Learn to Fly

Donna F. Wilt, Ph.D., is an ATP, a Master CFI and an associate professor of aviation at Hampton University. She says: “The FAA states that an applicant for a student-pilot certificate must be at least 14 years old for the operation of a glider or balloon and 16 years old for other categories of aircraft. […]

Matthew McDaniel is a four-time Master Flight Instructor who’s logged over 11,000 hours in more than 70 aircraft types. He’s owned and operated Progressive Aviation Services LLC (progaviation.com), specializing in technically advanced aircraft and glass cockpit training, since 2002. He says: “Being a truly good pilot is a multifaceted skill: airmanship, knowledge and judgment. One […]

Harry Kraemer is an ATP, CFI-I, MEI, Master Flight Instructor and president of Kraemer Aviation Services (flymall.org) He says: “There is an old aviation saying: ‘Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.’ And another that goes: ‘A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid those situations which require the use […]

David St. George is a Part 141 chief instructor at East Hill Flying Club (ehfc.net) in upstate New York and a designated pilot examiner (fearlessflighttest.com). David has flown more than 10,000 hours of dual instruction and given more than 1,500 flight evaluations in 40 years of flying. David says: “The easy answer is: ‘when you […]

If students aren’t sure whether they will end up flying an airplane with glass cockpit technology or not for training, which is better — transitioning to glass, or transitioning to analog instruments? Marty Blaker is a CFI who, as vice president of avionics course development for King Schools, oversaw the development of its Garmin G1000 […]

May 2010 — We asked two nationally recognized experts in flight training to weigh in on the effectiveness of “accelerated” flight training — those weekend, 10-day or short-term immersion courses that offer flight ratings in short periods of time. Their opinions differed somewhat — John King is a more unabashed fan of accelerated learning than […]

When we talk about flight training safety, we usually refer to the steps an instructor can take to ensure a lesson is not marred by an incident or accident. However, there are also operational considerations that can contribute to flight training safety. I recently had a chance to talk with Dana Siewert, the director of […]

When is the best time for a primary student to do ground-school work? Before starting flying lessons? At the same time? Or after getting the basic skills mastered? Flying asked two nationally recognized flight instructors to weigh in on what they’d recommend regarding ground school. Both agreed that the best option is a syllabus that […]

In my 45-year flying career I have been fortunate to experience many of the different ways to earn money as a pilot. Occasionally I am asked what the best flying job is. I have to answer, “That depends. … It depends on the kind of person you are, what kind of flying you like to […]

One of the most basic questions any potential flight student has is what kind of school to attend. Some schools advertise their “Part 141” status, but exactly what that means is rarely clarified. The new Airman Certification Standards updated in June 2018 for the private pilot certificate make the choice even more nuanced, as more […]