Pilot Proficiency

I was checking out an online preview of a video series by a flight instructor who, for a small charge, promised to teach you to be a better pilot. So, of course, I couldn’t resist critiquing this instructor’s web lesson. He made a lot of little mistakes, mostly having to do with his use of […]

Seven decades after flying the Convair-built OY-1 Sentinal (the Naval version of the Stinson L-5) over Iwo Jima, 91-year-old veteran Mert P. Hansen got another ride in his exact WWII aircraft thanks to a unique twist of fate, as well as one man’s commitment to restoring the warbird. While bringing the aircraft back to life, […]

Thousands tuned in online Tuesday morning as Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner prepared to attempt what would be a record-breaking freefall jump from a lofty altitude of 120,000 feet. Strong winds aloft, however, delayed the attempt, in which Baumgartner seeks to become the first person ever to break the sound barrier while in freefall. To complete […]

I was on a flight to Brazil as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney squared off in their first presidential debate in Denver last week, and so I missed the live airing of the event. But as soon as I arrived in Sao Jose dos Campos to meet with executives at Embraer (mostly to talk about […]

Some events in flying aren’t covered by our instruction, the reading of popular or safety-specific magazines, or the emergency checklists. During these events, the pilot is left to his or her own devices, perhaps assisted by controllers and even passengers. But in the end, the pilot in command has the ultimate authority. I was presented […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Roy Erb, who recently flew into Heber City Municipal Airport – Russ McDonald Field in a Cessna 182. Here’s what he has to say about one of the airport’s FBOs, OK3 […]

We thought we’d share with you some more photos of that supposed midair collision between a Syrian Airways Airbus A320 and a Syrian military helicopter, possibly a Russian-built Mi-8, near Damascus last month. The accident reportedly happened on September 20 near an altitude of 12,000 feet – but that’s about all that’s been reported so […]

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has partnered with AOPA to provide flight training at the annual AOPA Aviation Summit, which kicks off next week in Palm Springs, California. SAFE’s Pilot Proficiency Program, which was first offered at EAA AirVenture this summer, offers free flight training using Redbird’s FMX flight simulator, a full-motion […]

For Carlie, an experienced right seat passenger flying with her boyfriend, Ryan, the flight in Ryan’s Diamond DA40 seemed like any other. But when Ryan informed Carlie of trouble with the airplane and asked her to get out the emergency checklist, things took an unexpected turn. In this case, Carlie’s reading the emergency checklist carefully […]

When you’re flying along a flight plan using your autopilot with the nav source engaged, you may think the heading bug is insignificant since it is not in use by the autopilot. But while the heading bug may not be active, it is worth keeping it centered as you fly along. With the heading bug […]