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#34: Transoceanic crossings, part 5 Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

This is part 5 of a 6-part series on transoceanic flights. Transoceanic flights date back to Charles Lindbergh’s famous Spirit of St. Louis flight in 1927, but today the world is quite different, with numerous procedures and rules to keep us safe as we fly across the ocean. In part 5, I cover performance-based requirements, including required navigation, communication, and surveillance performance; and some of the technologies we use to achieve those requirements.

#32: Transoceanic crossings, part 3 Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

This is part 3 of a 6-part series on transoceanic flights. Transoceanic flights date back to Charles Lindbergh’s famous Spirit of St. Louis flight in 1927, but today the world is quite different, with numerous procedures and rules to keep us safe as we fly across the ocean. In part 3, I cover organized track systems, including the busiest oceanic airspace in the world, the North Atlantic, and its North Atlantic Tracks (NATs).

#33: Transoceanic crossings, part 4 Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

This is part 4 of a 6-part series on transoceanic flights. Transoceanic flights date back to Charles Lindbergh’s famous Spirit of St. Louis flight in 1927, but today the world is quite different, with numerous procedures and rules to keep us safe as we fly across the ocean. In part 4, I cover extended operations, or ETOPS, and how pilots plan flights with the ability to divert to airports halfway across the ocean.

#31: Transoceanic crossings, part 2 Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

This is part 2 of a 6-part series on transoceanic flights. Transoceanic flights date back to Charles Lindbergh’s famous Spirit of St. Louis flight in 1927, but today the world is quite different, with numerous procedures and rules to keep us safe as we fly across the ocean. In part 2, I cover high-frequency radio, and how it’s used to send messages over the horizon, and selective calling, or SELCAL.

#30: Transoceanic crossings, part 1 Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

This is part 1 of a 6-part series on transoceanic flights. Transoceanic flights date back to Charles Lindbergh’s famous Spirit of St. Louis flight in 1927, but today the world is quite different, with numerous procedures and rules to keep us safe as we fly across the ocean. In part 1, I cover oceanic flight plans, including how they're received; and voice position reporting.

#29: Cross-country gliding and MacCready theory Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

The most important number in cross-country gliding is “speed to fly.” Speed to fly is a complex topic, that involves thermals, headwinds and tailwinds, glider performance, and much more. On this episode I cover the basics of cross-country flying and racing in gliders, and introduce you to Paul MacReady’s theory of efficient glider flight.

#28: Aerial refueling Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Primitive forms of aerial refueling have been around since the 1920s; since then, it has matured into a complex but effective procedure for getting gas from one aircraft to another. In this episode, I look at the different kinds of aerial refueling, when it’s used, and some things pilots have to be aware of to do it successfully.

#27: The national airspace redesign Jan 11, 2019

Show notes

The US airspace system is undergoing massive changes in the wake of RNAV and GPS. Learn about the high-altitude redesign (HAR), non-restrictive routing (NRR), RNAV routes, and other projects underway to redesign the highways in the sky.

#26: Hypoxia and oxygen delivery systems Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

One of the symptoms of hypoxia is decreased judgment and decision-making ability — not good for pilots. It can sneak up on you slowly, and by the time you realize it’s happening, you're too impaired to do anything about it. So pilots have a lot of different ways to ensure their brain is getting the oxygen it needs, even at high altitudes. Today I talk about hypoxia, the different types of hypoxia and its signs and symptoms, and the different ways pilots have of receiving supplemental oxygen.

#25: Missile defense, part I: Geometry and radar Oct 05, 2018

Show notes

This is the first of a series covering how pilots defend against incoming missiles. In this episode, I will discuss how pilots use geometry and the limitations of radar to defend against radar-guided missiles. In the next part, we’ll look at countermeasures (chaff and flares).

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