Pilot Proficiency

We all have to learn how to perform short- and soft-field landings as part of the training for the private pilot certificate. The short-field landing is one of the most difficult maneuvers because of the precision required to pass the task. You have to maintain the approach speed to accuracy and land the airplane within […]

Thursday, October 11, 2012, a floatplane capsizes in Glen Lake, New York. The two pilots that were in the aircraft escaped without injury. The local emergency services were activated. After ensuring the safety of the pilots, a volunteer dive team decided that they would flip the aircraft back over. After attempting unsuccessfully for many hours, […]

Flying instrument approaches in IMC is one of the busiest times we pilots face, so it makes sense for us to do as much preparation as possible beforehand. An important part of this process is briefing the approach so that you and your right-seater (if you’re luck enough to have one) know exactly what you’re […]

It appears that pilots and passengers taking off and landing at the Bilbao Airport in Loiu, Spain, about six miles north of Bilbao, got the ride of a lifetime when challenging, gusty crosswind conditions made for takeoffs and landings that were sketchy, to say the least. The attached dramatic video, which is sped up presumably […]

The photos released last week of a Bell 412 towing a giant banner over the United Arab Emirates as part of a record-setting flight caught my attention. While helicopters do an admirable job of hauling sling loads from their bellies, they aren’t the ideal platforms for all types of towing. I know this, in part, […]

As a pilot, you should be very familiar with checklists. There are preflight, startup, climb, cruise and pre-landing checklists, just to name a few. When you head to the airport, there are many things you need to make sure you bring along in order to fly safely, legally and comfortably. So why not create a […]

As I drove down our neighborhood hill at 05:30, a rust-orange glow interrupted my lethargic trance. The glow wasn’t the rising sun. It was actually the moon, a very bright blue moon, to be exact. Its larger relative size made it appear as though it would sink into the waters of our lake with a […]

My morning routine is to get up at 6 o’clock or so, make coffee — an elaborate ceremony that involves measuring out and grinding the beans, pre-wetting the grounds, dribbling water over them at a certain temperature, and all that stuff; I think I prefer the ritual to the coffee — and sit on the […]

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 Matthew Boucher, who recently flew into Austin Executive in a Navion Rangemaster. Here’s what he has to say about the experience. “En route from California to Florida, we […]

Videographer Cy Kuckenbaker recently captured one of the busiest travel days of the year in unique fashion with a time-lapse video showing a barrage of airliners descending on Lindbergh Field in Southern California. The short film condenses five hours of real time into 25 seconds, creating an airplane watcher’s delight as approximately 70 aircraft pass […]