From the Free Flight Cloud-surfer

refers to the area of airplanes which is actually quite complex. Most of us take for granted that many of the items we purchase get to use via aircraft. We also find it very convenient to get on a plane and land thousands of miles a way later that same day. It is a convenient and popular mode of transportation in our society. It allows people to travel all over the world for business and for pleasure.

Aircraft have also been a strong influence in the military. They have allowed us to get men to the right locations, to deliver supplies, and even to attack our enemies. Yet countries all over the world have access to aviation in such forms so they can do the same against us. Aircraft have been used for media reporting as well as in various types of rescues. Without the fast actions of those aboard the aircrafts many people would have lost their lives due to such events.

There are tons of different jobs in the field of aviation. Only a handful of people actually get selected to fly the aircrafts. Everyone else is responsible for building them, maintaining them, and for operating the control towers so accidents involving aircraft can be avoided. It takes plenty of training to be eligible for the various jobs in the field of aviation. There is no room for errors to take place.

The technology behind aviation has definitely changed over the years. For those that are interested in the history of it, you can find plenty of great information online. There are detailed time lines that will walk you through it from the very start to modern day events involving aircrafts.

You can view some of the earlier forms of aircraft at museums around the country. There you will find a mixture of war planes, basic aircraft, and even homemade planes. It is quite interesting to see all of them as well as various aviation artifacts in such an area. You won’t soon forget such an experience any time soon. The internet is the best place to find information on the various museums. You may discover one that isn’t too far away from where you live.

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Aviation Insurance - Is it For You?

While many individuals are completely unaware that this type of aviation insurance exists, those who are experienced pilots or spend a lot of time in the air are critically aware of the necessity of having aviation insurance. Without this type of insurance, you can be left with all manner of debt and difficulty in case of an accident or some other problem. Considering that a mishap in the air is far more devastating than any mishap that could ever occur on the ground, it makes sense to reach out and equip yourself with all the protection that you can get, in order to prevent becoming liable for any type of problems that might occur once you are underway. If you have not looked into insuring yourself then you have not really done your homework and you're not ready to fly.


By adding the extra layer of security, aviation insurance can make all the difference in the world for those individuals who are concerned with what might happen should the unthinkable occur and they should get into some type of crash or airborne accident. Naturally, the focus on avoiding an accident should be paramount, but leaving yourself at the mercy of legislature and regulators in the absence of insurance can be a recipe for disaster. If some type of accident did occur, it is clear that insurance agents and attorneys would waste no time taking you to the cleaners, making it a critical point to ensure that you are covered with to the best of your ability. Without this type of coverage, you could be left liable for all manner of damages, even damages that you were not aware of. Without coverage, you can have all manner of difficulties handling your end of the liabilities that you are responsible for. Fortunately, with the widely available options for coverage, you will not have to worry about any damages that you cause, as the coverage you have secured will cover what ever damages that are caused should the unthinkable occur.

Whatever your situation might be, it is a good idea not to take to the skies until you are certain that you have the coverage that you will need. Without this, all manner of problems can occur and you can find yourself on the receiving end of all manner of nasty lawsuits and other legal difficulties. Similar to getting insurance for your automobile, aviation insurance can go a long way to providing you with peace of mind as well as allowing you to function with out worrying about what might occur should an accident happen. This type of peace of mind can only come from the coverage that this type of insurance offers, making it a simple solution to a complex problem. While there are certainly all manner of individuals who believe this is unnecessary, anyone who intends to fly would be well advised to acquire some sort of liability protection.

By John Catech

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Advanced Aviation Gadgets

Well in aviation the toys for pilots are getting a lot better, for instance the GPS-PDAs with sectional charts on them. Also lots of other data like the J-Aide and Jeppeson airport contacts once you arrive. All this makes flying easier, less complicated and more enjoyable. AvMap EKP-III C



and even more cool are the ones with all the bells and whistles; Such as loading it with an International Data Base. Hell now the CIA can have all the civilian data along with their intelligence information. Of course this newest Industry finds itself with many new players as pilots are generally not having a problem affording new toys and it saves all those large flight bags and Knee Boards and clips. You can still buy the clipboards and I have one when I drive the Blitz Mobile mobile command center across the country hunting for the latest technologies it has maps and important numbers to do business from the highway. Many truck drivers and railroad conductors use such boards and in the NAVY Pilots use them and even probably torpedo bombers did too; remember George Bush Senior flew a torpedo bomber?

Back to our GPS Toys and PDA devices; Another one of the more unique ones is the EnFlight Text Weather Devise which you can google to get all the specs, definitely worth a look see. All of these devises also allow for National Security so no more private pilots in C-182s fly into restricted areas.

These companies are also careful whom they send these devises to, for obvious reasons. Just think you could be flying your own private plane with a little PDA devise and go have a blast with your newfound freedom. Another cool devise and one of my favorites is the Pocket test which you can look up on Google. This is a cool devise to help you from getting lost and it has just about too many features to list, too bad it was not Windows CE based, I just cannot trust the longevity of Palm in the market place and hope our military is not so stupid to buy into there hype for military versions. One thing going for it is its size. Very small.

