Pilot Proficiency

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 […]

If you’re ever piloting an airplane type that’s new to you and you’re curious whether the flight attitude you’ve chose to maintain on an instrument approach is ideal, here’s a quick and easy way to find out. Set yourself up at the power settings you’d normally use to hand-fly the approach and then engage the […]

Shopping for pilots can be tricky at best. There is so much aviation gear on the market, and, without trying things out, it’s hard to know what products work well and which ones don’t. Here is a collection of some of our favorites — gift ideas for all budgets that are sure to put a […]

More than a dozen years after the July 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde supersonic transport (SST) outside Paris, a French court will decide today whether to uphold a manslaughter conviction against Continental Airlines. The original ruling, which was appealed, held that a Continental mechanic improperly attached a metal strip to one of the […]

We’ve been hearing talk about a looming “pilot shortage” for so long that we’ve stopped believing it. But I had dinner last night with a group of regional airline pilots, all in their mid-30s and all left-seaters on CRJ 700s, who told me they’re convinced a pilot shortage is coming. They might be right this […]

The introduction of GPS into airplanes, whether in a panel-mounted or portable format, has made general aviation flying more efficient and more safe particularly with the inclusion of traffic, weather and terrain information. And while playing around with cockpit gadgets is also a lot of fun, we should never forget to look outside. While you […]

As I get ready to sit down for my Thanksgiving dinner, I’m reflecting on the things that I’m thankful for. While family and friends top that list, the freedom of flight is a close second. I still marvel at the fact that, at any time of the day or night, I can jump in an […]

As pilots flying general aviation airplanes, there can be times when we have a lot on our plates — sometimes more than it seems like we can handle. And unlike many corporate pilots and all airline crews, we usually have to do everything ourselves, without a helping hand from a second crewmember. That can lead […]