Pilot Proficiency

We were sitting on the porch, reading the paper. My wife, Cathy, held actual newsprint in her hand while I stared at the bright black-and-white copy and colorful photos on a tablet. As the newspaper rustled toward her lap, she looked over at me and asked, “Why is it that you want to be captain?” […]

For the moment, well begin with a nickel tour of both the ATC and the national aviation weather systems. Naturally, theres some overlap between them. The FAA air traffic control system is one big ol network. The chain of command begins with the ATC System Command Center in Virginia, which provides oversight and coordination between the biggest ATC facilities, the Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

The family of Michael Copeland, a Qualcomm executive who died when the Cessna 172 Skyhawk he piloted crashed as a result of a midair collision with a Sabreliner 60 last August, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against New Jersey-based Serco Inc., the private air traffic control company that contracts with the government to provide […]

Cold and flu season is upon us and many of you may be suffering with severe coughing or sneezing both day and night. Winter is also the time of year that presents the least times available for flying, with cruddy weather conditions being the norm. But if you get one of those rare, CAVU days, […]

For those of us flying IFR in locations with a high probability of a white Christmas each year, we often need to recalibrate our aeronautical mindset from summer. We have to switch our weather default from Where are the thunderstorms? to Where is the ice? Winter brings us more challenging preflights, engine starts and airport operations. Even though we are all experienced instrument pilots, its still worth taking a few minutes to think about cold weather operations as we head into the worst of the season.

Tick, tock. I resisted the temptation to look at my watch, then stole a furtive glance into my shirt cuff. Still only 2:15 p.m. I’d been at Horizon Air’s operations center on the edge of the Portland International Airport for a little over four hours, but it seemed much longer, and now time was slowing to […]

The airplane world certainly has its share of unique lingo and clever slang. I thought I knew most of it until I came across “pilot pellets” — those cheese or peanut butter crackers in every FBO’s vending machine — and “rental power” — flying a “wet” rental airplane at full throttle. A little closer to […]

My thumb was already in motion toward the mic button to declare an emergency when the Anchorage Center controller’s voice sounded in my headset. “N4577L, cleared for the ILS DME Runway 11 approach at Ketchikan.” It was January in southeastern Alaska. John and I were on our way home to San Diego in our Cessna […]

He was, according to his obituary, an “extreme and gifted athlete” in all he tried, including distance running, snowboarding and motocross racing. He “worked hard, but played harder.” A CFI who prepared him for his Private Pilot license described him as having “very high achieving and performance traits” and as being, though a conscientious flight student, […]

I know you’ve heard the saying “Superior pilots use their superior judgment to avoid situations requiring their superior skills.” And I’m sure you know some superior pilots or have them at your field. Steely-eyed, square-jawed types — their flying skills are immense; with or without their planes they can bound over tall buildings. When I’m struggling […]