Pilot Proficiency

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re about to make history. For better or worse, general aviation is on the precipice of transformative change unlike anything the industry has seen in its history. Maybe we don’t comprehend the scope of the change that is coming, or perhaps we feel there’s little as individuals we can do to affect […]

It was a typical spring day in Minnesota, warm and clear at last, but with a brisk south wind blowing across the runway. I’d just driven 45 minutes to fly the Cub for the first time since November, and I thought that the wind was still within the plane’s capability. Once I broke ground and […]

If you are a responsible pilot you run through a before takeoff checklist that includes a runup of the engine that makes sure the magnetos are both grounded and that there is no gunk preventing the spark plugs from firing to produce a smooth running engine. But if there is an issue during the runup, […]

If you could pick any era in the admittedly brief history of powered flight in which to be a pilot, what year or decade would you choose? Would you desire to be a pioneer of flight, using your unfair knowledge of aerodynamics and aircraft systems to build and pilot early machines that could fly circles […]

Flying isn’t safe. I will admit that. But it’s less dangerous today than it ever has been. It will be safer still five years from now. We should be celebrating this victory — but cautiously. Because we never want to slip back into our old habits and return to the bad old days when flying […]

The King Air had been airborne for just 30 minutes, en route from Pine Bluff to Bentonville in Arkansas, when it began its descent from 16,500 feet. The weather was clear, and the 3,400-hour private pilot, 72, was on VFR flight following with Razorback Approach at Fort Smith. Nine minutes after leaving 16.5, he told […]

METARs and TAFs have long been the mainstays of aviation weather. Youve probably got a handy decoding guide on your desk or bookmarked in your web browser, so we wont focus on that. However well fill you in with background information-ranging from trivia to amuse other pilots on a long haul, to important tidbits that will provide insight and some options in rough weather.

Last week brought record heat to the west coast, with temperatures reaching beyond 100 degrees in my neck of the woods. It was a perfect time to fly to Phoenix for a story — not. But alas, a trip to the city in the desert was on my schedule. It was a good opportunity to […]

Over the last few days I’ve been getting a lot of advice from a lot of people who I would say are a lot smarter than me and who have a lot more experience, in aviation and in life. It’s gratifying to know there are accomplished folks who are willing to take the time to […]

As I shuffled charts and pages of the latest Jeppesen revision into various binders and folders, my copilot introduced herself. Lisa had recently returned from medical leave and was glad to be back at work. Upon reflection, perhaps the medical leave aspect was a foreshadowing of what was about to come. Our flight planning review […]