Learn to Fly

(July 2011) I’ve met far too many people who dream about learning to fly, but don’t act out on their desire to be at the controls of an airplane. One of the greatest deterrents to flying is cost. And realistically, learning to fly can be expensive. But there are several ways to reduce that cost. […]

__You may be one of many people with a passion for flying who think that learning to fly is unachievable. But before you hang up your dream, you need to explore all your options. The number of ways to learn is limited, and for most people, it requires some financial resources. But there are other […]

How can busy flight schools make their students feel like they belong, that they’re one of the family? Eric Radtke is an airline transport pilot, Gold Seal flight instructor, advanced ground instructor and NAFI-accredited Master Flight Instructor. Eric has been involved in aviation education since 1998 and currently serves as president and chief instructor of […]

(June 2011) A lot of pilots have heard the name American Flyers. After all, the company has been in business for more than 60 years. But not every pilot knows that the company has grown to the point that it today can provide just about every kind of flight training imaginable to just about every […]

I climbed a few thousand feet and completed my tests. When it was time to land, I reduced the throttle to idle. “That’s when we experienced a huge explosion. I was jolted in my seat. I saw both of the bomb-bay doors blow away. We were completely engulfed in flames. I could see the flames […]

(April 2011) Dr. Michael Bliss holds an ATP certificate and a CFIA, CFI-I and CFMEI. He has been a pilot for more than 40 years and an active instructor for 30 years. He oversees curriculum standards and development for American Flyers and is the chairman of its safety board. He says: Whether it is better […]

(March 2011) — I’M ONE OF THOSE people you might have heard about who’ve made their first certificate a Sport Pilot certificate. I wasn’t new to flying either. I had taken a break from the beginnings of a passion that, as a teenager, I thought would blossom soon enough. The day of my first solo […]

(March 2011) — There’s a concept in the philosophy of science that inventions and theories occur when the time is right for their discovery. If that’s the case, then the time seems to be ripe for doing something to make a significant change in the general aviation paradigm. The day prior to its Aviation Summit […]

What are the biggest challenges new instrument students face? (February 2011) — Eric Radtke is an airline transport pilot, Gold Seal flight instructor, advanced ground instructor and NAFI-accredited Master Flight Instructor. Eric has been involved in aviation education since 1998 and currently serves as president and chief instructor of Sporty’s Academy, the educational arm of […]

Doug Stewart is chairman of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators. He is a Master CFI, DPE and the 2004 National Flight Instructor of the Year. He has provided more than 10,000 hours of dual instruction specializing in instrument and complex operations (dsflight.com). The answer to this question is not as simple as one […]