Pilot Proficiency

(March 2012) It is understood among pilots that laminar flow is something good. But exactly what laminar flow looks and feels like eludes us, because air is invisible and so we never see the difference or the transition between laminar and turbulent. One common example of laminar flow in everyday experience is smoke rising from […]

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 Larry D. Cosby, who recently stopped by Co-Mar Aviation in a Piper Cherokee. Here’s what he has to say about the experience. Co-Mar Aviation (KBWG) Bowling Green, Kentucky […]

After a decade-long hiatus, Santa Monica Airport’s Museum of Flying, which was originally founded in 1974, opened its doors last weekend. Located on the south side of the runway adjacent to a large DC-3 monument maintained by the City of Santa Monica, the exhibit area houses a theater, several interactive displays and about two-dozen airplanes […]

Precise control of an airplane’s power is not that big a deal, that is, unless you want to fly precisely. In that case, it’s an absolutely critical part of the equation. Unless you control your ship’s power very accurately, you can’t nail the numbers, and nailing the numbers is the key to nailing the performance. […]

A few weeks ago we reported on an upcoming job fair being put together by Wasinc International, China’s largest pilot placement firm, and hosted by Pan Am International Flight Academy at its training centers in Miami and Las Vegas. What was unusual about the event was the airlines being represented. There were 12 Chinese carriers […]

Online flight tracking is a great resource for travelers and flight instructors alike. Websites such as FlightAware and flightwise are frequently used by friends and loved ones to watch the progress of airplanes enroute to their destinations. And if you don’t wish to actively track the flight, you can set up alerts that update you […]

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 Ron Windmueller, who recently stopped by Yellowstone Jet Center in a Schweizer 333. Here’s what he has to say about the experience. Yellowstone Jet Center (KBZN) Bozeman, Montana […]

I got an e-mail the other day from a reader with a heart-wrenching story that should serve as a cautionary tale for all pilots. He told me about a good friend of his who was killed, along with the friend’s wife and kids, in an airplane crash last summer in Idaho. Because the two were […]

Approaching an unfamiliar airport VFR can present a challenge even in CAVU conditions, particularly if you don’t have a glass panel in your cockpit. But your heading indicator can help you quickly visualize the orientation of the runway, which makes it easier to find the airport and figure out the best way to enter the […]

(March 2012) When I opened my eyes, an immediate instrument scan of the Remos GX‘s Dynon PFD revealed that we were in a steep climb and right bank, losing airspeed. As I made the scan, I simultaneously took the controls and initiated recovery from the unusual attitude in which my instructor, First Landings Aviation‘s Chris […]