Last week…

Excellent commentary in AvBrief; SFO’s ILS PRM approach is no more! Flying an RJ! Flying to Mojave for lunch! My next 2 speaking engagements

The April 3, 2026, issue of the e newsletter AvBrief, has an excellent commentary written by a relatively new CFI, whom I know, and she is rightly questioning the state of flight training today, even with all the new learning technology available now. It has lots of food for thought. Titled, “Are we training pilots to pass tests or to think?” check it out online. I agree with her. Some have posted comments agreeing with this, on Facebook. 

And then, in the same issue of AvBrief, is an article titled, ‘Report Calls for Major Flight Training Changes”, which has been published as an NPRM, which is really a proposal of an overhaul to FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 141, which is admittedly long overdue. However, normally when something is published as an NPRM, there is a 90-day comment period. This time, however, the FAA is only allowing 10 days for comments! 

So, what’s the rationale behind only 10 days for this NPRM, and are they trying to ‘ram this through”? Good question. That is not nearly enough time for people to read this and submit comments. This question has also been posted on Facebook by some people, rightly asking us in the flight training community to contact the FAA and complain! We will see what happens. 

FAR 141 is the regulation that covers FAA ‘approved’ flight training schools, that operate single and twin-engine piston aircraft that are used to train pilots. I have experience as an instructor working at an FAR 141 flying school, training pilots, many years ago when I was in Kenai, Alaska in the early 90’s. 

Another publication that I receive has a story about a recent decision by the FAA to prohibit simultaneous visual approaches to runways 28L & R at San Francisco, that had been used for decades. Now aircraft will be ‘staggered’, or offset, not parallel (side-by-side) approaches anymore. It was the ILS PRM Approach even in good VFR weather. ILS PRM stands for Instrument Landing System Precision Radar Monitoring, where the radar ‘sweep’s the final approach course several times per second, to closely monitor each aircraft in close ‘proximity’ as I recall. So, if one aircraft were to veer slightly off course, towards the other ‘parallel’ aircraft, and would get into what was the NTZ, or ‘no-transgression zone’, then the air traffic controller who was ‘closely monitoring’ this on the radar, would immediately issue a command to the other aircraft to immediately ‘break off the approach’ so as to avoid any conflict! We had to train for this with each client. I played the role of air traffic controller in the simulator. Part of my job. 

And why, you may wonder, do I even mention this, here? Well, back a few years ago when I was working as an instructor at FlightSafety International and part of my job was as simulator instructor, we had to train pilots in this approach, if they ever flew into SFO. Yep, the way things are now, for some operators (airlines and air ambulance), in other words, ‘flying for hire’, you cannot just fly into certain busy airports anymore unless you have first trained for it, in a simulator! Times have changed. 

That’s the way it is now. Airplane simulator technology has become so sophisticated, that the  FAA and aircraft insurance underwriters now require  that certain operators (airline and charter) get experience flying into some airports in a ‘full-motion’ high fidelity (refers to the computer generated visual image, looking out the windshield) Level C or D simulators FIRST, before they do it in the airplane, for real. 

So, I had to train and fly this approach myself, as well as then training my clients to properly fly it, as part of our required training. The same thing applies to other ‘challenging’, or ‘special’ airports as they are also known, typically in mountainous areas, like Aspen, and Rifle, Colorado, and the steep approach decent that is required to land. There are other airports in various locations in the US and around the world that also qualify for this kind of training. 

On a completely different topic, a friend who is much younger has just been hired at a Regional Airline, for his first airline job, flying the Canadair Regional Jet, or RJ! It’s brining back a lot of memories for me, as I flew a twin turboprop, for what was then called a ‘commuter airline’, back in the 80’s. How times have changed! 

My friend has now stepped up from training pilots, flying piston engine trainers to flying a twin-engine regional jet, with 50 passengers in back. What a HUGE change! He has recently completed his airlines extensive new-hire pilot training course. I have been in touch with him a few times as he has gone through his training, telling him what to expect. I’ve been there. We’ve been texting, of course. 

And last Saturday, I flew my 150 north to Mojave, California (KMHV) to meet some friends who had also flown up from John Wayne Airport and Fullerton Airport. It was a 90-minute circuitous flight from Long Beach, KLGB. Mojave Airport has what is called a ‘boneyard’ on its’ premises, which because of the dry desert air, is a perfect place to store retired airliners that are no longer in service. Dozens are parked there, mothballed. 

We had lunch at the famous Voyager Restaurant, which is a popular airport diner with an extensive menu and good food, and is named for the famous Burt Rutan designed 2-engine experimental aircraft, named Voyager, that was solely designed to be used for a one-time, non-stop, record-setting, unrefueled flight around-the-world flight, that took place, successfully, back in December, 14, 1986! 

In plain English, on a clear day, if you were flying into San Fran, if you looked out the window, you’d see another airliner seemingly right along-side you, as they were ‘parallel’ approaches. Kind of cool to see, really. So, what difference does this make, you ask? Well according to the FAA’s decision, this cuts the ‘arrival rate’, so FEWER airline flights will be allowed to land each hour, from 54- down to 36 arrivals per hour.  The two largest US airlines operating into SFO are Alaska and United. 

Burt’s brother, Dick, who was a retired USAF pilot and flew the F-105 in Viet Nam. He flew the Voyager with co-pilot Jeana Yeager (no relation to USAF Gen Chuck Yeagar) They took off from Mojave, and returned to land there, 9 days later, putting Mojave on the map! The Voyager is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum, in Washington, DC. 

This next week is another busy week for me. On Tuesday evening, I am speaking to the pilots at EAA Chapter 92’s monthly meeting, in Irvine, CA. 

My topic? ‘Airplane Checkouts, there’s more to it now’. This is suddenly a popular topic. I’ve presented it about 5 times now. And I am scheduled to present it again later in April as well, to another EAA Chapter, Chapter 1, at Flabob Airport, in Riverside, CA, about 50 miles east of me. 

And this just in; someone just went to my website to get in touch with me, and sent me a message via email telling me he is planning on flying his airplane to Oshkosh this summer and just read my story about flying my 150 to Oshkosh in 2022, in another publication, and is asking if I still have my flight plan from that? So here I have a chance to help a fellow pilot who is planning a trip to the aviation ‘mecca’ this summer! Of course, I will be happy to reply and tell him my route of flight! I appreciate the opportunity to help a fellow aviator in a situation like this! It’s a small world among those of us who fly! 

Finally, IF you need an experienced instructor to work with you, in YOUR AIRPLANE (I only work with aircraft owners, not renters) to improve ‘rusty’ IFR or VFR piloting skills, provide avionics training, add or finish your instrument rating, or anything else, I AM available! I WILL travel to YOUR location. Contact me for more information. 

Also, in addition to flying airplanes and training pilots, I am also a freelance writer and speaker. In my pursuit of continuous learning and skill development, I recently completed a course offered by AWAI (American Writers and Artists Institute), on B2B (Business to Business) Copywriting, to ideally focus on the aviation industry. Please contact me about this if you want to learn more!