Pilot Proficiency

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 […]

At a late and insomniac hour, when you can’t find a Law and Order rerun that you haven’t already seen and resuming your reading of the family’s Encyclopaedia Britannica at GUNN to HYDROX seems too arduous to contemplate, it is well to resort to YouTube, that portable and compendious ocean of funny cats, sadistic pratfalls, […]

On this January morning in Ohio, I pulled on the “heat” knob in the J-3, which is as effective as pulling “cabin air” in a Piper Warrior in July. … You can hope but you know nothing’s going to happen. We were holding short of the grass runway and my Sport Pilot applicant in the […]

There are lots of ­reasons you might consider joining a flying club. The most often cited centers on the economics: A flying club with lots of members can offer many of the benefits of aircraft ownership without the hassles or expense of being totally responsible for the upkeep of one. At the same time, 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 Rex de Foor, who recently flew into Jack Edwards National Airport in a Beechcraft Baron. Here’s what he has to say about the airport’s FBO, Southwestern Aviation. Gulf […]