Pilot Proficiency

Firefighters from the Charlotte Fire Department got a big surprise as they recently tested sonar equipment in Lake Norman, a large lake northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. According to local news outlets, the firefighters found an airplane resting on the bottom of the lake. As some of the firefighters took a closer look by diving […]

That no-strings dollar-a-gallon fuel you’ve been hearing about has a few catches now, forced by rumors and reports of commercial operators planning to game the system. When Redbird Skyport (KHYI) in San Marco, Texas, announced a couple of weeks ago that it was going to sell fuel for a dollar a gallon throughout the month […]

Several reports claim David Riggs, a pilot with a checkered past who lost his FAA license not once but twice, is missing after his Lancair 320 crashed in a lake outside Shenyang, China. Riggs’ passenger, an 18-year-old Chinese translator, died in the crash. The Los Angeles Times reported that Riggs took off in rainy conditions […]

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 Mark Warner, who recently flew into Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport in Pensacola, Florida, in a Mooney 252. Here’s what he had to say about one of the […]

The current issue of FAA Safety Briefing targets aviation citizenship among general aviation pilots. It urges us to show our responsibilities toward fellow pilots by sharing values, customs and culture with the rest of the aviation community. Feature articles in the September/October 2013 issue include primers on developing intervention strategies for fellow pilots who may […]

Yves Rossy, aka Jetman, took to the skies at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show, which took place this past weekend in Reno, Nevada. This, the second show during Jetman’s U.S. visit after AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, presented some new challenges for the man who straps a jet-powered carbon-Kevlar wing to his body, […]

The FAA announced changes that would exempt some pilots from having to complete a biennial flight review. Open for public comment through October 16, the proposal posted in the Federal Register this week seeks to address what the FAA says it now views as an error in the list of exceptions to meet the 24-month […]

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 […]