Flying a reliable but legacy-equipped airplane, you’re looking for a way to make it into Tucker-Guthrie Memorial Airport, Harlan, Kentucky, (I35) with an IFR flight plan ending with a visual approach, or just VFR. It’s a long way from home in the flatlands of central Illinois—a one state to the southeast—but a 50-gallon getaway is […]
Recently we heard from a salty aviator having trouble flying his Aspen PFD even though he’s had it for years. Adding to his frustration, he can fly his legacy round-dial instruments accurately. He believes he’s not alone, and he’s right. What’s going on? Superficially, you wouldn’t expect much difference between round dials and vertical tapes. […]
A skillful instrument scan is essential to safe IMC flight. It may be a while since you reviewed the underlying scanning techniques with a focus on the principles and best practices. This quiz will help you scan more efficiently and effectively. Answers are on page 23.
Aeronautical experience requirements for the coveted instrument rating include a dual cross country flight. On February 28, 2022, the FAA Chief Counsel rescinded two earlier interpretations regarding the required content of that flight. But the rescission doesn’t end the story or the questions. As of this writing, there is an important question outstanding. We will […]
Pilots have a general sense of who is on the other end of the radio, but controllers have a different internal name for the position they are working. While hearing but one or occasionally two voices on frequency, who else is standing there and watching what’s going on? There is more than one voice behind […]
NO PILOT SHORTAGE SAYS ALPA The Air Line Pilots Association says there is no pilot shortage, but instead is just a shortage of talent in the executive suites of the airlines. The union is particularly focused on upending Republic Airways’ attempt to gain an exemption to the 1500-hour experience minimum for new airline pilots for […]
Although my Twin-Cessna 340 has been amazingly reliable, it is still a complex aircraft with two turbocharged engines, pressurization, and known-ice certification, among other items. So, predictably, it has presented me with some situations that were obvious no-go items, some that clearly were just deal-with-it-later, and some that required some careful analysis. I tend to […]
Years ago, I wrote an article for these pages in which I opined that there was no need or fiscal justification for the dual GPS navigators that seem so common in a well-equipped panel. I stand by that, but times have changed. In the article, I first explored where that “dual-think” came from. Many of […]
New NOTAM Guidance Issued The FAA has issued new guidance to airport operators on how and when to issue a NOTAM and it appears to be an effort to clean up a system bogged down in irrelevant and confusing information. Advisory Circular 150/5200-28G has a host of housekeeping and updating sections, but it also issues […]
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