Tag Archives: insurance

632 Flight Training with Jason Miller

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:20 — 39.1MB)

Guest Jason Miller produces flight training videos, a critically acclaimed podcast (The Finer Points), and now the Ground School flight training app. In the news, legend Chuck Yeager dies at 97, flight training restrictions due to Covid-19 and airline plans to transport vaccines, insurance rates for pilots, Designated Pilot Examiners, and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered research aircraft.

Guest

Jason Miller

Jason Miller is an award-winning CFI with more than 20 years of experience. He is the founder of the original flight training podcast, The Finer Points, and is the host of the fastest growing flight training channel on YouTube. He’s passionate about developing products that make a difference for real pilots in the real world and can be found online at learnthefinerpoints.com.

Video: Ground School Tour.

Aviation News

Yeager Leaves a Legacy of Speed

On December 7, 2020, Charles E. Yeager died of natural causes, at age 97. Besides breaking the sound barrier on October 14, 1947 in the Bell X-1, Yeager tested the YF-100 prototype of the F-100A, evaluated a Russian MiG 15 that had fallen into American hands, and on December 12, 1953, took the Bell X-1A to Mach 2.44 where he encountered “inertia coupling” at 76,000 feet. His skills were evident as he regained control at 25,000 feet.

Flight School Association of North America (FSANA)

FSANA says they are getting some reports of flight training restrictions and limitations that would limit in-person flight training. For example, Michigan has terminated all in-person collegiate instruction for at least a 3-week period. FSANA is also hearing concerns about crossing state boundaries for flight training and being subject to “return quarantines” due to state restrictions.

Potential insurance relief on the horizon for older pilots?

Many AOPA members are complaining that their premiums are spiking, coverages are being limited, and restrictions to just get covered are sometimes harsh—often with little to no explanation. “Not a day goes by that I don’t get a call about insurance rates,” says AOPA President Mark Baker. ow, AOPA’s strategic insurance partner AssuredPartners Aerospace, has teamed with an aviation insurer that will explore options for pilots up to age 79. This insurer will also offer potential coverage options for younger and newer pilots.

Flight School Association of North America (FSANA)

Although airman certification in the United States is conducted by the FAA, most of the actual certification of pilots is done by Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs). They are certified as instructors, administer practical tests for airmen, and charge for their services. DPE’s serve at the pleasure of the FAA, meaning the FAA can revoke the privilege at any time, with or without need for cause. Recently, there have been two terminations of DPEs that have been reported in the press. FSANA is interested in the review process and termination, and/or appeal of such a termination process. Perhaps some additional transparency is needed.

Airlines Gear Up to Transport Vaccines That Could Revive Travel

US Airlines have been planning the distribution of Covid vaccine for months in anticipation of a huge demand for transport capacity. Airlines even are preparing to run vaccine-only flights. United says a single 777 can carry up to one million doses. Some vaccines need extreme cooling with dry ice – carbon dioxide – which is regulated by the FAA. United conducted some tests and asked the FAA to raise the limit so it could fly the Pfizer vaccine from Brussels to Chicago. The agency agreed, allowing the airline to carry up to 15,000 pounds of dry ice aboard a Boeing 777-224, compared with the previous limit of 3,000 pounds. See FAA Advisory Circular Re: Transporting Dry Ice [PDF].

Hydrogen-Powered HY4 Rolled Out

The HY4 research aircraft was shown by a consortium of European companies and organizations. Details are scarce, but the twin-boom HY4 looks like it is based on the Pipistrel Aircraft Taurus G4. The Taurus utilizes two electric gliders joined by a center section wing with an electric motor. The HY4 hydrogen drive uses a fuel cell powering a 160-HP electric motor. With a top speed of 108 knots, range is claimed to be up to 900 miles. Test flights began last month and more than 30 takeoffs and flights of up to two hours have been completed. See the HY4 website.

HY4 – 2020 6th Generation, courtesy H2FLY.

588 Aircraft Insurance

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:20 — 39.1MB)

The recent rise in aircraft insurance premiums and how the increases can be mitigated, with AOPA’s Tom Haines. Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NPRM for service animals on flights, Delta’s solution for transporting your pet in a luxury carrier, the Boeing 777X first flight, and vision-based flight control for General Aviation. Plus more on fuel dumping and some good airline stories from listeners.

Guest

Tom Haines on aviation insurance rates on the rise.

Tom Haines

Tom Haines is Editor in Chief and Senior Vice President of Media, Communications, and Outreach for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). He manages a staff of 35 writers, editors, graphic artists, photographers, videographers, event planners, communications experts, and support personnel.

Tom has been reporting on increases in aircraft insurance premiums and how that’s impacting aircraft owners. These hull liability insurance premiums are growing despite a downward trend in the GA accident rate. The reasons are related to the global insurance industry which has been beset with wildfires, natural disasters, and accidents. We look at other factors contributing to the  “hardening of the market,” including the severity of some accidents and the percentage of the fleet that is now composed of high-cost aircraft. Finally, Tom explains some ways GA pilots can mitigate the increased premiums.

