Pilot Proficiency

If you are a responsible pilot you run through a before takeoff checklist that includes a runup of the engine that makes sure the magnetos are both grounded and that there is no gunk preventing the spark plugs from firing to produce a smooth running engine. But if there is an issue during the runup, […]

A Piper Aerostar used in the Tom Cruise film “Mena” crashed near Medellin, Colombia, on Friday, killing two and leaving one in critical condition. The U.S. embassy confirmed the crash Sunday, but did not release the names of the occupants. However, local reports say the victims of the deadly crash were veteran Hollywood pilot Alan […]

If you could pick any era in the admittedly brief history of powered flight in which to be a pilot, what year or decade would you choose? Would you desire to be a pioneer of flight, using your unfair knowledge of aerodynamics and aircraft systems to build and pilot early machines that could fly circles […]

Flying isn’t safe. I will admit that. But it’s less dangerous today than it ever has been. It will be safer still five years from now. We should be celebrating this victory — but cautiously. Because we never want to slip back into our old habits and return to the bad old days when flying […]

The 157 passengers and 13 crew members aboard a British Airways Boeing 777 that suffered what appears to be a catastrophic uncontained engine failure during the takeoff roll are lucky to be alive after a serious fire and billowing black smoke severely damaged the jetliner on the runway at Las Vegas International Airport yesterday. Had […]

The National Transportation Safety Board today blamed the deadly crash of a Gulfstream IV last year in Bedford, Massachusetts, on pilot error, saying the crew exhibited a “long-term pattern” of failing to complete preflight checklists that contributed directly to the accident. At a hearing in Washington, D.C., this morning, the Board said that the GIV’s […]

The UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch has issued its initial report on the tragic accident in which a Hawker Hunter T7 crashed during a demonstration flight at an airshow at the Shoreham Airport. The report confirmed that 11 people on the ground died as a result of the crash while the pilot surprisingly survived, albeit […]

“Centerline!” called Martha. She was using our standard call-out for advising the pilot at the controls that he is wandering off the taxiway centerline. We were at Dallas Love Field. There were piles of snow all around the place, and the taxiways had patchy ice. It was a good time to stay on centerline. The […]

The King Air had been airborne for just 30 minutes, en route from Pine Bluff to Bentonville in Arkansas, when it began its descent from 16,500 feet. The weather was clear, and the 3,400-hour private pilot, 72, was on VFR flight following with Razorback Approach at Fort Smith. Nine minutes after leaving 16.5, he told […]

Have you ever dreamt of doing some real adventure flying, going into remote, special spots that are best accessed by airplane? Now you can follow avid adventure pilot Ramona Cox, known in the aviation community as SkyChick, in a new series of live broadcasts that will launch on Friday. The live broadcasts are free and […]