Pilot Proficiency

The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have announced an agreement on new guidelines intended to combat fatigue.** ** The agreement is the latest in a series of attempts by the FAA to restore confidence in America’s air traffic control system, which came under heavy fire earlier this year with a barrage […]

The FAA has launched a major review of general aviation airports across the U.S. to better promote “the many roles and functions” these airports serve in their respective communities. The review, which began last fall, is focusing on infrastructure needs and, the agency says, could lead to reclassifications for many airports.** ** In recent years, […]

Senator James Inhofe (R.- Okla.) introduced legislation on Wednesday mandating changes to the FAA’s enforcement process to make it “more fair to pilots” who are often left in the dark as to what they are being investigated for and the nature of the evidence against them. ** ** Last year Inhofe had an enforcement action […]

Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Alaska to get my seaplane rating at Alaska Floats & Skis just outside Talkeetna. I was staying at a beautiful lodge that the flight school has available for its trainees. While I was there, a few groups of flying enthusiasts came and went – […]

We all know the old saying: flying is hours and hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. What rarely gets mentioned are those other times, when we pilots get that uneasy feeling. Many of you will know what I’m talking about. For instance, you’re flying above inhospitable-looking terrain or in solid IMC when […]

Wednesday morning was one of those mornings I was “living the life.” At 0800 John Moreland, the southeast rep for SWT Aviation, a certified CubCrafters sales center, picked me up at Orlando-Apopka in a Sport Cub for a leisurely flight over to Deland and back so I could get a feel for the airplane. I […]

The preflight is one of the most important phases of flying. Missing a critical preflight item can have devastating consequences. You only need to lose a few bolts before some crucial components start departing the airplane. So unless you would like to see what it’s like to fly without your aileron, rudder or elevator, it’s […]

Like it or not, Cirrus is now officially a Chinese company. I know that’s a bitter pill to swallow for many who viewed the Duluth, Minnesota-based company as a unique triumph of American entrepreneurial and aeronautical spirit. But let’s face it, Cirrus has been owned, in essence, by Middle Eastern investors for the last decade. […]

(July 2011) On Feb. 12, 2009, A Bombardier Q400 (a modernized Dash 8) operated by Colgan Air crashed near Buffalo, New York, claiming the lives of 50 people. In the intervening years the fallout from the disaster has had a sweeping impact on aviation regulation in the United States, arguably more than any other accident […]

(June 2011) It makes me want to go back to high school,” I confessed to Patrick J. Cwayna Sr., CEO of the West Michigan Aviation Academy (WMAA). His response wasn’t surprising. “I hear that a lot,” he said. “Many of the students’ parents tell me that; they really recognize the value of what we’re offering […]