand view of the world (I loved her books when I was 14, though!),...(read more)

The Prius of the sky

2009-11-05T04:28:14Z

A contest for fuel-efficient small airplanes has a winner: a modified VariEze that gets 45 mpg at over 200 MPH with two people aboard, and nearly 100 mpg at a lower "maximum range" speed. Details from Wired here , Tree Hugger here , and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association last year here . Just as I've always said : to get America moving again, including on the fuel-efficiency front, we've got to get more people up in the air. (Thanks to Michael Ham.)...(read more)

More on the Minneapolis "overflight"

2009-10-26T22:06:35Z

According to numerous accounts in the last hour -- AP here , Reuters here , WSJ here -- the current story from the Northwest flight crew that forgot to land in Minneapolis is that they were so absorbed in using laptops in the cockpit that they neglected to talk with air traffic controllers for more than an hour and didn't get around to descending. I hate to say this about people with enough other problems already, but: that's simply impossible to believe. Flying an airplane is different from...(read more)