Vector Online - In category Flight planning

Read our special 'online' Vector stories here. Some are unique to the website, and some have featured in print issues of Vector.

Note: This archive dates back to 2015. So, the advice in some of the earlier articles may have changed.

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Risky business

Preflight risk assessments can unlock communication and help create a strong safety culture. But you might have to overcome initial cynicism.

The legality of AIPNZ

By CAA Deputy Chief Legal Counsel John Parnell. This article is reproduced from Vector, Winter 2021. The AIP is not, as a complete publication, legally enforceable.

Posted in Flight planning;

Posted 8 months ago

Summer traffic busy spots

This page shows major flying events, known at the time of publishing, between mid-December 2023 and March 2024.

Posted in Agricultural operations, Pilot performance flying practice and professionalism, Aircraft owner and aircraft, Adventure aviation, Flight planning;

Posted 12 months ago

ADS-B does NOT replace an Airways VFR flight plan

It’s undoubtedly a boon to aviation safety, but ADS-B won’t automatically trigger a search for you.

Posted in Safety management systems, Flight planning;

Posted 16 months ago

Stunning but imperfect

We all know the attraction of navigation apps, but their flaws could be disastrous.

Posted in Airspace, Components, Flight planning, Pilot performance flying practice and professionalism, Technology;

Posted 2 years ago

The value of preparedness

When the worst happened, a personal locator beacon was just one tool in Lionel Green’s ‘should the worst happen’ toolkit. Read the articleThe value of preparedness

Posted in Flight planning, When things go wrong;

Posted 3 years ago

Flight planning - not a quick once over

Just going through the motions when you plan a flight could imperil you and your passengers should something unexpected happen. Proper preparation will minimise the risks posed by your flight going awry.

Posted in Flight planning;

Posted 4 years ago

What is your life worth?

A CAA safety investigator of 20 years’ experience, Peter Stevenson-Wright, describes what he believes are two of the most frequent factors in incidents and accidents – not getting weather forecasts…

Posted in Flight planning;

Posted 5 years ago

Drones are here. Now. Read your NOTAMS

Increasing RPAS activity in New Zealand skies highlights the critical need for pilots to know where they might encounter one. Read the articleDrones are here. Now. Read your NOTAMS

Posted in Drones and model aircraft, Flight planning;

Posted 7 years ago

Get it right this summer

Pilots like to blow away the cobwebs over the warmer months when aviation events really start humming, so it’s more important than ever to follow the basics.

Posted in Flight planning;

Posted 7 years ago

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