Pilot Proficiency

History is written by the victors, they say. They also say that the saddest words of tongue or pen are “It might have been!” And so, in view of the manifest sadness of history, let us pause to pay heed to what was not, and to give some honor to the vanquished. Our national love […]

If you think riding a bicycle is too much physical work, a group of Czech inventors may have a solution. The group recently test flew what is currently a remote-controlled all-electric flying bike inside an exhibit hall in Prague. At this stage, the bike is strictly a proof-of-concept and “the fulfillment of our boyish dream,” […]

It’s a debate that could ignite a feud between the North and South. This week Connecticut legislators passed a bill that includes a paragraph buried within its text stating that Gustave Whitehead and not the Wright Brothers should be recognized as the first to fly — at least north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. North […]

It looks like a routine ILS approach as the crew of a Boeing Business Jet descends through 500 feet toward the runway on a gray, rainy day. On reaching minimums at around 200 feet, the airplane is on glidepath and a landing appears certain as the rabbit lights and runway are clearly visible straight ahead. […]

Every hour and every dollar I ever spent learning to fly this or that aircraft was worth this one flight. Israel is a beautiful country, every bit of it, even the dry parts. The people here are as friendly and engaging as Texans and the weather is as good as Southern California. I’m flying north […]

Generally, Flying doesn’t post video footage of crashes, but when a dad tries to show his sons just how to make this foam airplane fly, he experiences the very real consequences of unintended aerobatics. The results are priceless. And fortunately, no one was harmed in the process. Enjoy.

Every VFR pilot who has flown long enough to have gotten himself into and out of a few tight situations knows how insidious the onset of trouble is. He knows, too, that your state of mind when you are in the airplane, especially as you near your destination and the weather starts to go bad […]

Some people believe in the misconception that aviation accidents are largely caused by inexperience. But as pilots become more comfortable inside the skin of the fuselage that surrounds them, they can become more of a hazard. You may be surprised to learn that an NTSB study of general aviation accidents between 2007 through 2009 concluded […]

The computers driving modern avionics systems are capable of serving as flight data recorders, and in this case, they reveal the final moments that lead to the death of two pilots in a Cirrus SR22 crash. A video account of the accident is available on YouTube (see below). The cousins, aged 23 and 34, died […]

Bravo Kilo Echo enters the pattern to circumnavigate Victoria Falls. (Photos by Mike Venturino and Michelle Carter)| At 6,500 feet, we could see the spray of Victoria Falls billowing above the Zimbabwe flatland 70 miles out. No GPS necessary, just head for the cloud of mist and keep the roiling Zambezi River below you. Strung […]