Flight Planning

As I think back over my life, I can come up with only one day I remember. Really remember. Oh, I remember graduating from high school, but I don’t remember anything else about the day. I remember watching the birth of my daughter, but I have no idea what I had for breakfast on that […]

I thought of it as a “fam” flight — a flight to familiarize someone with why general aviation engenders such passion. A week or so earlier, during a physical, my doctor expressed an interest in going for an airplane ride. Since I try to never postpone joy, I invited her. Lauren was hesitant to take […]

We always hear, “Plan the flight — Fly the Plan.” And this is great advice — until the plan no longer makes sense. Unfortunately, too many pilots plan the flight and then hang on to that plan when it no longer makes sense because they really don’t have a backup plan. Quite often, we spend […]

Mission: a vacation flight to visit relatives halfway across the country. You’ve updated your navigator’s database; checked weather for winds aloft; carefully planned your fuel stops; double-checked that the FBOs are open; completed a detailed weight-and-balance calculation; etc. ‘Twas the night before flying, and you’re nestled snug in your bed knowing you have all the […]

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 […]

It seems like one of the simplest flights possible. Grab your flight bag and head off to the airport to practice some touch-and-goes. There is obviously no need for flight planning. The weather is beautiful and forecast to stay that way, so there is no need to check the weather. You are not planning to […]

The importance of careful flight planning is drummed into our heads from our first flight. The very first regulation in FAR 91, Subpart B, on Flight Rules (91.103) states that “each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.” It then continues with a list of […]

I have always thought it was extremely unfortunate when a professional pilot or crew carefully plans a flight, expertly follows the flight plan, and then suddenly makes a snap decision that undoes all their careful planning and execution. An accident at the Ellen Church Field Airport (CJJ) in Cresco, Iowa, in July 2006 illustrates how […]

Safety in flying is all about having alternatives. Each trip may offer several different possible routes and a variety of alternates. The departure time and sometimes even the date of departure can be changed if necessary. Once en route, the present and forecast conditions must be analyzed to determine which of various alternatives offer the […]