Pilot Proficiency

By now, most pilots are well aware of the peril they face from snow- and frost-encrusted wings. The increased friction and resulting compromised lift can render an otherwise clean airplane unflyable — and you wouldn’t know until you reach liftoff speeds, only to find that Bernoulli has taken that morning off. So almost all of […]

I like to record the History Channel on my DVR and then play back the shows while I am working out, something I call “learn while you burn.” Many of the shows I record relate to my work teaching error prevention, and I am always looking for examples I can use in my training. A […]

I received the following letter after the Flying Tip of the Week that addressed dehydration was published two weeks ago: “Plain water can actually exacerbate the reduction of brain function no matter how much water a pilot drinks. This is the fallacy of rehydration. Electrolytes (not just sodium and potassium replacements in sports drinks) are […]

I was at the tail end of three months of training for my CFI reinstatement check ride. My instructor Kevin and I were flying into a deepening Pacific Northwest twilight as we descended westbound over Lake Washington toward Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI). We began maneuvering to enter right traffic for Runway 31R in […]

The current issue of FAA Aviation News concentrates on flying safely through the winter months. It features advice on a range of flying hazards, including avoiding ice and frost accumulation on the ground, in-flight icing, operating from icy and slushy runways – even the increased danger of carbon monoxide poisoning with the resumption of using […]

Last Saturday night — Halloween — a Canadair CL600 regional airliner hit a deer while landing in Florence, South Carolina. No one on board the twinjet was injured, but even the “minor” damage listed in the NTSB report was likely expensive. And the deer will probably never play the cello again, either. With the changeover […]

A pilot was climbing through 800 feet in instrument conditions in a Cirrus SR22 when he reported that his vertical speed indicator was jumping between zero and 2,000 fpm. Shortly after that, his altimeter began acting erratically, with large deviations. The pilot requested to return to his departure airport. Then he reported his attitude indicator […]

We all know that proper hydration is vital to good health. In the case of flying, it is even more critical. Not only is dehydration more likely at altitude and its effects more pronounced, but the consequences of losing one’s competitive edge are that much more life-threatening when at the controls of a flying machine. […]

All pilots have their personal safety standards for weather, and plenty of pilots fly on the airlines when they absolutely have to be somewhere. Granted, that guarantee has become ever more dubious over the past decade, but your chances of arriving on time are still better with an airline ticket. But most pilots probably look […]

Raise your hand if you haven’t performed a weight- and- balance check since your last certificate check ride, or checking out in a new airplane. I have, but I admit that’s mostly because older Beech Bonanzas (such as mine) are easily loaded with their center of gravity too far aft. And to boot, because even […]