Why insurance rates are increasing 10 to 100 percent

Tom also tells us about the AOPA regional fly-ins, which in 2020 will take place in Texas in May in conjunction with Go Wheels Up! Texas, Casper, Wyoming in June, and Rochester, New York in September.

As an update on some of the AOPA programs, Tom talks about the You Can Fly program that seeks to increase the pilot population, the STEM-based curriculum for high school students, efforts to increase the number of flying clubs, support for flight schools, and the Rusty Pilot program.

Tom earned his pilot certificate in his late teens and has logged more than 4,000 hours. He has a commercial pilot certificate with multiengine, instrument, and seaplane ratings, and holds type ratings in the Eclipse 500 and Cessna CJ business jets and has a second-in-command type rating in the North American B-25 Mitchell. He owns a Beech A36 Bonanza.

Tom oversees the publication of AOPA Pilot magazine, the world’s largest aviation magazine; Flight Training magazine, a magazine specifically for student pilots and flight instructors; the weekly AOPA ePilot electronic newsletter; the Flight Training edition of ePilot, AOPA Online; and the association’s video-on-demand channel, AOPA Live.

Tom is often sought out for his publishing and aviation expertise. He often speaks at regional and national publishing conferences and has appeared on news shows at NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Businessweek, and many other national publications.

Catch AOPA on their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and AOPA Live on YouTube.

Aviation News

U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendments to Regulation of Service Animals on Flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by air. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Traveling by Air with Service Animals provides the public with 60 days to comment on the proposed changes.

See Traveling by Air with Service Animals Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Final Statement of Enforcement Priorities Regarding Service Animals on Flights.

Delta will fly your pet in a GPS-tracked luxury carrier — for $850 per flight

Delta has entered into an exclusive partnership with CarePod and launched “a new standard of travel with a state-of-the-art pet travel carrier that provides real-time updates for customers.” The CarePod pet travel carrier features industrial strength insulated walls, multi-layered windows and doors with specially angled blinds, a hydration system, GPS tracking and monitoring, and an app to view your pet’s travel updates,

See the press release: An industry first: Delta launches innovative solution for pet travel.

Boeing 777X Completes First Flight

The Boeing 777X has finally started its flight test program, hopefully with certification in 2021. WH001 is the first of four flight test aircraft and the Boeing 777-9 completed a three-hour, 52-minute first flight over Washington state. The plane is powered by a pair of General Electric GE9X turbofans and features composite wings and folding wingtips.

Video: Boeing 777X – What’s the Difference?

Daedalean, Honeywell Develop Vision-based Flight Control for General Aviation and eVTOL

Zürich-based startup Daedalean and Honeywell have entered into a technological and financial partnership looking to develop a fully autonomous AI pilot for General Aviation and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Press release: Daedalean and Honeywell collaborate on vision-based flight control for General Aviation and eVTOL [PDF].

Dumping Fuel

Reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari talks about his personal experience on a jet that was forced to dump fuel.

Airliner dumping fuel.

Launchpad Marzari’s plane dumps fuel before returning to the airport.

Did The Delta Airlines Fuel Dump Possibly Prevent A Larger Disaster?

Video: Fuel DUMP over Los Angeles, WHY?!

Mentioned

The C-130 Large Air Tanker that crashed while fighting NSW fires — what we know about the plane

Coulson Aviation names three aerial firefighters who died in NSW tanker crash

 

AirplaneGeeks 281 – Women of Aviation Week is Coming!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (48.6MB)

Gripen NG

We talk with Victoria Neuville Zajko about Women of Aviation Week, March 3-9, 2014, where young women are introduced to flying and aviation through a number of events around the world. Victoria tells us how to contribute by creating and sponsoring events. As she’s in the aviation insurance business, Victoria also tells us about that industry segment.

Victoria is an instrument rated commercial pilot who works as a sales assistant for Aviation Insurance Resources. She’s also on the crew of the Stuck Mic Avcast, which has the tag line “An Aviation Podcast about learning to fly, living to fly, and loving to fly.” She blogs at Toriaflies, and is an active member of the Sugarloaf chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a VIP member of Women of Aviation Week and a member of Women in Aviation International and the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association.

The week’s aviation news:

David Vanderhoof’s Aircraft of the Week: the Saab JAS-39 Gripen.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

Steve and Grant kick off the new year on the AusDesk by reporting about New Zealand!

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

Airbus A350 XWB

This week Pieter brings us some news stories that caught his attention over the break including; Ryanair’s charm offensive – is it now paying off? the launch of the Gaia spacecraft, and the roll out of Airbus A350XWB MSN2.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.