Pilot Proficiency

A two-man team from Oklahoma City was in town last month with the “live” portion of the FAA’s designated pilot examiner renewal seminar. Half of the mandatory training happens online, but we still get eight hours in one of those hotel meeting rooms; if the air conditioning is cold enough and the coffee strong and […]

This year the 2013 Reno Air Races kicked off for its 50th anniversary in Reno/Stead Airport outside Reno, Nevada. Here is a look at our coverage from the event. No More Unlimited Class at Reno Air Races Strega to Participate in Reno Air Races 50th Anniversary Reno Air Races Kick Off Exciting Week at Reno […]

You already know that it is important to do a weight and balance calculation prior to any flight to make sure you don’t put too much weight in the airplane and that the center of gravity is within the published limits. But you may not realize that you should do at least two weight and […]

As aviation legend Bob Hoover announced the customary command for the Unlimited pilots, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” the final Gold Heat at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, was on. First to take off was the T-33 pace plane flown by Steve Hinton, a legend in his own right as a long time […]

Illustrations by Barry Ross| Climbing through 15,000 feet, I breathe a sigh of relief, slide my seat back and take a look around. Orange County, California, has one of the busier departure procedures in the country, and it’s a bit of a workout even when you’re familiar with it. But now that we’re high above […]

A few months back I wrote about flying a Citation Mustang, comparing its attributes to those of the 777. After the initial flight, thanks to my friend and Mustang owner Tom Torti, I became more familiar with the airplane, via a smattering of other trips. On those trips, informal instruction and a few doses of […]

You may recall at the start of the summer flying season FAA Administrator Michael Huerta implored general aviation pilots to fly safely in June, July and August. In an open letter to the GA community delivered just before the Memorial Day weekend, Huerta begged us, “Make sure you’re ready – really ready – to fly.” […]

AOPA has announced the surprising decision to suspend its annual Aviation Summits and instead hold a number of smaller grassroots events at general aviation airports, reaching members “where they fly.” Incoming AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker announced the change, saying it no longer makes sense for the association to invest in one large event. […]

A Schweizer SGS 2-33A sailplane came up a bit short of the intended runway on Sunday. The unidentified teenage pilot, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and an experienced glider pilot with a private pilot’s license, landed on the roof of a convenience store a half mile short of his intended runway at […]

It’s a video that makes pilots cringe and prompts airline passengers to question the wisdom of flying coach. A Swiss BAe 146/Avro RJ four-engine jet made a rough landing at London City Airport, slamming onto the runway under what appear to be extreme crosswind conditions. The 48-second video then shows the regional jet skidding and […]