Actor Harrison Ford Becomes Chairman of EAA Young Eagles

Best known for his acting, where he’s been in more than 35 films, Harrison Ford is also an accomplished pilot and has achieved several pilot certificates and ratings. He learned how to fly in a Piper Tri-Pacer, but had to quit because it was “too expensive at the time.” As much as he’s always enjoyed aviation and is the owner of five aircraft, he also enjoys introducing his passion for flying to youngsters. On March 8, he became chair of the EAA Young Eagles, replacing Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, who has served as chair since 1994, and has been named EAA Young Eagles Chairman Emeritus…(More)

Drunken GA Pilot in Philadelphia Had Previous DUI Record

Earlier this month, it was discovered that the Pottstown, Pa., general aviation pilot that was arrested for allegedly flying while drunk on Jan. 15, had previous DUI convictions in 1989 and 1990, and he was charged with public intoxication outside of a restaurant just months before his drunken flight took place. During the pilot’s drunken four-hour stint, he flew over populated areas of the suburbs into restricted airspace, almost colliding with a Boeing 747…(More)

Nasty Fight—TSA Sabotaging Armed Pilot Program

What could be worse than what happened on 9/11? Captain David Mackett, president of the Airline Pilots Security Association, said that apparently the Transportation Security Administration believes that training airline pilots to become federal flight deck officers, defending their cockpit against 9/11 scenarios is worse. July 2002, the U.S. House passed the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act by a vote of 310 to 113; it became law on Nov. 22, 2002, under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. TSA is responsible to train, deputize and arm pilots who volunteer for the FFDO program, but it's a nasty fight...(More)

In His Own Words—Captain David Mackett Writes “Deliberate Apathy of Arming America’s Pilots Against Terrorism."

Captain David Mackett was flying en route to Texas on the day the world stopped—and on that day, Sept. 11, 2001, as the controller's voice shook, "…all aircraft—beware cockpit intrusion," scores of people had already been murdered… (More)

It’s Time to Dump Agent “Orange”

Caution: While you're reading this, a terrorist group could strike in the United States.
The fact is, when or where Al-Qaeda strikes again, won't depend upon our government issuing its proper color-coded security advisory warning. It’s a joke to think terrorists respect the color-coded alert warnings; they will strike, when and where it suits them…(More)

Terrorists Stripped Naked—Body-Scanning

The Transportation Security Administration is on the hunt looking for companies that can manufacture x-ray scanners that airline passengers can walk through that can detect both, metal and non-metal weapons before boarding aircraft.

Currently, metal detectors used to screen passengers in the United States cannot detect plastic weapons or explosives; a lot of the time, TSA screeners miss obvious metal objects and weapons that do get aboard aircraft. TSA is evaluating body-scanning technology that can see through a person's clothes--that’s what TSA told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Aviation Subcommittee in late February…(More)

King Schools—Making Alaska Skies Safer with Practical Risk Management

For 28 years, married couple Martha and John King, the principals of San Diego-based King Schools, Inc., the world's leading producer of aviation ground school multimedia interactive training videos and computer software, have taught more than 50 percent of all the new private and instrument pilots in the U.S. Now, Alaskan-based Medallion Foundation turns to King Schools for practical risk management solutions... (More)