Pilot Proficiency

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. […]

In the dead of winter earlier this year, EAA chairman and CEO Jack Pelton realized the association’s Young Eagles program would surpass the 2 million-kids-carried mark during this year’s AirVenture. Young Eagles calls upon volunteer pilots and their aircraft to deliver that first life-altering aviation experience to kids under the age of 18. While many […]

The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the proposed revision of Part 23, published by the FAA in March, is a remarkable document. During an election campaign in which the inability of Washington to get anything done is a central theme, the NPRM is a libertarian’s fever dream of deregulation. It’s hard to imagine how […]

In August of last year, a 125-hour pilot rented a Piper Arrow in Palm Beach, Florida. The rental agreement the pilot signed included a proviso that “there are not to be any night flights to or from the Bahamas or Florida Keys before sunrise or after sunset.” Notwithstanding the advice of one’s parents, one may […]

After spending $20 on a Discovery flight, I knew without a doubt this is what I wanted to do with my life — fly! The only flight school in town paired me with George, the best flight instructor ever, in my opinion. My first flight with George was July 6, 1978, and it was evident […]

The use of a pulse oximeter allows pilots to monitor the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in their blood. How a pulse oximeter works is pretty ingenious. Rather than directly measuring hemoglobin concentration, the small device, which costs about $40 and can be purchased online, takes constant measurements of the absorption of specific wavelengths of light […]

The pilots of a Learjet 36 cruising high over Cleveland Center’s airspace are fighting a desperate battle for survival — but they don’t realize it. Suffering the effects of extreme hypoxia in the thin air at 32,000 feet, the copilot is passed out. The captain in the left seat is barely hanging on. Most chilling […]

We’re just 24 days from the start of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the excitement is building to sky-high levels. We all know why Oshkosh is so great, of course: The planes, the people and the electric atmosphere make it the highlight of any GA pilot’s year, with enough memories to last a lifetime. […]