Pilot Proficiency

With a quick handshake and a soft thank you, Lyle and Kurt pulled up the airstair and started up my airplane. I watched in the rain as the props came up out of feather and the nav lights blinked on. Stricken, I retreated to the observation platform at the FBO and watched as Lyle taxied […]

The C35 Bonanza, N5946C, was cruising at 6,500 feet when there was a sudden loud bang from the engine compartment, followed by a smell of oil.

Most ILS approaches are constructed pretty much the same way. The environment in which a pilot might fly them can vary widely, however, and is important to consider. At an airport like New York’s La Guardia, which sees 375,000 annual takeoffs and landings, the ILS Runway 13 at the airport is used often. These traffic […]

There’s a decent chance that as you’re reading this you are also waiting for your brand new iPhone 8 to be shipped. Or the more patient among us are practicing Zen-like restraint in holding out for the iPhone X. (Of course, you could also be an Android user, or simply someone who fails to see […]

Short final was normal. Winds were manageable, we were cleared to land and the airplane touched down straight and on the centerline. In no particular hurry, we slowed and exited on the taxiway abeam our hangar line when my student said to me, “Why is my 430 dark?” Face palm. I knew instantly why the […]

Most pilots and aviation journalists think BasicMed is a win. For many it is. But, if you dig beneath the covers you might conclude its not a win for you. Behind closed doors Ive been equivocal about BasicMed, but weve been generally favorable in print. I personally like the ever-cautious wait-and-see approach. Waiting and seeing, combined with a letter from James Shepard (see Readback), lead me to conclude that perhaps BasicMed isnt the big win most of us hoped and thought it would be.

One Aviation flew its Eclipse jet with a new wing, in August. The testing is the first step in developing a new version of the jet, EA700. The EA700 will be a larger version of the original 500/550 jet, with a bigger wing, bigger engines, and a fuselage extended 14 inches. The more powerful EA700 will be able to climb direct to 43,000 feet and extend its range to 1500 NM. It will also boost performance for high and hot airports. The flight test lasted about 80 minutes and all parameters were met, the company said. The aircraft felt very solid, a testament to the engineering and build teams, said test pilot Jerry Chambers.

I am pretty much all in with all the latest wizbangs-syn vis, AOA, MFD, ADS-B In etc. in my V-35B, plus of course the great PFD. All this works perfectly with my legacy autopilot and it will take me wherever I want.I too discovered that I was really getting sloppy with my hand flying in challenging conditions and resolved to make letting George fly the exception. Sometimes we split the route where I fly out George flies back. I like flying the airplane and becoming more aware of all that I have on display in front of me, but it does take more effort and concentration.

On Saturday, September 23, organizations and pilots around the world will celebrate Girls in Aviation Day to promote “the passion, exploration, learning, and excitement of aviation and aerospace.” The timing is obviously perfect, as Miss Vermont Erica Connor stole the spotlight at Miss America by flying her own airplane to Atlantic City, and Shaesta Waiz […]

Each year I pore through between 1500 and 2000 NTSB accident/incident reports searching for bonehead pilots who heed the sirens call of stupidity and invent creative means of destroying a variety of aircraft without killing anyone. To walk the Stupid Pilot Tricks red carpet requires a willingness to ignore good airmanship and, frankly, dance with fools.