Pilot Proficiency

An unusual pilot’s dramatic crash in the Sunshine State still has investigators wondering what happened many years later.

We taxied up in front of the line of four police cars as we were directed by ground control, instead of to the FBO where our friends were waiting. Martha said, “This is going to be interesting.” As we shut down the engine, we heard the bullhorn aimed at us and a voice: “Pilot, very […]

Teaching people to fly should incorporate risk management, yet currently the test standards for CFIs do not contain a mechanism for evaluating the applicant’s judgement toward risk. This will change with the release of the airman certification standards for CFIs, a document currently in development. The date for the release has not been set; however, […]

A “silver splash” this week in Wichita: Bombardier made the decision just 60 days ago to host its 25th Safety Standdown in person—but the mature event has once again drawn a significant cross-section of professional pilots and corporate flight departments attending. The two-day symposium runs Tuesday and Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, with a […]

It wasn’t a hung start, exactly, but it wasn’t a normal start either. The N2 spun up smartly and fuel flow was normal. The engine began to accelerate, but then it hesitated. The interstage turbine temperature, which had been rising normally, had a sinking spell. Before I could think to do anything about shutting off […]

Peter Garrison explains how jets produce thrust and recips produce torque.

Dick Karl had to go to Hamilton, Ontario, for a meeting recently. Turns out, he had no idea what he was signing up for.

Are you one of those pilots who opts to hang up their wings during the winter? While it is true that the shorter days, colder weather, ice, snow, and rain can make flying more of a challenge, there is no reason to slam on the brakes. With a little more planning you can make the […]

Editor’s note: FLYING staff writer and CFI Meg Godlewski is an expert on survival techniques for pilots. She wrote the survival chapter of AOPA’s ground school for CFIs. In this two-part series, she counsels pilots on how to avoid the potential disasters of an unscheduled, off-airport landing, as well as how you can survive if […]

Heading into another winter season, our thoughts begin shifting to cold-weather flying hazards—fog, icing, and widespread precipitation. Most pilot training considers each of these factors individually. But most of them share a common cause, and it’s rooted in the weather patterns. Because of that, most pilots will be ahead of the game if they can […]