Flying Magazine (Digital)

BY HAPPY coincidence, the Destinations feature in this issue brings us to Vero Beach, Florida. Though I currently reside in Wichita, Kansas, Vero Beach has always felt like a second home, as my family has lived there since 2010. Each year, I make several trips to visit, celebrate holidays, and enjoy the water. The beauty of the area never fades, and it provides an especially welcomed escape during Kansas’ harsh winters. So, when FLYING contributor Grant Boyd happened to suggest Vero Beach as our April destination, the answer was an immediate and enthusiastic “yes!” For those who aren’t familiar, Vero Beach is a charming coastal city located along the Atlantic Ocean on Florida’s Treasure Coast. Its pristine beaches offer a peaceful, quiet environment, particularly when compared to the Sunshine State’s more…

A: If you are flying in noncontrolled airspace where a radio is not required, you don’t need a radio at all. But most pilots who fly light sport aircraft (LSAs) do have a battery-powered, handheld radio with them in the cockpit as it can provide an extra level of situational awareness since you can listen for other traffic, access automated weather, etc. A second radio is always a good idea. Many pilots who have a radio hardwired into their panel carry a handheld as a backup in the event the main radio fails. You might also consider carrying spare batteries with you in the aircraft. Store them somewhere accessible in flight, so you can replace the batteries in the radio without doing an advanced yoga pose to reach your flight…

THE SMALL city of Vero Beach in South Florida offers renowned beaches, fishing, and golf courses, and also serves as the headquarters for Piper Aircraft. For pilots on their way to enjoy the area’s coastline, here is a look at the RNAV GPS Runway 12 approach to get in when the weather isn’t quite VFR. A. SEASONAL EASTERLY WINDS PICK THE APPROACH While in much of the country westerly winds prevail, this isn’t always the case near the ocean, such as in Vero Beach. Easterly winds frequently make pilots approach using easterly-facing runways. B. NOPT WHEN USING IAFS If a pilot sequences themselves onto an approach (most likely with the help of ATC) using one of the IAFs, such as MRINO or BLDOG, they will not need to execute a procedure…

FORMER FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in September reiterated a long-standing agency commitment: Two pilots must always be on the flight deck during routine commercial flight operations. But that hasn’t stopped companies from developing technology designed to reduce or even eliminate crews—and airlines and pilots are divided on whether that will compromise safety. Autonomous drones are already flying and have delivered hundreds of thousands of items. But the FAA is working closely with two firms building systems to enable reduced crew operations (RCO), single-pilot operations (SPO), and—if the technology advances enough—crewless flight for a wide range of aircraft: Boston-based Merlin Labs and Mountain View, California-based Reliable Robotics. At least one major U.S. airline told FLYING it sees a “clear path” to SPO or fully autonomous airline operations. But the Air Line…