Pilot Proficiency

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 […]

With the coming long holiday weekend, and summer flying in general, it’s a safe bet that the amount of over-water flying increases manifold. The risk of a water landing is remote, but engines do fail. So it’s worth investing the thought ahead of time to scope out what you’d do … IF. And don’t discount […]

When we landed after our first trip from New Jersey to visit family in Kentucky, the first thing my wife, Leslie, did was hitch a ride to the local dollar store. She spent close to $50 on an arsenal of airplane-friendly toys to ensure our then-four-year-old twin boys would be well occupied on the trip […]

Most life insurance agents are not familiar with pilots and exactly how much added risk might be involved in the type of flying they do. And the “aviation form” you filled out from the carrier might also be out of date and not ask all the right questions. That could leave you paying more for […]

It has been said that weather forecasting is part science, part intuition and a large part memory. That’s why computer forecasting is such a boon to pilots. Even the best forecasters from pre-cyber days had only human memories to rely on. Today, computer databases recall all the nuances of temperature, dew point and winds aloft […]

Some things never change, and the danger of flying into the wrong thunderstorm is one of those things. In Bob Buck’s superb 2002 memoir, North Star Over My Shoulder, the veteran pilot recalled flying a B-17 Flying Fortress all over the globe seeking out convective activity and performing research for the military on thunderstorms and […]