Learn to Fly

The Organization of Black Aviation Professionals (OBAP) is hosting the Dreams2Careers program all day on Saturday, February 20, for young people of all ages. The event includes a celebration of Black aviation and aerospace history, as those legends still living among us share their stories directly with participants. Those attending will also have a chance […]

The building was a hulking blue, metal-sided affair, pockmarked by a nondescript door and a window air conditioner—but no window. It might have been difficult to reconcile the uninspiring appearance with the promise held within if not for a sign that declared: “Airplane rides, you fly the plane. Air-conditioned lounge and gift shop.” So I […]

When new student pilots first begin training, one task that can cause trouble is speaking to air traffic control over the radio. It takes practice and experience to learn the specific phraseology used on aviation communication frequencies, and many students can experience “mic fright” when it comes time to answer ATC instructions or properly communicate […]

I read Peter Egan’s columns in Cycle World and Road & Track for three decades of my life. I try to emulate his candor and colloquial storytelling style here on these pages. Every so often, Peter would put together a humorous top-10 list. If memory serves, it usually revolved around the failure of Lucas electronics […]

You can imagine our deep sense of grief when occasionally we’d return to a city on our ground-school circuit and someone would say, “Did you hear about Bill?” “No,” we’d say, “what happened to Bill?” They would then explain the aircraft crash that had killed Bill. It happened all too often. We began to realize […]

I coasted the rental car into the parking lot of what remained of Camillus Airport (NY25) in New York and attempted to transport myself back in time. The view before me was disorienting. Surrounding structures and driveways had been added. The FBO office and hangar locations appeared to have been relocated. I knew that the […]

Sporty’s has released the next volume in its suite of flight training applications, the Instrument Rating Course for 2021. The course can be accessed through the Sporty’s hub, just like previously released courseware in the system. The Instrument Rating Course—like the Learn to Fly course that debuted last fall—offers comprehensive video-based training, a knowledge test […]

Did you ever fly out of Meigs Field in downtown Chicago before it closed? It’s one of those airports you will never forget—if you were lucky enough to visit before the painful closure in 2003. But ask just about any pilot today who learned to fly in the late 1990s or early 2000s, and memories […]

Are you a young musician looking to turn your talents to the skies? Or do you know one whose passion for aviation needs nurturing and mentoring—just as their skills on the piano, guitar, or drums do? You still have time to look into the Flying Musicians Association’s scholarship program for 2021. The organization blends the […]

AOPA offers several options for prospective pilots to fund their flight training through its You Can Fly scholarship and incentive program. As of December 1, the next round of scholarships has become available, and AOPA members are encouraged to apply. The AOPA High School Flight Training Scholarship, funded by the Ray Foundation, offers a total […]