Aviation Incidents in Today’s News! Aviation Incidents in Today's News! Cap'n Aux's Take on Current Events Folks, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux checking in with you. Lately, we’ve had a spate of aviation stories garnering a lotta headlines. So, I thought I’d briefly muse over some of the issues raised by these stories. Disclaimer Throughout this post, I will do my best to approach these stories from a perspective of safety, clarifying any possible misnomers, and analyzing how to mitigate future issues. At NO TIME will I be, nor do I intend to be, pointing fingers, or Monday m ..read more

Quora Question Quorner Update! Quora Question Quorner Update! Folks, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux speaking. While we haven’t been super active on the blog of late, we’ve been seeing plenty of action over on my Quora page, where I answer all your aviation questions. All in the Family: Off to LHR with FO Tracy—the wife of my FO last week, Ken! With that in mind, I figured an update of the “Best of the Best” Quora Questions was in order. But First… Happy (Un)Official Star Wars Day! And, as always, … And now… Quora Question Quorner Update! Wherein I answer your Aviation qu ..read more

An Exaltation of Blog Buddies! An Exaltation of Blog Buddies! Folks, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux speaking. I’ve long said that the best part of writing this here aviation blog is meeting YOU! And, every once in awhile, we need to hit the Pause button and do just that—celebrate you and our other fellow Blog Buddies! Meeting up with Blog Buddies in Hong Kong a few years back! Lately, there’s been a plethora of Blog Buddies in our personal news feed—achievements, adventures, and, sadly, tragedies. So, I thought we’d catch up… An Exaltation of Blog Buddies! RIP To My Dear Friend ..read more

Flight For Justice! It’s out!!! Your wait is over, folks! The latest installment in pilot-author Karlene Petitt’s “Flight For” series! And, boy, is it a doozie! I had the great good fortune of receiving an advanced copy of Karlene’s latest novel, and following is a review I wrote for her. An excerpt from this review appears in her novel. As a pilot with 40 years in the airline industry, I’ve seen some serious changes—some good, some bad. Advancements in technology and evolution in Crew Resource Management (CRM) have improved safety on the flight deck exponentially. But, one area of concer ..read more

Aviation Medical Certificate: Revoked! Folks, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux speaking. Recently, for the first time ever, I had my Aviation Medical Certificate revoked! I know what  you’re thinking: “But, Cap’n Aux! You were BORN with a 777 Type rating and a lifetime Medical certificate!” Oh, if that would be true! So. What exactly is an Aviation Medical Certificate, anyway? Any solo flight student knows that, to legally fly an airplane, you need two things: A pilot’s license, and An Aviation Medical certificate. Without both of these, a pilot is grounded. In the case of ..read more

Merry Christmas! WOTR Video Encore Performance! Folks, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux speaking, with a special quick shout out during this special holiday season. Please enjoy a throwback to one of Team Aux’s most beloved videos: our “Word on the Ramp, Special ‘Trekkie’ Christmas Edition!” Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and … May your New Year be full of Fantabulous aerial adventures! DON’T PANIC!!! Still missing last minute gifts? My aviation books will never fail ya! Click the Panic Button Below: Panic Button! Submitted by Blog Buddy Mark R! Till Next Y ..read more

LEOs FAMs and FFDOs, oh my! LEOs and FAMs and FFDOs, oh my! Airline Security in Today's Crazy World LEOs FAMs and FFDOs, oh my! In this post-9/11 world, where terrorist groups around the world—some state-sponsored—actively attack innocent civilians, extra precautions must be taken to ensure safety  and security in the skies over the United States. Enter LEOs, FAMs, and FFDOs. DISCLAIMER: ALL information shared in this blog post are from open sources and common knowledge; NO “proprietary” information that could compromise aviation safety will be shared. At times, I may have to be de ..read more

A passage to Sydney A Passage to Sydney Crossing 2 Hemispheres to Down Under Ladies and gentlemen, from the Flight Blog, this is Cap’n Aux speaking. Welcome aboard our nonstop, direct service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Sydney, Australia (SYD)! Today, you’ll be flying on a Boeing 777-300, the largest plane in our fleet. Up front will be myself, assisted by no less than 3 First Officers, along with a cabin crew of 12, for our 13 hour, 6,600 nautical mile flight… Yes, you heard that right! Instead of 2 Captains and 2 First Officers, like on our nonstop JFK-DEL flights ..read more

Chasing the Dream: How to Fly on the Cheap! Chasing the Dream: How to Fly on the Cheap! The Problem: All your life, you’ve dreamed of flying. You look skyward at every airplane sound. You scour YouTube in search of more flying videos. You can tell a Pilatus from a Gulfstream from a Boeing from 5 miles below. You live, breathe, eat aviation. There’s just one catch: In your country, one hour of flight training costs more than your monthly rent. Or, worse, your draconian government simply bans flying. What’s a wannabe aviator to do? The Solution: Come to America! Yes! The good ol’ US of ..read more

OSHkosh Quick Turn! OSHkosh Quick Turn! Folks, from the Flight Blog, Cap’n Aux checkin’ in. We in the airline biz have a phrase: Quick Turn. That’s when you fly your plane to Point B, dump your passengers off, grab new ones, and fly back to Point A. Well, that’s what it felt like for Cap’n David, who, last time, gave us a wonderful “Cap’n on the Tarmac” view of the world’s largest fly-in and air show, EAA’s Airventure, better known as “Oshkosh.” Even though Oshkosh runs for an entire week, Cap’n David could only fly in for a couple nights, then “Quick Turn” right back out. But, oh, what a ..read more