Pilot Proficiency

“Noting my hands gripping the control wheel as if it were a lifeline, Bob would say, ‘Loosen up. Use your fingertips. Remember, flying is a lot like playing the flute: if you try too hard, it doesn’t come out right.’” So reminisced author Frank Kingston Smith in his 1982 book, Weekend Wings. Smith learned to […]

With today’s glass cockpits, “partial panel” now probably means reverting to a backup gyro artificial horizon, either electric or vacuum driven. Even some six pack-equipped aircraft (with vacuum primary gyros) have had their old-fashioned turn coordinators replaced by backup electric-powered gyro horizons — much better because they afford pitch and bank information as well as […]

John Eckalbar’s superb book, Flying the Beech Bonanza, has some timeless advice that applies even if you don’t operate an aircraft that rolled out of the Beech factory in Wichita. You’ll find my sweaty fingerprints all over pages 108 to 123 — the section he calls “IFR By the Numbers.” Starting with what he labels […]

It should be a fairly simple relationship. Pilots fly airplanes. Controllers watch the airplanes, either visually or using radar, and provide instructions that help those pilots reach their destination safely. However, we all know that any interaction involving lots of communication can quickly get complicated. To make matters more difficult, pilots and controllers can’t see […]

Overnight or weekend flights probably require only light packing, but a week-long vacation jaunt — or longer — can tax many airplanes’ baggage capacity. Especially if all or most of the seats are full. As an alternative, consider shipping most of your luggage ahead to your destination, saving a small bag for essentials you might […]

Back in the late 1970s, I was privileged to drive Battle of Britain hero Bob Stanford Tuck from Rhode Island to Boston to catch a flight back to his home in England. Almost 40 years after his last combat in a Spitfire, Tuck astounded me with his eyesight — identifying species of distant birds “judging […]

For pilots returning eastbound from EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the VFR choices include skirting Chicago to the west (adding a lot of distance and time to the trip); hugging a few miles off the coastline at 3,500 feet or lower; or climbing high and going direct across Lake Michigan. Assuming a tailwind (most of us […]

Any pilot who has heard the audio tapes of tower controllers during EAA AirVenture at Wittman Field remains astounded. But flying into the world’s largest aviation event at Oshkosh, B’gosh, truthfully requires only modest skill — and extensive planning. First, download and read the notam (available at eaa.org or faa.gov); then reread it the night […]

What pilot wouldn’t want to own an Eclipse or Cirrus Vision SJ50? And who among us hasn’t lusted after a panoramic synthetic vision panel? But as all these innovative airplanes and avionics move the top end of the ownership “wow” curve upward, those of us with older, lower-tech airplanes are watching our market values diminish […]

Aircraft tires often don’t get the attention they deserve. They can be tough to inspect during preflight, especially if well concealed by wheelpants. Because they hold relatively low volumes of air compared with automotive tires, they are more prone to changes in pressure brought on by temperature changes in the ambient air. That’s less of […]