IFR Magazine

Remember when you were a student pilot prepping for the cross-country flights with a sectional chart, using your plotter to calculate the true course to the destination? Then using magnetic variation (east is least, west is best) to get magnetic course. GPS navigation and all our apps have changed that, but the basics remain. You […]

Back in the bad old days of VOR navigation you could find your position by tuning in two different VOR’s. Each radial from a VOR was a “line of position” from that VOR. Your position could be anywhere on that line. Where the two lines from two different VORs intersected was your location. For accuracy […]

Gimme More Vasquez Your May issue had “Surface Charts” by Tim Vasquez. This outstanding article has been long needed. I found it highly informative and I loved it. I am a former USAF pilot with 4500 hours total time, now mostly civilian. This is the type of information I find most helpful and valuable. Please […]

CFIS WARNED ABOUT “VOLUNTEER” FLIGHTS AOPA is warning CFIs to get their paperwork in order if they teach people to fly anything but standard category aircraft. Earlier this year, after legal wrangling over the prosecution of a Florida business for giving flying lessons on a P-40, the agency took a hard and very literal position […]

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 […]

You accidentally bust a Class Charlie. After landing, the FBO hands you a note to call the TRACON. The manager is hopping mad and intends to violate you. Here’s a possible way to avoid or minimize FAA enforcement.

We were flying in our Cessna Cardinal RG from Poughkeepsie, NY, to Norwood, MA. On board were my wife, me, and our cat, Amie. The weather was clear but windy. The local forecast for the Boston (Norwood) area was winds 30 blowing to 60 mph. Approaching Norwood, I tuned in the tower and checked in. […]

During the summer, many pilots in the Upper Midwest plan half-day flights for vacation, and it’s inevitable that we have to contend with theGreat Lakes. Whether we stop short, go around, or go across, there’s always added bulk to the flight planning. Want to overfly Lake Superior for both the view and the shortcut? There’s […]