“How could there be much to learn about an aircraft sliding off the end of a snowy runway?” asks AOPA Air Safety Foundation Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. “The pilots probably fouled up, right? Turns out that when Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 attempted to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport on a snowy evening three years ago, a lot of things that the pilots hadn’t even considered were working against them” ( “ Safety Pilot Landmark Accidents: Overrun!” page 72). “What makes this even tougher is that the four airliners that landed ahead of the accident aircraft were all likely making exactly the same mistakes. All it took was one minor glitch to put Southwest 1248 off the end.” Even if you never fly a jet, you may learn something regarding performance specifications and risk management.
AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Machteld Smith has found it delightful to manage the AOPA Pilot General Aviation Photography Contest for several years. “It’s been a privilege to interact with the contestants and witness amazing photographs and a tremendous level of participation in the contest. Our editorial and art staffs have thoroughly enjoyed rummaging through the thousands of photos submitted throughout the competition,” says Smith. “This year we tallied more than 5,000 votes for the 15 finalists representing the contest’s five categories—aerial, aircraft, airports, altered, and pilots.” See “ The Perfect Canvas: Your Top 15 Revealed,” on page 60 and enjoy this year’s visual smorgasbord. Smith, an 800-hour-plus pilot, recently earned her commercial certificate with a multiengine rating.
Every year, in early December, volunteer pilots in general aviation airplanes cause a little magic to happen and some dreams to come true for several thousand Michigan children who have had pretty tough lives. A massive airlift of more than 13,000 Christmas presents is the annual culmination of Operation Good Cheer. The donated toys are flown by scores of pilots to communities all over the state for children who were abandoned, so abused, neglected, or otherwise mistreated that they were placed in foster care. In December 2007 contributor Rick Durden, who has flown his airplane in past toylifts, went behind the scenes of “ Operation Good Cheer ” (page 83) to see how dozens of smiling volunteers and a fleet of airplanes deliver a mountain of presents.
“Let me confess right away that I’m not a gadget guy,” admits AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman. “I had a Garmin Pilot III for a decade and never saw any reason to upgrade.” But Garmin’s gargantuan new GPSMAP 696 ( “ Avionics: Bigger Than a Breadbox,” page 105) so dramatically expands the capability and utility of the portable aviation GPS that it may require a new definition. The 696 is an electronic flight bag that contains every instrument approach plate in America as well as a powerful flight planning tool. It’s a multifunction display that shows weather, terrain, and forecasts on a far larger, more detailed screen than has ever been available in a portable. And it’s easy and fun to use. “At nearly three pounds, the 696 is a heifer,” Hirschman says. “But it’s about to start replacing 30- and 40-pound flight bags in cockpits everywhere.”
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