Pilot Proficiency

The only good news about controlled flight into terrain accidents is that there’s usually no suffering. When an airplane travelling in excess of 100 knots hits an immovable object, the lights, to paraphrase Tony Soprano, simply go out. The fact that for practitioners of personal flying CFIT is still a major cause of accidents should […]

The FAA’s major overhaul of training rules for airline pilots, formally adopted with a new final rule on Tuesday, came as a long-overdue reaction to the deadly Colgan Air Dash-8 Q400 crash in Buffalo, New York, almost five years ago. Earlier changes, also prompted by the Colgan disaster, have altered flight and duty time regulations […]

The stunning video of a collision between a pair of Cessna jump planes over Superior, Wisconsin, a few days ago serves as a vivid reminder to always be vigilant for traffic whenever we go flying. For some reason new pilots seem to think that a midair collision is most likely to occur in a head-on […]

A lot of controversy concerning drones has pilots and privacy advocates pretty scared. In this video, that fear is taken to a new level. Tom Mabe made a name for himself by turning the tables on telemarketers, fielding the calls and recording his responses. His recent antics have focused on a series of video pranks […]

Several places around the country enjoyed the first snowfall of the season this past week. And with temperatures rapidly dropping, you should consider getting ready for the winter season. Whether you are planning on flying or not, here are some tips to keep you and your airplane a little bit happier during the cold, dark […]

“Hey, Dick, your colonoscopy went great.” So says my friend and expert colorectal surgeon. I am just coming out from the sweet embrace of Propofol, the magic elixir that killed Michael Jackson. Suffused with a sense of well-being, I look out over the sparkling waters of Tampa Bay lit by a warm December sun. My […]

Honeywell advanced technology guru Bob Witwer gave an interesting talk in Las Vegas this week in which he discussed the future of air travel and posed the intriguing question of whether airliners, cargo planes and business jets years from now will have a need for pilots or, indeed, even cockpit windows. If the thought of […]

It’s one thing to accrue the knowledge and skills you need to pass the private pilot checkride, but to advance beyond the basics you should strive to fly more like professional pilots do. And the best pilots for general aviation pilots to emulate are the pros who fly bizjets. Unlike airline pilots who fly predictable […]

As fall and winter starts to set in and the days grow shorter, it is important to make sure that your night flying skills are up to snuff. Flying can take a lot more time than you may initially plan for. With less daylight to play with you are more likely to find yourself left […]

I had just finished packing my suitcase and refueling my rental car, ready to depart L’Agulhas, a sleepy fishing village built on the soft green hills and limestone rocks of Africa’s southernmost point. My last two days in South Africa were spent soaking up the sunlit serenity of this surfside enclave where the Atlantic and […]