Pilot Proficiency

(March 2011) ON OCCASION, I AM ASKED if we airline types actually monitor guard frequency — 121.5. My stock answer is “Of course.” And for the most part, I’m telling the truth. However, in some circumstances it’s not practical. What are those circumstances? I don’t want to speak for all my colleagues, but below 10,000 […]

(March 2011) I TRY TO BE TOLERANT OF OTHERS, but sometimes it’s hard, especially when it comes to people who are envious. As all you fans of medieval thought are aware, envy is No. 6 with a bullet on the list of the Seven Deadly Sins. And the idea of envy being a bad thing […]

1. Know the Notam! Know the Frequencies, the route, the altitudes and the procedures for after you land. Sun ‘n Fun opens this week, and if you’re flying in, you’d better expect not to be alone in the pattern. The Sun ‘n Fun arrival notam is up and ready to print out, so don’t launch […]

It made me simultaneously giggle and wince when I read that a bio-fuel study conducted by NASA is testing chicken fat as an alternative renewable jet fuel source. Researchers are using a NASA DC-8 to test what they call “Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel.” “It’s made out of chicken fat, actually,” said Bruce Anderson, AAFEX II […]

(March 2011) WRITING ABOUT ADVENTURE – whether the adventure is climbing a mountain, fighting a war or flying a small airplane across the country – is something of a challenge. Not because the source material is lacking. To the contrary. But there’s a reason explorers and generals who cared about recording their battles for history […]

On Monday FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt announced a plan to reduce general aviation accidents substantially and incrementally over the next 10 years with a 10 percent improvement as the target. At Sun ‘n Fun, the FAA will host the first of nearly 100 meetings across the country designed to let pilots and the FAA work […]

It’s no great revelation that all airplanes are made up of several different systems — some more complex than others. For the more complex systems, your POH should have several nice diagrams that display their intricate details. A prerequisite for this tip is that you learn the details of systems that run the airplane you’re […]

It’s commendable that a group of U.S. private investors led by aviation market analyst Brian Foley wants to make a play to purchase the assets of lightplane maker Cirrus by outbidding a subsidiary of AVIC, China’s aviation manufacturing powerhouse. But like a lot of people who’ve heard about the plan, I see the would-be end-around […]

There used to be a Grumman Albatross — a 2,800 hp, 28,000-pound flying boat — at the airport where I keep my airplane. Its occasional takeoffs began with a growl echoing among the hangars and swelling to a smooth, leonine roar. I would gaze after the straining sound as it faded eastward. Nothing. I would […]

The next time you’re practicing in the pattern, try these basic tips to help you win that next spot landing contest — or at least touch down in the correct zip code. First, you’ll need to buy in to the premise that, on approach, pitch really does control airspeed and throttle the rate of decent. […]