Simulators first made a believer of me when I got a Pacer Mk II in 1978. In 10 years, I put over 1000 hours on it. It augmented my Cessna 172 so faithfully that I successfully moved 15 pilots through their instrument rating and completed 40 IPCs with its help. An FAA authorization allowed 15 […]

Recently I attended a Rusty Pilot session and learned (or re-learned as the case may be) several aspects of our aviating world that laid dormant in my little gray cells for far too long. Although I have been an active presenter of this constructive AOPA educational series for three years, it has been on hold […]

Each new year presents an opportunity to review the last 12 months. Like our editor in 2020, 2021 saw me receive the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for a half-century of flawless flying. Okay, it wasn’t truly flawless, but nothing got bent. As I review this period, I am somewhat amazed at the metamorphosis […]

Mental processes of multitasking are not well understood and probably few of us look at this from the perspective of flying. We scan and interpret instruments relative to our current flight profile, review the approach, respond to ATC, and—oh yeah—fly the airplane. We might redirect our scan or perform other tasks based on sights, sounds, […]

One failure of GA in the U.S. is the dearth of young aviators, creating a pilot shortage. While many colleges and flight schools attempt solutions, there’s just not a big demand. First, blame the media. Aviation is not as exciting as it was in the 1950s. In that era, every few months there was a […]

Since starting in 1984, I’ve logged over 1800 hours in more than 45 aircraft types. As much of this has been in the past four years under the employ of a major avionics shop, the recent experience factor provides a bit of confidence, especially since I’m quite familiar with most avionics offered today. A trip […]

On To Airventure For three days I attended SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Florida, and have a few observations to share. I spent a part of my time providing some oversight for two aircraft that Sarasota Avionics had on display. While my knowledge of either aircraft was minimal, I […]

Many consider the instrument rating as the most difficult aeronautical achievement. This is probably even more the case today than when I earned that coveted capability almost a half-century ago. While aircraft haven’t changed much, the avionics, regulations, and AIM have all undergone significant metamorphosis. Today’s GPS equipment and the procedural techniques required in Technically […]