Pilot Proficiency

When Felix Baumgartner stepped out of his Red Bull capsule and began his record freefall 24 miles above the planet, we collectively held our breath. Within 42 seconds, the intrepid adventurer had reached a top speed of 843.6 miles per hour, becoming the first human to break the speed of sound without flying in a […]

A Rockwell 690C Commander on its second approach to Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport early Monday evening crashed next to a packed YMCA, killing all four people on board. Nobody on the ground was hurt. The Aero Commander, N840V, had departed Great Bend Municipal Airport in Kansas for the planned 2 hour, 15 minute flight, […]

When I set out to learn to fly at the age of 13, I did not actually want to learn to fly. I wanted to be a pilot, and if I could have snapped my fingers and instantly acquired all the necessary skills and knowledge, I would have. I am sure I am not alone […]

On Monday FAA Administrator Michael Huerta met with general aviation leaders to discuss improving safety. There were 259 fatal accidents in 2013 with 449 total lives lost. That represents virtually flat numbers over the past six years, though the nature of accidents is changing. For example, accidents attributed to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) are […]

With one day left to go in the month, January 2014 is shaping up to be one of the safest ever in terms of general aviation fatal accidents and fatalities. Perhaps coincidentally, it was also one of the coldest months in decades. There have been four fatal crashes this month in the United States involving […]

A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) instructor pilot and student now have an uneven number of takeoffs and landings in their logbooks. Both qualified for membership in the Caterpillar Club by ejecting from their Beechcraft CT-156 Harvard II trainer during a routine training mission. The Harvard II is the Canadian version of the Texan II […]

The volunteers in Wichita, Kansas, have been hard at work restoring Doc, a B-29 Superfortress, since the project resumed nearly one year ago. “We have made significant progress recently hanging the first engine on the airplane,” said Jeff Turner, chairman of the board of Doc’s Friends, the non-profit organization set up to restore the Superfortress. […]

We’ve recently had a Tanis engine preheater installed in our Diamond DA40 to deal with the ill effects of the arctic polar vortex blast — words that should never follow each other in a single sentence, in my opinion. The preheater is designed to keep the cylinders warmed to a temperature 70 degrees above ambient […]

If you wish to honor one of aviation’s true stars, Bob Hoover, while rubbing elbows with some of the most influential people in aviation, here is your chance. At the end of February, a series of events has been planned in the Los Angeles area to celebrate the life of the iconic pilot and person. […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Vincent Latona, who has recently flown into Scottsdale Airport in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a TBM 850. Here’s what he had to say about one of the airport’s FBOs, […]