Pilot Proficiency

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have arrived on site in a remote, mountainous part southeast Alaska to begin trying to determine what caused the crash of a sightseeing floatplane that killed eight cruise ship passengers and the pilot last Thursday. The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter turboprop single crashed in rugged terrain about 80 miles from […]

Have you ever been frantically looking for the airplane keys after you have completed the preflight and are ready to start up? Or have you ever tried to get your keys out of the pocket after you have strapped on your seatbelt? There is an easy solution to the problem of where to put the […]

For the second year, Palm Springs, California, is welcoming back pilots and aviation enthusiasts to the annual Flying Aviation Expo presented by Scheyden, to be held this Oct. 15-17 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Registration is now open for the three-day aviation event at aviation-xpo.com. Tickets for the show are available in a variety […]

I scratched my chin as I tried to discern the unfamiliar code that our airline computer system had attached to three days of my reserve schedule. A call to crew schedule offered only a verbal shoulder shrug. It was suggested that I call our flight standards department. Hmm … Flight standards is responsible for maintaining […]

Let’s say you’ve just transitioned into a new airplane, one that’s faster, more complex and with newer avionics than the airplanes you’ve been used to flying. You’ll obviously want to fly with a flight instructor who’s familiar with the make, model and equipment aboard your new airplane. If it’s a really complex airplane like a […]

The final harrowing moments of a deadly midair collision were captured on video on Sunday after a Cessna 185 floatplane collided with a Cessna 172 in Alberta, Canada. The pilot of the stricken 185 made an emergency landing at the airport in Fort McMurray, flipping over after touching down in the damaged plane. Two occupants […]

In the 1960s, Ohio Gov. Jim Rhodes committed to putting a 4,000-foot paved runway in every county — an idea promoted by his friend Norman Crabtree. Both men were from rural southeastern Ohio and proud Bobcats — graduates of Ohio University at Athens. Norm, director of the Ohio Aviation Division, flew the governor around in […]

Many of you will remember the 2013 viral video of six-year-old Lainey Woodson experiencing the unbridled joy of flight for the first time in her father’s Piper Cub. Now an even more heart-warming video has surfaced of four-year-old Lea Langumier giggling in the skies over Quebec as her dad Raphael performs aerobatics in his Citabria. […]

Summer is upon us and so is the best flying season for most. While flying to a nice resort with all the creature comforts you could dream of is by all means a terrific experience, flying into a remote area will get you far away from the hustle and bustle. If you want to get […]

During the takeoff the engine is pushed to the max right near the ground, making it one of the most critical phases of flight. Should the engine fail, there is not much time to investigate or think through the best course of action before the airplane hits terra firma. It is therefore a great idea […]