Pilot Proficiency

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 […]

I’m not proud to say it, but last winter got the best of this northern aviator. The face-numbing cold and monochromatic gloom wore at me until I just couldn’t take it anymore. The breaking point came on a brutally raw January morning as I attempted to preheat and start my Piper Pacer after it sat […]

As we make our resolutions for the new year, vowing to shed bad habits and start fresh, one of the things we will want to continue to carry with us is the knowledge we have gained and lessons learned over the year to remind us of how to be the best and safest pilots possible. […]

The drone industry is booming and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) may become one of the most popular Christmas presents this year. Yesterday the FAA’s new drone registration rules kicked in, requiring all people flying an sUAS between 0.55 lbs and 55 lbs to register their aircraft. If you are flying a heavier drone or […]

I endured two years in this man’s army during the Vietnam era (sometimes interesting, sometimes heartbreaking, mostly just mindless), had my neck broken (beaten up by a deranged young surgical patient), caught hepatitis (from a needle stick in the operating room — almost died), had prostate cancer (not amusing) and tolerated a surgical internship (in […]

Whether your airplane is approved for flight in known icing conditions or not, there are a number of common-sense strategies you can put into practice to minimize your risks of ice-related hazards. First, never take off with any amount of ice, snow or frost on your airplane. If you do, you’re a test pilot flying […]

The couriers’ taillights faded in the distance as I pulled the Piper Navajo’s rear cabin door closed and silence fell anew over the darkened North Las Vegas Airport. I clambered over the cargo net restraining nearly a hundred stacked bank bags, slid into the front left seat, and quickly went through the preflight checklist and starting flows. “Master switch on, magnetos on, mixtures rich, left fuel […]

Hair-raising footage of a business jet making an emergency belly landing at the Palm Springs International Airport in California has spread across the Web since the incident on Friday, Dec. 4. After the aircraft’s landing gear failed, the pilot made a skillful belly landing, sliding in with minimal sparks and smoke and skidding safely to […]