Pilot Proficiency

One of the pleasures of this job is hearing from readers. Some write to correct my errors or to note my omissions. Some are hostile, though the population recommending my immediate consignment to the infernal fires has for some reason dwindled in recent years. Maybe they went first. Some ask questions. Some of the questions […]

The summer flying season is upon us and so are strong sunrays. It’s time to think about how to best protect yourself from contracting skin cancer and other damage that can result from the UV beams that bear down on you inside and outside the cockpit. You may think you are inside and protected while […]

“Erika, I’m sorry, but I’m stuck up here. The snowstorm is pounding away and all the roads are closed. You’ll have to pick him up at the airport tomorrow and entertain him until I can get to Minneapolis.” “Dad, please, no way. I have a major research project due and I am working a 55-hour […]

After 9/11 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency’s authority and funding saw massive expansions as its mission swelled from border security to a statutory mandate to keep a watchful eye for terrorist threats anywhere in the country. Part of that broadened authority includes the CBP’s General Aviation Pilot Certificate Inspection program, which as you […]

Every airplane has a power curve. And every power curve has a backside. It’s an area of the performance envelope in which induced drag rises dramatically, necessitating considerably more power to maintain a given airspeed and altitude. Venturing into this “region of reverse command” on approach can be particularly hazardous because as you “drag it […]

Jan. 21, 2000. 5:30 a.m. I huddle over the wheel of the tug, savoring the warmth of the dashboard heater though it adds to my early-morning stupor. I’m not sure when I fell asleep last night, but it had to be mere hours before the alarm jolted my head from its resting place on my […]

Timetables, safety cards, even sick bags. Classic aviation and airline memorabilia has a legion of collectors around the world. And while you can pick up a an orange Braniff Summer 1981 timetable on eBay for less than $10, rare pieces at the most coveted end of the spectrum fetch significantly more. Here are five of […]

Flying is a risky activity. Many pilots like to think otherwise, but this basic truth is being officially acknowledged by the FAA. It has recruited groups of highly qualified instructors, examiners and course designers to collaboratively design an improved pilot evaluation system. The latest working group is charged with assisting in the implementation of Airman […]

Oh, brother, it is cold. I just can’t get this wall unit heater to warm up the place. It is dark and forbidding outside. I see the flat rooftop of the garage and not much else. It is white with snow. Is this the Holiday Inn in Secaucus, New Jersey, or the Embassy Suites in […]

We all know the importance of a preflight inspection to make sure the airplane is structurally sound and has enough fuel and oil to get you to your destination. After the flight is over, however, most pilots simply park the airplane without paying a whole lot of attention other than to tie the airplane down […]