Blog

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD) is undergoing taxiway name changes.  These names changes are the first step of an overall taxiway renaming implementation plan for O’Hare that will evolve over the course of the next 18 months as part of the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP).  This round of changes will eliminate all "Z" prefix taxiway names on the airfield.

For more information please visit http://flychicago.com.

The opinions expressed in this column are those of Jason Blair and are not representative of AVweb or iFlightPlanner.

As the government's budget sequestration gains steam, the FAA is expected to announce which control tower might close as a result, perhaps as early as today. Discussion on this topic has produced plenty of opinions, some valid and some best characterized as fear mongering, in my view.

Sequestration cuts will likely result in at least temporary tower closures. This isn't the doing of the FAA, but that doesn't necessarily mean the FAA is choosing which towers will close in a manner that best serves long-term aviation interests or safety. I am hopeful that any permanent closures will be evaluated using more thorough methodology. There actually is a formal process to do this.

» Full Editorial on AVweb

In an article in Flying by Robert Goyer, Jane's All the World's Aircraft has named an August 1901 flight by Connecticut aviation pioneer Gustave Whitehead as the first successful powered flight in history, beating the Wright Brothers by more than two years.  Jane's, which calls itself "the world's foremost authority on aviation history", with great authority, has traditionally backed the Wrights as first in flight.  Now they say the evidence for Whitehead's flight is strong enough for the publication to reverse course and recognize it as the first successful powered flight.

Jane's Editor Paul Jackson credits the long work of aviation researcher John Brown for much of the recently uncovered evidence that Whitehead's flight was the first.  Brown's website is www.gustave-whitehead.com and the full article written by Robert Goyer can be found here.

This week's flight planning Quick Tip shows you how to close your flight plan and log your flight into your electronic logbook using iFlightPlanner.com or iFlightPlanner for iPad.

Last week's flight planning Quick Tip demonstrated how iFlightPlanner can help you incorporate SIDs and STARs into your low altitude and jet route auto routing.  This new feature, along with several others, were part of a significant update to iFlightPlanner.com that also strengthened the inner workings of iFlightPlanner in anticipation of the release of iFlightPlanner for iPad v2.0 presented by Sennheiser later this year.

Each new feature has been seamlessly integrated into your iFlightPlanner experience and are detailed as follows:

Weather

• Airports without METAR and/or TAF now display nearest weather observation and forecasts (up to 200nm away)
• International weather is displayed by choosing "Adverse Flight Rules" on maps
• US AWOS/Weather Stations without a corresponding airport are now included in corridor weather displays

NOTAMs

• Complete NOTAM Support, including Domestic, FDC, Military, Military Local and International NOTAMs
• All NOTAMs are updated every 5 minutes via live feed directly from the FAA

Flight Wizard

• Flight Plan Filing: The "Yes, I want to file a flight plan" option defaults to "off"
• Members can set their personal default under "My Profile > Aviation"

SIDs & STARs

• Full SID/STAR selection capability with "Low Altitude Airway Auto w SID/STAR" or "Jet Route Auto-Routing"
• SIDs and STARs are populated when the From/To airports are entered or changed

Flight Document

• Now includes NOTAMs
• Basic RADAR images removed
• Now customizable for printing by toggling on/off Local Charts, Weight & Balance, Route Map, Navigation Log, TAFs, NOTAMS, and A/FD Services
• Selections can be set as personal defaults under "My Profile > Aviation"

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these additions!  Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.  We sincerely appreciate your continued support of iFlightPlanner!

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™

This week's flight planning Quick Tip shows you how iFlightPlanner can help you incorporate SIDs and STARs into your low altitude and jet route flight planning. 

The March/April 2013 issue of FAA Safety Briefing is now available and focuses on building a safety community, human error, and loss of control - the leading causal factor in general aviation accidents.

Among the feature articles in this issue include how to avoid get-home-itis, a review of FAA's WINGS pilot proficiency program, and a look at the importance of setting priorities and avoiding risk.

» FAA Safety Briefing, March/April 2013

The iFlightPlanner Crew
PLAN. FLY. LOG.™