Pilot Proficiency

It just so happened that my good friend Roger Tonry had both his BFR and annual inspection for his Grumman Tiger due at the end of July. Since I’m a flight instructor and have done some owner assisted annual inspections before myself, I decided I would help him out with both. Roger has owned his […]

Here’s a tip that goes for any airplane you might be fortunate enough to fly: learning why certain items are on the checklist can help you remember to perform required actions in the correct sequence and will give you a better understanding of how the airplane really works. In other words, don’t perform a certain […]

My trip home from Oshkosh last week offered an enlightening contrast between “old” and “new” aviation technologies, and a lesson in how best to integrate the two in the same cockpit. While my colleagues at Flying scored rides home in Citation and Falcon bizjets that I’m sure were outfitted with some fairly sophisticated gear, I […]

Put your aircraft knowledge to the test with our latest Name that Aircraft quiz. With an array of aircraft that run the gamut from fighters to seaplanes, see if you can match up each cockpit or aircraft photo with the appropriate model. Take the quiz here.

There are some in-flight failures that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover from. One such malfunction is the failure of a major control surface. A positive control check is part of the preflight procedures section of the practical test standards for gliders since they are often assembled right before the flight. While a […]

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 Jim Monsu, who recently flew into Guymon Municipal Airport in a Zenith Zodiac CH601XL-B. Here’s what he has to say about the airport’s FBO, Centerline Aviation. __Centerline Aviation […]

Last week’s AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was a big treat. As I’ve come to expect after years of attending, the show was filled with new exciting aviation products and every imaginable airplane type. And there was plenty of opportunity to learn new things at the forums and seminars. As I’ve also come to […]

In the wake of our publication of the Top 100 Airplanes of all time, a number of Flying readers have shared their thoughts on which aircraft top their best-of-all-time list. Take a look at the overall most popular Top 10 aircraft reader picks, and check out some of the interesting lists we recently received below. […]

One of the most embarrassing things that can happen to a pilot is the case where he starts his airplane’s engine, advances the throttle and goes nowhere – because he forgot to undo the tiedown at the tail. It has happened to plenty of pilots, even those who have performed meticulous preflight inspections and yet […]

It’s really weird how certain memories stick like fish in a hot iron skillet. So it is with a memory from my past, early in my flying career. “Miserable” is the only description that fits for that Gulf Coast summer morning in July 1985. Don’t get me wrong: The sun was shining brightly, but the […]