Search Results for: Cessna 172

(January 2012) I pulled the radar-detector-size electronic device from my flight bag, set it on the glareshield and frowned. Electrical and audio wires dangled across my lap as I plugged the first cord into the power receptacle on the far-right side of the cockpit and the others into my David Clark headset, which I then […]

(January 2012) Sitting in the darkened area control center in Zurich, Switzerland, the air traffic controller on duty could scarcely believe what he was seeing on his radar screen: Somehow, two airliners in his sector cruising at precisely the same flight level were just miles apart on a collision course over southern Germany. Keying his […]

We’ve all been there: A personal or professional commitment encourages us to cut a corner or launch when otherwise we might not. The corner could be a mechanical deficiency with the aircraft, failing to obtain a weather briefing or taking off with minimal fuel. The pressure of schedules and commitments tempts us to do things like make a zero-zero instrument takeoff, shoot an approach in conditions below published minimums or stretch our fuel to the breaking point in the face of headwinds and the time it will take to make an en route fuel stop.

On the off chance you haven’t ventured outside in the last couple of months, it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere. With it comes, of course, bitter cold in some areas, along with snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, stiff winds and obscured runways. While winter flying can be some of the most satisfying of all, it’s best to approach this time of year with an open mind, a flexible schedule and warm clothing. And, as with so many other things involving aviation, experience counts.

Loss of control has consistently been the leading factor causing landing accidents, according to the annual Nall Report, published by AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. One way to prevent loss of directional control is to learn to consistently stay aligned with the centerline of the runway during the landing phase. Some tricycle landing gear equipped airplanes […]

When I read about the lack of progress at the Northern Island redevelopment near downtown Chicago in political columnist Greg Hinz’s blog last week, I felt a familiar sense of nausea. It was the feeling I got when I first saw a picture of the large Xs carved into one of the most incredible aviation […]

After receiving Transport Canada certification just over a month ago, the Tecnam P2006T has been selected to upgrade the training fleet at Canada’s Mount Royal University, which will receive three of the Italian-made twin-engine airplanes in December. The Tecnam P2006Ts will come equipped with Garmin’s 950 avionics suite, S-Tec 55X autopilots and ADF, and will […]

When was the last time you flew a slip? Are slips a necessary maneuver belonging in every pilot’s skill set? Or are they an aerial anachronism, a holdover from earlier flying days, with little application to the modern world? Slips originated in aviation’s early days, when most, if not all, airplanes lacked wing flaps. They were and are used to increase the angle of descent on approach, and to get the airplane’s nose out of the way of the pilot (who often sat well aft) to better see the runway ahead when landing. Given the genesis of the art of slipping, should we still be expected to master it?

The private pilot certificate is often referred to as a license to learn. In many ways, it is: Suddenly, that piece of plastic allows you to go pretty much where you want, when you want. Ideally, the private is a rung in the ladder of experience, leading to other ratings and certificates. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with remaining a VFR-only private pilot, as long as one recognizes and stays within its obvious limitations.

Can’t stop playing Microsoft Flight Simulator X? Meet OVO-4, a product from Spanish manufacturer Virtual Fly that takes home flight simulation to a whole new level. According to Virtual Fly, OVO-4 is a single-seat enclosed cockpit intended for home use that provides complete movement capabilities, vibration systems, smart lighting and speakers meant to mimic real […]