Aero-Craft 101: When To Fly --  And When To Stay On The Ground

It's a decision every pilot faces at one time or another: you have to be somewhere, and the airplane's fueled and ready down at the airport.

You've checked your planned route, and -- something isn't right. Maybe it's low cloud cover at your departure point, or the thunderstorm that's forecasted to start along your route... and come to think of it, the temperature's already close to freezing.

It looks like it's going to be a lousy day to fly, but you have to be home tonight... right?

The "Go/No-Go" decision is one of those things a pilot simply MUST get right. Sadly, one only needs to look at the NTSB accident reports on almost any given day, to realize just how often pilots make the wrong decision.

As the saying goes, "it's better to be down on the ground wishing you were up in the air, than the other way around." So... how can a pilot ensure they make the RIGHT choice when it comes to making the "Go/No-Go" decision? One of the best methods out there, says ANN's Tom Turner, is something called "Categorical Outlook Flying."

Tom explains just what this entails -- and how a pilot can use it -- on today's Aero-Craft 101.

This feature is in addition to our daily news briefing -- available in either a quick "Touch And Go" format or an expanded Aero-Briefing.

Listen For Yourself!

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 12.19.05 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program)

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 12.19.05 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program)

Aero-News Special Report -- Tom Turner's Aero-Tech 101: 12.19.05 (ANN's Feature News Program, with CFI Tom Turner on the "Go/No-Go" Decision.)

Our DAILY programs consist of (at least) three separate products... the first is a short synopsis of the previous 24 hours of Aero-News, in brief, spanning only a few minutes (max) and in a size/format that will allow it to be mailed as part of a Daily Aero-Cast subscription; a more comprehensive DAILY news product that will cover the previous 24 hours of news in a somewhat more detailed fashion, and a feature Aero-Cast that will center on one of the more important subject or topics of the day in considerable depth and detail. This is how these products break down...

• ANN's Daily 'Touch & Go' Aero-Cast: A quick look at the most recent news of the day... short, succinct and to the point. The usual 'Touch & Go' takes but a few minutes and is a summary, only, of the day's events. It only takes a few minutes of your time and will be available by subscription, shortly.
• ANN's Daily Briefing Aero-Cast: The Daily ANN Report (ANNRep for short), is a more comprehensive look at the day's news. We'll give you the whole buzz... the news and features that occupy the forefront of aviation news as well as solid background on the subjects that aviators and other aviation professionals need to stay informed on.
• ANN's Daily 'ASR' Feature Aero-Cast: ANN will be offering a Daily 'Aero-News Special Report.' This involves a more in-depth view of a story or two that dominated (or will be dominating) the day's news. Far more detailed than any single story in our standard ANN Daily Reports, this is a solid chance to get a close look at the stories and topics that matter. ASR features may include exclusive interviews with Aviation's Newsmakers, ANN's Special Investigative reports and solid analysis of the stories that will have undeniable impact on the world of aviation and aerospace. We're tremendously excited about this particular product in that it truly adds nuance and background to important breaking news stories and personalities. While our current news format allows for extensive reporting and information dissemination, ANN's ASRs should set the bar even higher. ANN has become a pivotal force in the world of aviation in the six years that have passed since we undertook the immense task of becoming the aviation world's DAILY news and information service... but with the all-new news services we're offering as part of our Aero-Cast line-up, we expect to become even more indispensable to the industry we serve.

Check them out, let us know what you think and be sure to keep those news-tips and program suggestions coming... ANN is ALL about what YOU want to know about in the world of aviation and aerospace.

FMI: www.aero-news.net/podcasts