Pilot Proficiency

The Piper Super Cub is essentially a J-3 Cub airframe equipped with a few space-age refinements like flaps and an electrical system, and powered by a 150 hp Lycoming — in some cases a 160 or 180 — in place of the original’s 40 hp Continental. Piper produced nearly 3,000 of them, many of which […]

I had to land within 200 feet of the white mark to pass the last phase of the checkride. Easy, I thought, as I turned the Schweizer 2-33 sailplane onto final. I’ll show this guy how good I am. I’ve got to hold 45 knots, 300 feet — that’s a little fast; let’s apply more […]

We all know that having the incorrect altimeter setting can have a devastating outcome if you are shooting an instrument approach. A small deviation in the Kollsman window can make a difference of a few hundred feet, which can mean the difference between life and death in some situations. In addition to the pressure we […]

The chief advantage of being instrument-rated is being able to travel in less-than-ideal weather. But, in winter, the triumph of a well-flown ILS to minimums in moderate snow can quickly turn to sheer terror after your smooth touchdown if you find yourself slipping off the side of an icy runway.Handling the aircraft is one thing; but, we must first understand what information is available about runway conditions, and how we can use that information to enhance our decision making and influence our technique.

Over the past year there has been plenty of aviation news for us to report on, much of it ranging from horrifying to concerning. From the tragic, baffling and as yet unsolved disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 to an FAA challenged by a changing landscape, the need for regulatory reform and challenges with ambitious programs […]

A recent report in the journal Human Factors found that the prevalence of automated cockpits may be hindering pilots’ ability to perform some key tasks, such as navigating without the aid of a moving map and troubleshooting systems problems. Researchers studied 16 experienced pilots as they flew routine and nonroutine flight scenarios in a Boeing […]

“Did you do something to my nav radios?” John was clearly confused, and I didn’t know why. But John had just realized that steady needles didn’t necessarily mean he was flying well. The flag for the glideslope confirmed his suspicion. We were flying an ILS approach in our old Comanche 250, in the clouds with […]

One of the most famous and tragic of fuel-exhaustion crashes occurred on Jan. 25, 1990. Upon arrival in the New York area after a flight from Bogot, the 707 was placed into a hold for an hour and 27 minutes due to fog at JFK. The pilots were not native English speakers and never used the actual word emergency in describing their fuel situation to ATC, using only minimum fuel instead and never stating their fuel state in minutes. During that time, they burned away all the fuel they needed to make Boston, their alternate.

One of the best things about flying general aviation airplanes is the freedom it provides. You can go and check out almost any place you want, as long as you stay above regulated altitude limits and away from major tourist attractions, such as the Grand Canyon. Aside from being able to see new places from […]

Many pilots understand that the NEXRAD image they see on datalink weather doesnt exactly show where the rain is falling at that moment because of the delay in broadcasting the information up to the satellites and down to the weather receiver.