Pilot Proficiency

The following article, Wrightophilia, is from the December 2003 print issue. The story of the achievement of powered flight by the Wright brothers, which in its bare outline is familiar to everyone, grows more interesting to me as I delve more deeply into it. Orville and Wilbur Wright, as indistinguishable at first glance as Tweedledum […]

As I was talking with Dr. Martin Smith about the research he and his associates at Presage Group were doing on unstable approaches, he commented that visual approaches “were a little more seductive than instrument approaches in terms of continuing with an approach that is unstable.” Dr. Smith said even though all of the participants […]

The pilot-owner of a Cessna R172 — a six-cylinder, 195 hp version of the 172, based on the French-built Reims Rocket — was en route from ­Everett, Washington, to Albuquerque when he and his wife found themselves weathered in at Roseburg, Oregon. The pilot, who did not have an instrument rating, inquired at an FBO […]

How did I get myself into this position? Here I was in a $6 million helicopter, just minutes from running out of fuel, at night, over the swamps of the Florida panhandle. I was beginning to imagine the headlines that would greet my wife and children. “Sir, we’ve got about 10 minutes of gas,” my […]

The NTSB this week issued five GA Safety Alerts aimed at preventing the most common fatal general aviation accidents. The big question centers on whether the Board’s action will have any discernable impact in moving the safety needle. My guess is no, it won’t. Here’s the reason: The vast majority of GA pilots won’t take […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Roy Brewer, who recently flew into Tulsa’s Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport in a Commander 114. Here’s what he had to say about one of the airport’s FBOs, […]

Static wicks are long, thin extensions that are often attached to the outboard trailing edges of wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers to dissipate the static electricity that can accumulate in flight. Because these protrusions are not easy to see, it’s easy to walk into them, and when you do they’ll often be damaged. But […]

The impact of people’s fascination with, even addiction to, cell phones and texting is becoming more evident every year. Consider the following: • A study found that children using cell phones are 43 percent more likely to be hit by a vehicle while crossing the street than children who are not using cell phones. • […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Bruce Barber, who recently flew into Minnesota’s Worthington Municipal Airport in a Cessna 172. Here’s what he had to say about one of the airport’s FBOs, Integrity Aviation: […]

As you start the roundout on final approach and begin to flare, visual cues become extremely important. Where exactly should you be looking as you bring the control wheel back and prepare to place the wheels just where you want them on the pavement (or the grass, if you’re really lucky)? To give you a […]