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.
Refusing to load excessive baggage is an awkward matter, especially when the lead passenger insists other pilots accepted the same. But a professional pilot’s primary responsibility is to ensure safe passage, not accommodate overindulgence.
Weight-and-balance considerations of a helicopter are similar to those of an airplane, except they are far more critical, and the CG range is much more limited.
On May 20, 2002, a Cessna Citation 550 accelerated down 7,200-ft.-long Runway 17L at Will Rogers World Airport at Oklahoma City, destined for Greeley-Weld County Airport in Greeley, Colorado. According to the pilot, he didn't notice any anomalies with the airplane during the preflight examination or while taxiing for takeoff and that the flight controls were free and correct.
