Pilot Proficiency

Upon my return home from a trip to London and back, I reflected on a series of trials and tribulations. When I put on the fourth stripe 25 years ago, I perceived my primary function simply as the boss on the flight deck. The responsibility for safely operating an airliner rested directly on my shoulders. The […]

It was a perfect early summer day in Minnesota, warm and clear with a wisp of breeze, the sort of day that we northern fliers will be dreaming of when the snow flies — right about the time you’re reading this. I relaxed on our back deck, savoring my morning coffee and watching our dog, […]

“You can’t teach judgment.” “I’m afraid no amount of ‘risk management’ training is going to change your attitude.” These comments were in response to John’s May column, “Double Trouble at Denver.” John had revealed our incredible series of risk-management failures on a trip in the early ’70s — getting caught in a snowstorm in two separate airplanes […]

Although the term “precision approach” merely means that vertical guidance is included, it seems to imply that the approach ought to be executed with precision by both pilots and controllers. On a December evening in 2013, a Cessna 310 carrying a pilot, 60, and his two daughters, 17 and 20, crashed while executing a missed […]

The occasional audible swoosh of ice departing the propellers and the bang of that ice hitting the fuselage provided the only comforting moments of this flight. How did I get here? Countless times when growing up I would look up from the ground at an airplane flying overhead and wish I were up there. This […]

When the Environmental Protection Agency began phasing out leaded gasoline in the 1970s with the passage of the Clean Air Act, aviation got a pass. Because lead was needed to boost octane levels and prevent detonation (also known as “knock”) in high-­compression piston aircraft engines, leaded avgas was exempted from the law. Lead is a […]

In more than 40 years of flying, Mary Schu says she has never been more frightened than the day she encountered extreme ­icing in flight. Schu flies in Oregon, one of the United States’ “iceboxes.” She’s the National Association of Flight Instructors’ 2015 Flight Instructor of the Year as well as an FAA-designated pilot ­examiner. […]

Many general aviation passengers have a dream to be a pilot, but the apparent complexity in the cockpit can be an intimidating place to a non-aviator. To make the cockpit more inviting to your non-flying friends you should explain what you are doing and encourage your passengers to ask questions. You may find that the […]

We were sitting on the porch, reading the paper. My wife, Cathy, held actual newsprint in her hand while I stared at the bright black-and-white copy and colorful photos on a tablet. As the newspaper rustled toward her lap, she looked over at me and asked, “Why is it that you want to be captain?” […]

Before your next flight review or instrument proficiency check, you’ll want to read over a new FAA Advisory Circular that contains guidance for instructors on special areas of emphasis for general aviation pilots. The FAA is concerned that pilots’ hand-flying skills might not always be up to acceptable standards and that many may suffer from […]