Steven Price

I'm an experienced CFI and I have discussed this question with many other CFIs and we are split on the correct answer. I wanted to know if there is an FAA official legal interpretation. The question is if an airplane on final has right-of-way over an airplane on base. Side (1) references the first line of (g) “Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight…”. Side (2) references the second line of (g) which says “..the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way”.  The bottom line difference is if you read the second line as lesser then the first line.  That is, is the second line read as “if neither aircraft is on final then…” or is it just as important as the first or in fact more relevant because it is explicitly is about “when two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing..”  I honestly believe either interpretation could be valid and the rule is vague.  There is AC 90-66, but I personally don't feel like any of the lines in that AC are clear enough to settle the debate.  So is there an official interpretation on this? What does AOPA legal say? Help us teach our students correctly! Thanks!

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I'm an experienced CFI and I have discussed this question with many other CFIs and we are split on the correct answer. I wanted to know if there is an FAA official legal interpretation. The question is if an airplane on final has right-of-way over an airplane on base. Side (1) references the first line of (g) “Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight…”. Side (2) references the second line of (g) which says ... more

I fly my Cardinal RG, largely only solo since the COVID pandemic started.  However, I also fly CAP C-182's and C-172's for mission crew training, and we follow the CAP guidance on flying with masks and sanitizing the aircraft before and after flights.  As the overall US rates of positive COVID tests have gone up dramatically in the last month, has there been any increase in getting a positive COVID test result that can be traced to sharing a cockpit with another pilot?  A CFI I know who teaches at a university flight school has seen a large number of his students and some of the other CFI's having to quarantine due to COVID exposure, although not specifically attributed to their time in the cockpit.  I was wondering if others had seen positive COVID diagnoses that could be attributed to sharing cockpits with others.

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I fly my Cardinal RG, largely only solo since the COVID pandemic started.  However, I also fly CAP C-182's and C-172's for mission crew training, and we follow the CAP guidance on flying with masks and sanitizing the aircraft before and after flights.  As the overall US rates of positive COVID tests have gone up dramatically in the last month, has there been any increase in getting a positive COVID test result that can be traced to sharing a cockpit with another pilot?  A CFI ... more

With regular frequency, questions come into the PIC with the inquirer looking for a reg citation. We are only happy to oblige. But, what if there is no reg to cite? This one falls into that category, as well as ‘Hmmm. Never really thought about that.’

Let me set the stage for you - Pre-solo student pilot with no medical and no student pilot certificate yet, but has 10 hours of flight training to date. While conducting the preflight, the student notices the fuel is rather low and taxis the Cessna over to the fuel pump to gas up. Is this ok? Can a person with no pilot credentials operate an aircraft?

Good question, right?

But, before you answer  “no", consider the A&P mechanic. Since the days of Charles Edward Taylor, mechanics have been taxiing and operating airplanes with absolutely no pilot credentials; only some ground ops training, which this student also has received.

Flight time is pilot time that begins when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight, and requires a legal flight crewmember. When taxiing to a fuel pump or to perform a pre or post annual inspection run-up check, there is no intention of flight. And in these cases, that is the key. No intention of flight means no flight time and no required pilot flight crewmember. And interestingly, it is not regulated nor otherwise prohibited.

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With regular frequency, questions come into the PIC with the inquirer looking for a reg citation. We are only happy to oblige. But, what if there is no reg to cite? This one falls into that category, as well as ‘Hmmm. Never really thought about that.’

Let me set the stage for you - Pre-solo student pilot with no medical and no student pilot certificate yet, but has 10 hours of flight training to date. While conducting the preflight, the student notices the fuel is rather low and ... more