Meet Our Aviation Attorneys
The Wolk Law Firm has talented aviation attorneys dedicated solely to the practice of air crash litigation for plaintiffs.
We are proud of our accomplishments because we work tirelessly to improve aviation safety while obtaining the best possible results for our clients. We continuously invest in talented lawyers dedicated to the practice of air crash litigation for plaintiffs.
I learned to fly at Wings Field, a student of Arthur Binns. I began flying in 1971, soloed with about 13 hours in Lantana, Florida, a suburb of Palm Beach, all in a Cessna 150.
At a total time of 57 hours, I took my private pilot test with a Designated Examiner from Wings Field and passed on April 21st, 1971.
I purchased my first airplane shortly thereafter, a Piper Cherokee 180, N9571J, flew that for about 150 hours. I then purchased my first new airplane, a Cessna 177RG, N5AW. I flew that airplane for 200 hours. While I owned it, I obtained my instrument rating.
I then purchased a Beech V35B Bonanza, N1721W and flew that from 1974-1979 accumulating 470 hours and a commercial pilot’s certificate in 1974.
I obtained my multi-engine rating in a Piper Aztec in October of 1978.
I purchased a Beech B-55 Baron in December of 1978 and flew that until 1983. I accumulated 570 hours in N9571J.
Thereafter, I purchased a Beech B-60 Duke, N1M, and obtained my Airline Transport Pilot’s certificate and flew that aircraft for 620 hours. I also flew Be-60 Duke 710DL for another 50 hours.
In 1984, I purchased a F9F-2 Panther Jet Fighter N72WP. I received an FAA Letter of Authorization and later a Type rating in that aircraft. I flew it for 12 years in airshows around the United States and was certified by the FAA to fly Airshow Aerobatics down to 400 feet AGL and Airshow Formation Qualified. I was invited to join the Kalamazoo Air Zoo and became CAT 5 in the Flight of the Grumman Cats and flew with them for 12 years until 1996. After about 300 hours in that aircraft, sadly due to an engine fuel control malfunction in 1996, I crashed during which I avoided houses and a truck park and injured only myself. I recovered after about 7 months of convalescence making certain that I had a current BFR until I returned to regular flying in 2010.
In 2010, I purchased an EA50 Eclipse Jet. I became Type rated in that aircraft in 2011 and flew it continuously from 2010 until 2019. I accumulated almost 1100 hours single pilot in that airplane N229EA.
My current aircraft is a HondaJet, N420LH in which I have been type rated since 2019. I currently have flown that aircraft single pilot for 375 hours.
My current logged flying time in all aircraft is 4600 hours and unlogged time at least 500 more in various aircraft including the Piper Aztec, Piper Nomad on floats, Gates LearJet 35, Gulfstream IIB, Lockheed T33, DeHavilland Vampire, various Cessna’s and Piper’s, various Beech Model 55 and 58 Barons, Piper Cubs, Cherokees and others too numerous to mention.
I also hold an Airline Transport Pilot’s Certificate for Single and Multi-engine seaplanes.
My flying life has been dedicated to the publication of literally hundreds of articles and commentaries directed towards aviation safety. I have been the featured speaker at most aviation organizations including the AOPA, Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, all the various Aviation Bar Associations and I have appeared as an on-air expert on aviation accidents on every major news and cable network in the United States and many foreign television networks as well.
I was recently selected to give a speech on aviation safety to the Honda Owners and Pilots Association. I published The Lawyer Pilot’s Bar Assn. Journal for two years. I was a Director of the San Diego Air and Space Museum and currently my full-time job is an aviation lawyer with The Wolk Law Firm, a law firm I founded 54 years ago.
I was selected to teach Aviation Law at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and was the only person so honored. I was also asked by a Senator from South Dakota to testify before the House Aviation Sub-Committee on Aircraft Accident Investigation. I was the lead counsel in the Boeing 737 legacy rudder hard-over accidents, United 585 Colorado Springs and USAIR 427, Aliquippa, Pa., and it was I who first identified that rudder system flaw and provided that information to both the FAA and NTSB. I was also co-lead counsel on a number of other airline accidents including Comair, Monroe Michigan where I identified inadequate deicing boots as the cause in the Embraer 120; a UPS 747 crash in Dubai, caused by an out of control Lithium battery fire. I have designed and recommended a number of aircraft improvements over the years including secondary locking systems for Cessna seats, carburetor reliability improvements, identified structural deficiencies in certain models of Pipers and safety improvements needed in the Garmin 3000 aircraft operating system including overspeed warnings, three axis trim takeoff configuration warnings to name a few. I have identified and published articles about flaws in aircraft and helicopter POH’s for fifty years.
My pilots license is 2164859 and is unblemished. I hold an unrestricted 2nd Class Medical.
Arthur Alan Wolk
610-733-4220