Pilot Proficiency

“This is the crack cocaine of air travel.” That was the humorous yet apt assessment by my seatmate after we touched down last Friday at Rio’s downtown airport in an Embraer Legacy 600. It was a colorful comparison to airline travel from a fellow journalist who had never before experienced flight on a private jet. […]

Henriksen Jet Center (KEDC) Pflugerville (Austin), Texas In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. The latest Spotlight is brought to you by Cessna 172 pilot Paul S. Barnett, who was recently impressed with the costumer service provided at Henriksen Jet Center (KEDC), in […]

I had flown west through Merrill Pass on my way from Anchorage, Alaska, to the Stony River country and needed to set up a tent camp on one of the small gravel bars along the Swift River, a tributary of the larger Stony. The camp would be used during an upcoming trophy moose hunt for […]

The FAA last week issued a final rule intended to prevent FAA inspectors from working for the airlines they previously oversaw for two years after they leave the agency. The rule applies to FAA personnel who had oversight responsibility over the airlines (as well as over fractional providers and other firms that offer commercial air […]

Conceding that the certification process for light general aviation airplanes has become a complicated and counter-productive morass of rules and restrictions, the FAA has formed a committee whose responsibility will focus on modernizing the design and manufacturing of entry-level Part 23 airplanes.**** FAA officials and industry leaders are hopeful the streamlined regulations will result in […]

When I was learning to fly, I had a wonderful flight instructor. He was great at teaching ground school, explaining what was going on in the cockpit and talking me through each maneuver. There was only one problem. He talked too much. He talked so much that during my first solo, the strangest sensation was […]

(September 2011) _The recently released _Together We Fly, Voices from the DC-3 by Julie Boatman Filucci is a collection of stories from a variety of people who were touched by Donald Douglas’ hugely successful design. The focus of the book is “why the DC-3 meant so much to so many and why it changed the […]

Sonoma Jet Center (KSTS) Santa Rosa, California In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. The latest Spotlight is brought to you by Cessna T-210 pilot Mike Lauder, who was recently wowed by the costumer service provided at Sonoma Jet Center (KSTS), in Santa […]

(August 2011) When the Brouhaha erupted over air traffic controllers dozing off on duty I couldn’t help wondering if it’s really important to have humans manning control towers at all hours of the day and night, even at places like Reno and Dulles. Do people have any idea how many airports routinely and safely accommodate […]

Cost is definitely a factor when taking flight lessons. But have you ever given any thought to the value of really good flight training that will help keep you from becoming a statistic? My main goal in writing this article is to further aviation safety by addressing the poor standards I used in selecting a […]