We did like the MapTech unit also because we can use it on a laptop, Handheld GPS unit of PDA GPS unit, with terrain CAD capabilities. This unit has many other purposes for General Civil Engineering, Forestry, Mobile Car Washing scheduling and routing, Aviation, Hiking, Fishing, Diving, Trucking, you name it. It also has features from NOAA for weather; I would recommend this as the best all-purpose unit I have thus yet found. It also works with ESRI software. So we like this for its versatility across industries. Good for us too with the blitz mobile to take the route with the least amount of hills for fuel consumption conservation and wear and tear on a 300,000-mile truck. Another of the best units we looked at was the

http://www.teletype.com/pages/tracking.html

which can be used like a Top Secret "Bloodhound Unit" and we can use this for car wash truck tracking, can be used for just about any real use to help you find your self or units. This is a way we can covertly track our units so employees do not screw off and kill profits and lie about where they were and how long they were there. Also in our survey we looked at the SatellinkTech units and found a lot of other cool features there;

http://www.satellinktech.com/product/merlin_air_main.htm .

This is a great tool, like the other units is does provide real time data such as; Airport observations and forecasts (text), Area forecasts (text), Upper wind forecasts (text), Pilot reports (text and onboard processed graphics), Icing and Turbulence forecasts (graphical), Status of restricted, prohibited, and military training airspace (text and onboard processed graphics), Location of other aircraft on instrument flight plans (onboard processed graphics), FAA alerts and advisories, Aircraft Situational Display.

What is also of interest is how much all these companies work together so that they can provide all the same data to all their customers. This does not mean one is not better than the other. For our purposes we chose the Tele Type unit with all the features, which we may implement in the future. I hope this review of products has assisted you in learning more about the technology. Many of these PDA technologies will be available for nearly any business small or large.

by: Lance Winslow

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Aviation Lawyer: Whether Passenger, Pilot or Owner, You May

If you or a family member has been the victim of an airplane accident, you should find an Aviation Lawyer (Attorney) to help you. It is important to contact an Aviation Lawyer because of the highly specialized nature of Aviation Law. An Aviation Lawyer will understand law involving the industry, the mechanics of aircraft, types of aircraft, and how defects in these put passengers at risk. Aviation Lawyers do not just work for passengers, but for pilots and aircraft owners as well.

Aviation Law is a very specialized area of law that regulates the operation, safety and maintenance of aircraft and aircraft facilities. Despite increased safety standards, accidents still happen due to the widespread use of air travel which speeds up the wear and damage to airplane parts and mechanisms, and the complex nature of overlying airspace. This airplane wear and damage as well as pilot mistakes cause unnecessary accidents.

Aviation Law began in 1926 with the formation of the Air Commerce Act which regulated the use of aircraft in interstate or foreign business. The next step that Aviation Law took was in 1938 with the Civil Aeronautics Act which created a five person panel which dealt with aircraft, facility, and aviation law within the United States. Then the FAA, the Federal Aviation Agency, was created.

Violations of Aviation Law which justify the seeking of an Aviation Lawyer include (but are not limited to) Aviation Accident Law, FAA License Violation, Aviation Business Disputes, minimizing ownership liability, aircraft ownership problems, sale or purchase of aircraft, negotiating or enforcing contracts, warranty compliance, major overhaul or maintenance deficiencies, loss of use and “down time” claims, first and third party denial of insurance coverage/claims, security breaches, product liability avoidance, fractional ownership contracts, FAA regulatory approval, protection of aviation business, governmental investigations, and hazardous substance transport violations.

Since 2000, the aviation industry has been in financial difficulty due to changes in world economy, the entrance of low-cost carriers, SARS, war, and, of course, terrorism. These factors have led airlines to cut any costs they can to maintain their fragile financial balance. Thus, accidents still occur despite the increased security and safety laws and precautions. These accidents are unnecessary and if you or a family member has been a victim of airline negligence or outright, purposeful ignorance, you should contact an Aviation Lawyer who can help you.

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ADDRESSING SAFETY WITH NEW AVIONICS

How safe is it?" Along with "How much does it cost?" this is a question we often hear when someone is considering flight training as an option for depleting his or her discretionary income. Our industry has experienced a marked reduction in overall accidents and statistically, a 27.8% reduction in the most recent 7 years! During this same time period General Aviation fatal accidents dropped 32.6% to just over 1 fatality for every 100,000-flight hours.

Of these accidents, 80% are either partially or completely pilot induced, with weather related accidents and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accounting for the majority of fatalities.

So what is the industry doing to address the issue of pilot errors?
Bendix/King has taken the bull by the horns and addressed this challenge with several new avionics products, and Cessna has taken the next step by including the Bendix/King advanced avionics package in their aircraft.

