Pilot Proficiency

Budget cuts have hit the FAA hard again this year, with the agency continuing to charge hefty user fees for temporary air traffic control services at airshows. One of the first airshows of the year, the Cable Air Show at the Cable Airport near Upland, California, took place over the weekend. The owner of the […]

We recently heard a story involving a student pilot who headed out to the airport for some night solo time and ended up facing his first real emergency. According to his instructor, the student performed a preflight inspection in the winter chill with a flashlight before climbing aboard and heading out to the active. When […]

Long Island, New York-based Hopscotch Air celebrates its fifth anniversary this week. Hopscotch Air flies seven Cirrus SR22s as air taxis, an idea that was supposed to explode with the advent of glass cockpits, NextGen and very light jets. Hopscotch partners with Linear Air, a similarly configured air taxi operation flying Eclipse VLJs. Together, the […]

If you’ve ever wondered just how violent a bird strike really is, check out this harrowing cockpit video shot from the inside of a Cessna 210 a few weeks ago. The two men shown in the footage took off from Brookeridge Airpark in Downers Grove, Illinois, on December 28 and struck a Canadian goose just […]

A passenger aboard a Cessna Grand Caravan that crashed into the Pacific Ocean last month, killing another passenger, has released dramatic video he shot from inside the cabin as the airplane went down. The passenger, 39-year-old Ferdinand Puentes, was one of nine people on the flight that originated in Molokai, Hawaii, on December 11. The […]

It is very likely — I hope — that this slightly edited version of a 709 re-examination letter is the only one you’ll ever see. The FAA can legally demand a retest of your qualifications any time it chooses, but in practice, this happens only on the heels of some event — an accident or […]

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 Joe Melapioni, who has recently flown into Ocean County Airport in Toms River, New Jersey, in a variety of different airplanes (C172/C425/C421/PA-44/C152). Here’s what he had to say […]

The FAA’s latest issue of its Safety Briefing magazine places its editorial focus on advanced technology and how pilots interact with it. There has been a lot of concern about pilots’ overreliance on avionics and their lack of proficiency in basic flying skills. The FAA publication addresses some of the more pressing issues that face […]

One man’s search for allegedly long-lost Supermarine Spitfires in Burma is continuing, thanks to new financial support from Claridon Group Ltd. English farmer David Cundall garnered worldwide attention in 2012 when he set out on a search for dozens of new-in-the-box Spitfires that he claims have remained buried beneath Burma soil close to Yangon International […]

A Navy helicopter carrying five crew members crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia during a training mission Wednesday, killing two crew members and injuring two others, the U.S. Navy said. Rescuers are still searching for the fifth crew member. The service members were hoisted from 42-degree waters by a Navy helicopter and taken to […]