When things go wrong…

The aviation industry has such a wonderful safety record that people boarding an aircraft rarely, if ever, think about the possibility of an accident happening to them. Of course the same people will have driven down the highway to the airport similarly unaware that, statistically, they were in a much more dangerous place than on… Continue reading When things go wrong…

The ICAO Flight Plan – changes are coming!

The basics If you are working in aviation, chances are you have seen an ICAO Flight Plan. Something that looks like the example here. It is a strange looking document showing clearly its origins in a world where clattering teletype machines were considered modern communications means. The double chevrons pointing left indicate “carriage return” and… Continue reading The ICAO Flight Plan – changes are coming!

NOTAM goes digital

What is a NOTAM? There are a few things in aviation that have survived over the years with so little change as the NOTAM, in spite of its numerous, known shortcomings. NOTAM is a quasi-acronym for Notice to Airmen, a system of providing aeronautical information introduced well over 60 years ago. NOTAMs… we have all… Continue reading NOTAM goes digital