Pilot Proficiency

Take a close look at the inner workings of a modern turbofan engine and you’ll discover a marvelous network of parts that puts Newton’s second law of motion to work with elegance and surprising simplicity, allowing today’s jets to go farther on less fuel while making less noise and emitting lower emissions. Here’s how a […]

The Pilot Proficiency Center (PPC) will be back at Oshkosh, but even bigger and better than last year. Because pilots learn best through scenario-based training, the PPC offers any AirVenture pilot, or pilot wannabe, an opportunity to experience the dynamic world of flight through one of 14 Redbird simulators stationed in a new 8,000-square-foot facility. […]

“OK, Dick, we’re gonna have you drop the plane off in Orange County.” It is Kevin in mission control (known most places as “ops”) on the phone. What? Like I’m dropping some shirts off at the dry cleaners? The day had been long enough as it was, given that I had planned to be home […]

Every pilot has a plan. But if it’s an IFR flight plan, canceling that plan is not always as simple as just saying the magic words. Here are the points you should consider before canceling IFR. You may cancel IFR with ATC at any time in VFR conditions below 18,000 feet. You may cancel with […]

As a kid, I always assumed there was some process by which you formally transitioned into adulthood, perhaps earning a badge that certified you had the knowledge to handle any situation life could throw at you. Grown-ups just seemed so different. Then I had kids of my own and realized everyone is faking it — […]

When GPS first entered general aviation cockpits nearly two decades ago, skepticism ran amok — trusting the “magic” of satellite navigation took time. Those flight educators who had a firm grasp of the real conundrum to come knew then what we face today: GPS is good, sometimes almost too good. There is growing weakness in […]

When inspectors met Orville and Wilbur for that first ramp check on the sands of Kitty Hawk, the brothers ran them off and then complained to the government because these inspector guys didn’t know much about flying machines. FAA management opened a file on the complaint, convened working groups, assigned committees, consulted with cost analysts, […]

The U.S. Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center (AWC) is experimenting with a new color-coded system to instantly identify the impact of weather through its terminal area forecasts (TAF). The AWC believes the new system will not only improve operational decision-making but also significantly improve situational awareness for any operational system player. The experimental system will […]

Just two days before the FAA’s current extension expires, the Senate passed the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016, a measure that will authorize FAA operations through September 2017. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law ahead of the FAA’s July 15 cutoff. A huge win for general aviation, […]

My right-seat passenger has become quiet, so I ask how she is doing. From our Cirrus, the view of the Mojave Desert seems infinite, and my question has interrupted her contemplation. “I’m taking it all in,” she explains while pointing her camera lens out the window. “I’ve never seen the desert from this angle before. […]