Upon his retirement as a non-routine flight operations captain from a fractional operator in 2015, Dr. Veillette had accumulated more than 20,000 hours of flight experience in 240 types of aircraft—including balloons, rotorcraft, sea plans, glides, war birds, supersonic jets and large commercial transports. He is an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University. In June 2023, he won the prestigious Bill Gunston Technology Writer of the Year Award.
The differences between what a human would “see” versus an automated station’s report can be significant when it comes to measuring ceiling and visibility.
FBW systems present a special challenge in the event of inaccurate airspeed indications caused by reversion to laws/modes that alter flight envelope protection.
The accurate display of airspeed information at high altitude is vital because the margins between the low-speed and high-speed buffet margins can be thin.
