Small Jet Charter

When Salvador Alvarez Patuel’s beloved wife asked him to cut down on real-world flying, he accommodated her … and built a substantially accurate Boeing 737 flight deck/simulator in his house. To be clear, what Patuel built may be just as impressive as a functioning mock-up of a Boeing 737 cockpit as it is a flight simulator. Patuel is a principal application development manager for Microsoft and has held a private pilot certificate for 15 years. His passion for flying has led to many hours in real Boeing 737 simulators, apart from the one he built at home. That one runs on Microsoft FSX software. But if FSX conjures in your mind images of a keyboard, joystick and computer screen, you’re missing the point altogether. Video and more details after the jump.

No comments »

Retired captain Chesley Sullenberger warned in an interview published Thursday by the DailyBeast.com, that cuts to FAA funding may have an impact on safety and that the government should be forthcoming about potential consequences. According to Sullenberger, cuts could translate to reductions in staffing at regulatory agencies and represent a decision to accept something less than the highest standards. He said such cuts would lead to an increased risk that someone will come to harm who otherwise would not have. Sullenberger stated that the industry has made a promise to passengers that it will do the best it can, even when that is not easy, expedient, or inexpensive. He also raised concerns about pilot fatigue regulation.

No comments »

Meg Godlewski is GAN’s staff reporter and a Master CFI. Americans are sleep deprived. We work too much. We watch too much television. We spend too much time playing computer games and engaging in social media. It cuts into the time we allot for sleep. And we pay for it.… Read More

No comments »