Situational Awareness: With its moving map and IFR approach capability, the KLN94 GPS provides added safety through increased situational awareness. This GPS with its full color screen is as easy to operate, as it is to view.

Weather: Bendix/King Data Link Weather features a state-of-the-art data link system to bring textual and graphical weather to your cockpit with a high speed, high bandwidth system. With the KDR 510, weather information (including METARs, TAFs, and PIREPs) is automatically updated and displayed on your KMD 550 (multi-function display) in your cockpit. For a small monthly fee, you can also receive NEXRAD radar and additional weather products that promote additional weather avoidance capability.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT): The KMH 880 Multi-Hazard Awareness System combines traffic and terrain avoidance features in one unit. Combined with the KDR 510 and displayed on the KMD 550, you can have all the situational awareness available to ensure an up-to-the-second picture of your flight situation.

Workload Reduction: The KMD 550 Multi-Function Display (MFD) lets you spend less time looking at your instruments and more time flying your aircraft. The system gives you the information you need without added clutter, all while reducing the time required to manage each safety system. Along with its capability to display traffic, weather, terrain and moving map information, the KMD 550 also provides a wealth of reference information to the pilot including airports, NDBs, intersections, VORs, special-use airspace, victor airways, rivers, roads, lakes, cities and towers. When interfaced to the KLN 94, the KMD 550 can also display holding patterns, procedure turns and DME arcs for even greater situational awareness. Most importantly, this MFD is simple to use and sports a bright, razor-sharp display!

So, how much safer can General Aviation become? It seems to me that the sky's the limit! Who would have guessed that today's General Aviation aircraft would have these capabilities? And I suppose the question follows . . . “What else is possible?”

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Vacation Every Weekend!!!!!

What else can you do with your airplane? The SERIOUS flyer has a plan that includes business AND pleasure! With proper planning, you'll purchase the airplane that will do both for you.

So how do people use their airplanes?

THEY FLY TO THEIR SUMMER HOMES UP NORTH

Many people spend 3-5 hours on Friday driving to their summer "get-away" and then turn around and do it again on Sunday! Sure, the drive is worth it when you can enjoy your "up-north" retreat, but imagine how much easier it would be if you flew up in 1 hour. They include:

1. Leaving the family up north and commuting to the cabin mid-week.

2. Being able to fly home for a Saturday soccer game with one of the kids and get back to the cabin.

3. Using the cabin every weekend of the summer even if you have a conflict on just one day. The whole weekend is not shot.

4. 5 extra hours each weekend to relax at your retreat accumulate to 50 hours over a 10 week summer. That's a full work week!

THEY FLY SOUTH IN THE WINTER

Most of us from the Midwest either have a winter place in the south, vacation to the south, or hope to own a place in the south someday. Your airplane will get you down there in about the same time as the airlines with their layovers and security checks.

With your own airplane, your "once a year" trip could become two or even three times to the south! Winter becomes tolerable and even enjoyable!

Don't have your own place in the south yet? Perhaps you're visiting parents and grandparents in their southern home. What a great way to stay in touch!

VACATION EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR

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Value of Airplane Accident Claims

Airplane accidents are devastating tragedies. Almost every year, these accidents become the headlines of news stories. In all cases, lots of lives are being taken which brings trauma to their surviving dependents. Losing you love ones from such incidents is really a painful experience. So, if you’ve lost a relative or you’re a survivor of such accident, you can file an aviation accident claim to recover compensation on the pain and suffering and financial crisis that you’ve gone through.

Based on researches, the assistance provided to survivors and family members of death victims are based on the type and place of the accident. In the United Stated, smaller airplane accidents that happen outside the country provide limited financial assistance to the victim’s beneficiaries. Major aviation disasters, on the other hand, that happens in the U.S. can include a complex interaction of state and federal law, or international law.

Fortunately, airline companies are given certain post-accident requirements in the federal law that they have to follow. These include setting up of family support services including grief counseling and support; designating individual caregivers to assist each family; working with families to identify and return remains and possessions; and setting up a communications network with families. Every survivor or the relatives of the victims of an airplane accident can obtain these benefits as aviation accident claims.

Additionally, smaller commuters and commercial air operators also have their own assistance response plans in case of an airplane accident. There are also a lot of persons and institutions you can contact for help and assistance such as the Red Cross and other agencies including law enforcement agencies, representatives of companies who may be involved in the accident, representatives of insurance companies, lawyers who represent victims of accidents, lawyers who represent the parties involved in the accident, and the news media.

Indeed, every airline company has a professional responsibility to all their passengers in every trip. As we all know, many lives are at risk during this time and we cannot avoid these things to happen. After all, airplane accidents are unanticipated. They can happen anytime. I just hope that the injured and relatives of the victims can receive the compensation that they deserve. After all, these airplane accident claims can never bring back the lives of those persons and cannot totally compensate to those who have suffered intense pain and suffering due to the incident.

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