Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom
Postaccident Examination Of The Airframe Revealed That The Right Control Stick Was Disconnected From The Stick Base Analysis: The two pilots departed on a personal cross-country flight in the airplane. ADS-B data showed that about 5 minutes after takeoff, the airplane climbed to about 2,550 ft msl on a south heading before it slowed to about 52 kts ground speed. The data then showed a rapid descent that exceeded 5,000 ft per minute before the data ended. The airplane was equipped with dual flight controls; however, it could not be determined which pilot was manipulating the controls at the time…
From 2023 (YouTube Version): The Best Option for Pilots’ Worst Days Since its 1979 founding, Para-Phernalia, Inc. has designed and manufactured the Softie line of pilot emergency parachutes. The products are renowned among aerobatic, glider, and warbird pilots, formation fliers, and kit-plane builders for their high-quality, comfort, and perennial reliability. Emergency parachutes comprise two primary components: the parachute canopy and the harness and container system. The harness attaches a parachute’s canopy to its wearer. The container system retains the packed parachute canopy. Finally, the parachute harness and container—known collectively as the harness-and-container system—are sewn together to form a single unit.…
Visual Descent Point A defined point on the final approach course of a nonprecision straight?in approach procedure from which normal descent from the MDA to the runway touchdown point may be commenced, provided the approach threshold of that runway, or approach lights, or other markings identifiable with the approach end of that runway are clearly visible to the pilot.
Vertical Aerospace has closed the remaining pieces of a financing package worth up to $850 million, giving the UK company fresh support as it advances its Valo eVTOL program toward certification. The announcement came four days after Vertical completed a full-scale piloted two-way transition flight, a major test point for an aircraft designed to take off vertically, accelerate into fixed-wing flight and land vertically. Vertical said Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies flew the April 14, 2026, mission from Kemble, UK, taking the aircraft from vertical take-off to cruise and back to vertical landing in one continuous flight. The company said it was the first to…
A group of low-cost airlines in the US is seeking temporary federal tax relief as higher jet fuel prices, driven by the war with Iran, put fresh pressure on carriers that already face thin operating margins. Reuters reported on April 20, 2026, that the CEOs of Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, Sun Country and Avelo are set to meet on April 21 with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as they push for relief from federal ticket taxes. The carriers, through the Association of Value Airlines, have asked Congress to temporarily suspend the 7.5% federal excise tax on airline tickets and…
As much as I’d like to think that I’m an airline and hotel expert, the topic of travel insurance is something that I’ve historically not paid much attention to. A while back, I posed the question on the blog of whether frequent travelers should buy travel insurance, and a lot of people were shocked that I’ve never purchased a travel insurance policy. Based on that feedback, I decided to do a bit of a deep dive into travel insurance, and I’d like to share my findings here. Have I been stupid all along, and is there merit to getting a…
Let me start by acknowledging that in the scheme of things that matter, this doesn’t even rank. But OMAAT is also about covering the little details of the airline & hotel industry (I mean, I write about my favorite airline boarding music), so please indulge me for a moment. Why can’t hotels spell my last name correctly? When you check into a luxury hotel, it’s common to get a welcome amenity with some sort of a note that’s addressed to you, typically from someone senior at the hotel. Sometimes the note will be handwritten, and sometimes it’ll be printed. Sometimes…
The legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II will be maintained in service by the U.S. Air Force until at least 2030, under new plans announced by the Secretary of the Air Force. This new announcement changes plans that were to see the A-10 platform, colloquially known as the Warthog, completely withdrawn by the 2029 financial year. Though the extension presently lasts until only 2030, it will reportedly see two squadrons of A-10s maintained until this date, with one other squadron extended until 2029. The U.S. Air Force has previously favored a much more rapid drawdown of A-10 operations, even requesting to retire…
The NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) has signed a contract with NHIndustries to conduct a two-year architecture study for the NH90 Block 2 upgrade, targeting the operational environment beyond 2040, the NATO agency and industrial consortium announced on April 20, 2026. NHIndustries, the consortium comprising Airbus, Leonardo, and GKN Aerospace, will lead the study, which is intended to define the structural and capability foundations of a future mid-life upgrade for the NH90 fleet. The contract was signed by NAHEMA in Marignane, France. What Block 2 covers The Block 2 upgrade is designed to address both platform modernization and new operational requirements. Key structural improvements identified in the…
While Delta is by many metrics considered the most premium airline in the United States, one area where the airline has historically lagged the competition is when it comes to premium lounges dedicated to international passengers. For nearly a decade, American has had Flagship Lounges and United has had Polaris Lounges, while Delta didn’t introduce dedicated premium international lounges until 2024. Fortunately the dynamics have quickly changed, with the introduction of Delta One Lounges. Delta has now opened four of these premium lounges, with several more in the pipeline (though we’ll have to be patient). In this post, I want…