flying

It’s an issue that needs greater visibility, so I hope this kind of reporting is a step towards reform.

Hi,

for a couple of days, now, shop.jeppesen.com (directly linked from jeppesen.com) has been down. The first days it showed a banner that it was "down due to technical issues", but since yesterday it just shows a banner saying "Jeppesen. A Boeing Company".

Is anyone else here able to reach the shop?

Is there any information about why, and how long this is going to last?

I'm quite seriously confused and bewildered that the market leader for aeronautical charts could just "close shop" like that. The only thing I could imagine that would take so long is an attack where data could have been modified, including backups, requiring manual validation of all data.

Richard McSpadden, the senior vice president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, died along with one other person in the crash of a Cessna 177RG near Lake Placid Airport in upstate New York on Sunday.

Just had a lesson today and I was asked to plan a trip that crosses CA airspace. Found this as a nice reference for figuring out what's involved in going to CA

I finished editing the video of our aerodrome festival on August 12 and 13 this year. Enjoy and comment!

I missed 2/60 questions for a 97%:

• IR.V.B.K1: Elements related to ATC routes, including departure procedures (DPs) and associated climb gradients; arrival procedures (STARs) and associated constraints.

• IR.I.C.K3a: Calculating: a. Time, climb and descent rates, course, distance, heading, true airspeed, and groundspeed

I took an online home-study ground school course with Aviation Training Center (www.aviationtrainingcenter.org). I had bought a lifetime membership when I was doing my PPL originally with them under another company name, so I was grandfathered in before their annual subscription pricing hit. I completed the course in about 3 weeks in my spare time (I have a wife, 2 young children & a 60+ hr/wk non-aviation career).

After I completed the home-study course, I went the Sheppard Air study resource route and bought their IRA study kit. I spent around 30 hours going through that. People say it's just rote memorization. You could use it that way, but to be honest, I found it easier actually understanding the concepts and principles, and reading the provided explanations to better understand things. A few things in the explanations for the exam contradicted what the home-study course ground instructor said, so I found that extra helpful. The Sheppard Air study resource also points out questions on the FAA exam that the exam computers are scoring incorrectly. I saw one of those on my exam and trusted the Sheppard Air guidance to pick the wrong answer on purpose: it panned out as that wasn't one of the categories I missed. But having learned the right and wrong answer (and how to find the right one) from the Sheppard Air study resource, I'd 10/10 use that resource again. Well worth it.

I rushed the studying piece and did all the 30 hours this week (my wife is amazing and really supportive), so I'd get the test in before the FAA changes it, which is scheduled for this Monday, July 31, 2023. They're reducing the allowed time to 120 minutes (from 150); but I only needed 33 minutes to complete all 60 questions in the test. They also announced they're adding 5 "unscored" questions, and supposedly they take this kind of update timeframe as an opportunity to reword and change up questions, so I'd allow the testing and study resources to settle a little if you're planning the IRA exam after 7/31/2023 -- give it a few weeks at least.

I've got about 38 hours XC already, so now the fun begins: Flying with a CFII and maybe a safety pilot to complete the aeronautical experience requirements while preparing for the oral exam and checkride!

Any recommendations from IR pilots for a PPL-rated IR student?

For anyone in the region, there are two days of exhibition, sightseeing flights for the public, aerobatic displays and information about the local clubs, food&drink, RC model planes and more.

Location is the public airfield Porta Westfalica EDVY near Hannover.

We all know the marshaller signals. Go left, go right, stop, death threat, etc.

There is, however, one that appears in official docs, but never in discussions or at the airport (at least I've never had a marshaller show this to me) – the "dispatch aircraft" symbol:

Does anyone know when this is used, if at all? The definition ("Perform a standard salute with right hand and/or wand to dispatch the aircraft. Maintain eye contact with flight crew until aircraft has begun to taxi.") suggests that it's supposed to be used after you obtain taxi clearance but before you start to move.

That said, the marshaller has never been present when I was getting ready to taxi. I always just called tower or delivery to get startup and taxi clearances, switched on the taxi lights and went on my merry way. So, what's the reason for this hand signal's existence? And how would the marshaller know when to dispatch the aircraft since (I assume) they aren't listening in on radio? Is it only used in commercial or military aviation? I know it's a standard thing on aircraft carriers to confirm the pilot is ready for takeoff, but this signal is featured in ICAO docs, not US Navy procedures. Has anyone here been saluted by a marshaller? Would love to hear your answers.

On Reddit I frequently heard stories from either newly-passed or newly-failed private pilots outlining the entire process and seeking advice. So I started wondering - how difficult is it to pass the PPL check in the US? I heard that there is a long oral questions part where the examiner quizzes you on the theoretical parts before you even start to brief the flight, much less get in the cockpit. Are there no written exams there, just these questions? Or is it both? If both, why is this part so long (heard it can go on for over an hour)? Do you need to know what every FAR regulates? I frequently see Americans referencing FARs alongside their numbers as if they had an index in their head lol

Here in EASA land one of my friends told me that the check is "hard to fail if you paid attention" and, while stressful, yeah, the examiner did not try to trip me up with questions nor did he ask me to perform maneuvers I haven't practiced well. It felt like just another solo XC flight, a couple touch-and-gos at the destination airport including without flaps and without engine power, then on the way back a few stalls, deep turns, some rudimentary instrument flying and that was it. Haven't heard of anyone who failed the thing so far.

So, how's the situation where you guys are? What's the pass rate? Do you know someone who failed (or maybe even you yourself had failed)? Would love to hear from you all!

Complete Walkaround has quickly become one of my favorite YouTube channels. in each short form episode, you will get a breakdown of the performance, costs, and quirks of a plane that you may just be interested in.

as an owner of a Comanche 250, I can attest that the breakdown of costs and performance are fairly accurate (region dependent for fixed costs), and a great starting point for potential owners.

According to EU regulation 1178/2011, the only condition is that you have at least 12 takeoffs and landing and 12 hours (of which 6 as PIC) and one hour total flight time ("block time") of "refresher training" within the last 12 months before the end of the validity of the single-engine piston and/or touring motor glider class ratings.

As far as I can tell, the one hour of refresher training doesn't even have to be one contiguous flight, but can be spread out over multiple flights.

Only a proficiency check (i. e. checkride with official examiner, which is required if you don't have the prerequisite flight time) needs to be performed within the last 3 months before expiry.

My first video on peertube, but actually an old film I previously published on YouTube.

Enjoy.

How hard is it to fly in Switzerland with FAA certificates? Anyone have experience with "Validation of a foreign license" which is good for 1 year or "Conversion of a BASA FAA licence to EASA Part-FCL PPL Licence"

I live relatively close to one of the hubs for A400M operations (Wunstorf), but currently have no flights planned in any of the restricted areas.

I expect operations at Hannover EDDV to be affected, since Wunstorf is inside the Hannover control zone.

Do any of you live inside the northeastern area which starts at ground level? Did you have to reschedule or reroute any flights?

I see your VOR, and I raise you another one.

I posted this on the flying community I started on feddit.de, but I guess having this international one makes sense. I will transform mine into a German-centered version. But here's my post about a recent little fly-in:

Three times during summer the flying club at Hodenhagen EDVH invites the GA community to a Fly-In at the their local airfield. They have currywurst and fries and cold (non-alcoholic) drinks for a nice afternoon of talking and chilling.

This time I took some friends, for one of them it was the first ever flight in a light aircraft, and we all enjoyed it.

Tell us about your memorable flights!

Taken in May 2022