Author Archives: David Megginson

Man vs. machine

Posted on April 25, 2006 by David Megginson

On most airplanes, you can trim the elevator by turning a wheel or crank that sets a tab — a flap on a flap — that then redirects the airflow to hold the elevator or stabilator at a certain angle … Continue reading →

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Separation (not the Quebec kind)

Posted on April 19, 2006 by David Megginson

There’s really only one thing that air traffic controllers spend a lot of time worrying about, and that’s separation. Separation means that each aircraft has an invisible bubble around it. When a controller is required to separate aircraft, she has … Continue reading →

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Nav Canada approves new service charges

Posted on April 13, 2006 by David Megginson

Nav Canada has decided to go ahead and charge small aircraft a daily fee of $10.00, starting in March 2008, for using any of Canada’s seven busiest airports (and the Vancouver harbour water aerodrome) — that’s on top of any … Continue reading →

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The perfect start

Posted on March 7, 2006 by David Megginson

There are a few times when pilots become especially self-conscious about being observed by others: when talking on the radio, when landing, and when starting the engine. Of the three, as I’ve written before, starting a piston engine is by … Continue reading →

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The future of radio navigation in the U.S.

Posted on February 25, 2006 by David Megginson

The U.S. government has released its 2005 Federal Radionavigation Plan [PDF, 74 pages]. Here is what they are proposing for each type of aviation-related navigation aid: GPS Will be the primary federally-provided radionavigation system for the foreseeable future. Will continue … Continue reading →

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What province is Ottawa in, again?

Posted on February 21, 2006 by David Megginson

(Not about flying.) By population, Ottawa is the fourth largest city in Canada (after Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver) and the second largest city in Ontario (after Toronto). Ottawa is also the nation’s capital, hosting the Parliament buildings (with the House … Continue reading →

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V speeds

Posted on February 12, 2006 by David Megginson

(kias: knots indicated airspeed; kcas: knots calibrated airspeed; ktas knots true airspeed) V speeds [Wikipedia] are the critical performance speeds of an aircraft — while some of them are illustrated on the face of the airspeed indicator using lines and … Continue reading →

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Cirrus SR22 demo flight: initial impressions

Posted on February 8, 2006 by David Megginson

I spent a bit over an hour today flying a spanking-new Cirrus SR22-GTS, courtesy of Easy Air Share, which is setting up a fractional ownership program here in Ottawa. I flew in the left seat with Floyd, a production test … Continue reading →

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Response to NAV CANADA Notice of New and Revised Service Charges

Posted on February 6, 2006 by David Megginson

NAV CANADA is proposing additional fees for small aircraft using Canada’s eight largest airports — these will be per-departure/day fees (i.e. a fee for each day that an aircraft departs from the airport). Here is NAV CANADA’s proposal, and here … Continue reading →

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Canadian TSB backs NTSB on Caravan Icing Restriction

Posted on January 31, 2006 by David Megginson

Because of the accident record, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a letter to the FAA suggesting a temporary restriction on Cessna’s single-engine turboprop, the Cessna 208 Caravan, from flying into any known icing conditions worse than light … Continue reading →

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