Pilot Proficiency

It drives me a little crazy that the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations is so vague on so many crucially important points. For example, the regs say private pilots can share certain flight costs with passengers. The rule seems pretty straightforward. It’s not until you come across up various “legal interpretations” by FAA lawyers that […]

An airplane whose CG is significantly far behind the aft limit becomes neutrally stable or even mildly unstable. It can still be flown by a sufficiently alert pilot, but to a pilot who is unprepared for it, the experience is disorienting and can easily lead to overcontrol. Overcontrol in the nose-up direction, in turn, can […]

As a longtime reader of aviation accident stories in I Learned About Flying from That, I never thought that so soon into my aviation adventure I’d find myself telling a story of my own. All of the events that follow took place during an aviation-packed day that would begin with the eager anticipation of visiting […]

Are you in the category of pilots who park the airplane, lock it up and leave as soon as you land from a flight? You may want to take some time to hang out with your aerial chariot for a while after it gets you safely on the ground. Opening up the inspection door in […]

The entire Flying team is getting ready to head for sunny Palm Springs to oversee final preparations for Flying Aviation Expo at the Palm Springs Convention Center, which kicks off on Thursday, October 15, with the Parade of Planes through the streets of downtown. Based on pre-registration numbers, it’s going to be a great show, […]

Neuroscientists tell us it is impossible for the human brain to multitask. We might think we’re becoming more productive by splitting our attention, but in reality when we attempt to multitask we really end up doing twice as much as we should, half as well as we could. There are unavoidable negative impacts when we […]

I’m front-page news. The lead story in my state’s big daily newspaper. On Page 1, above the fold. Where the Albuquerque Journal announced that my plane and I have “earned a spot in aviation history.” How did I do that? Simple. I set a world speed record. And you can too. WHAT DO YOU NEED […]

We’re just a couple of weeks away from Flying Aviation Expo and the excitement for Southern California’s premier aviation event, planned for October 15-17 in Palm Springs, is growing by the day. If you haven’t made up you mind whether you’re coming, here is a list of reasons why you have to be there. • […]

Leadership. They write books about it. There are seminars, webinars, pamphlets and university courses about this elusive trait. I’ve known a few great leaders in medicine and one particularly great one in life. I’ve tried my own hand at medical school leadership. I really have no idea as to whether I was any good at […]

The first part of the flight was peaceable enough. It was just two hours from Savannah, Georgia, to White Plains, New York, with two passengers (one a spry 95 years of age, delightful smile included) and plenty of gas. The weather at the destination was the only wrinkle in the silk fabric of a perfect […]